Well, I've got the original invoice from when my car was purchased in '58. It cost $2,732. Oh yeah, and they traded in a 1951 Ford to save $225. Bringing it to a grand total of $2,507. Let's just say I payed more than that for my car in 2003.
My brothers' 56 Chevrolet P.U. truck had a 265 V-8 that he did a ring and bearing job on; a couple of years later it tossed a rod. We got him a completely remanufactured .030 283 short block for $150.00 + core. This was 1971 or so. Another $20.00 got us a pair of 327 Power Pack heads that had just been redone, from a friend. He has a newer Dodge diesel truck now, but he still wishes he had kept his old truck.
Yep prices then and now are relevent to how many hours of work it took to buy something. One hour of work "back then" bought X gallons of gas one hour of work now buys X gallons of gas. I'm talking equal skill levels for then and now. Actually some of those performance engine pieces were probably more expensive then than they are now as far as hrs worked to buy a certain item. I made 1.25 an hr as a box boy at the Local safeway in 1965 and that bought about 3 gal of gas for my hrs work. the kids now make around 8 here and still get about 3 gallons of gas for their hours work.
Around here $8 buys you 2.5 gallons of gas. And a box boy is lucky if he gets more than minimum wage.
Minimum wage here is 8.07 now but that is a long way from a living wage. At what I paid for gas this morning that pays for 2.77 gallons of gas. That is if you don't have taxes taken out of the 8.07 first.
I was having this discussion the other day when I was valueing a guys car. He has a 1955 Ford Zephyr Convertable that has recently been completed after a extremely detailed restoration. Due to the superb standard of the car I valued it at NZ$70,000. He then started going on about what a great investment it would have been to buy and put away one of these when they were new. He did however shut up big time when I pointed out that his car would have cost nearly NZ$1800 back then against NZ$3600 for a good quality new home in a good subdivision. That same home is now worth NZ$400,000 and a similar size new home would be closer to NZ$500,000 so just to keep up with inflation his car would need to be worth NZ$200-250,000. I think this puts it in proportion. It always looks good looking back but in reality we are probably the luckiest and most affluent generation ever, and we will look back on these as being the really great old days. But I do worry about how hard it is going to be for my 15 month old granddaughter as I believe we have seen the great years and her generation are going to have it relly hard. I now put $100 a week into a account for her so hopefully she can enjoy some of what I take for granted.
My first car, a '51 Ford custom, flathead V8 overdrive, paid $150. I remember Hurst shifters $59.00. I got a nice looking knock off from J.C. Whitney for $24.00 shipping included. Man was I proud
I started work at .35 an hour. When I got a raise to .50 in 1957,, I bought a Black 1951 Ford Convert. I was 16. Paid $225, it needed a top but had a rebuilt Merc engine. Cigs were 3 packs for .50. Levis $1.75.....Ya I'm old!..............OLDBEET
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