Something I thought I'd never see

[boattail]

How much was fuel in 1991-ish in northern California? That's how much I paid.

Yesterday I paid $27 for a gallon of 94 octane unleaded in Montana. (50:1 2-stroke pre-mix for the chainsaw).

When I started driving fuel tankers in 1991 regular gas was in the 80 cents a gallon range.

Your welcome for that old guy useless information flex...

 

[Nosferatu]

When I started driving fuel tankers in 1991 regular gas was in the 80 cents a gallon range.

Your welcome for that old guy useless information flex...

Ok, that got me curious enough to do a quick search. I don't believe I ever paid less than a buck for a gallon of gas, but maybe for a short while, I did.

Now I wasn't driving a whole lot back then, I didn't have my own car until 1995, but whenever I used dads car the requirement was that I replace what fuel was used.

Search result:

California Regular Gasoline Retail Sales by All Sellers (Dollars per Gallon) data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides monthly price details for California, including Northern California, in 1991.

• Average price in 1991: The average price for regular gasoline in California was $1.14.
• Monthly variation:
  • January: $0.837 per gallon
  • February: $0.725 per gallon
  • March: $0.636 per gallon
  • April: $0.667 per gallon
  • May: $0.744 per gallon
  • June: $0.739 per gallon
  • July: $0.702 per gallon
  • August: $0.723 per gallon
  • September: $0.731 per gallon
  • October: $0.718 per gallon
  • November: $0.709 per gallon
  • December: $0.687 per gallon

Prices were lowest in February and March, reaching $0.636 per gallon in March, before rising through the year. By December, prices had increased to $0.687 per gallon, reflecting seasonal trends and supply dynamics. These figures are consistent with the broader national trend of declining prices following the 1990–1991 Gulf War, as noted in news reports from the time.

 

[P7M13]

It's a long video but worth the watch. You can be ooh rah rah rah about fossil fuels and still realize that if we want to be energy independent we need to use as many technologies as we can to do that. The current Hormuz Strait situation is a prime example of what happens when we're too dependent on internationally traded energy.

I started listening, and within 10 seconds, he said, "very few things we use are powered by petroleum."**
That's an incredibly deceptive statement because most things we use rely tremendously on petroleum to be made or operated. It's analogous to why hunt because meat appears in in stores in shrink wrapped packages. A vegan friend will be the first to tell you that veganism will not save the world because it takes significantly more energy than factory farming. She did the math.
Without fossil fuels or petroleum, we do not have fertilizer, plastics, metals or almost all of those things that are powered by electricity. We also lose approximately 84% of the existing electricity.
** Unless, that was a hook to draw in leftist simpletons and then slam them with hard reality.

 

[gmerkt]

I seriously have no idea how much I paid for my first gallon of gasoline. How and why you guys cataloge this information is beyond my comprehehension.

Mrs. Merkt wonders how I can remember all my grade school classmates. She says, "Why do you crowd your brain with that stuff?" I don't know why; some people are just made this way. She remembers practically nothing of grade school. She hated it so I suspect there is a function of repression going on there.

 

[Will_White]

I started listening, and within 10 seconds, he said, "very few things we use are powered by petroleum."**
That's an incredibly deceptive statement because most things we use rely tremendously on petroleum to be made or operated. It's analogous to why hunt because meat appears in in stores in shrink wrapped packages. A vegan friend will be the first to tell you that veganism will not save the world because it takes significantly more energy than factory farming. She did the math.
Without fossil fuels or petroleum, we do not have fertilizer, plastics, metals or almost all of those things that are powered by electricity. We also lose approximately 84% of the existing electricity.
** Unless, that was a hook to draw in leftist simpletons and then slam them with hard reality.

You missed the point entirely, maybe watch a little before making assumptions. The point is that most things we use are energy agnostic. They don't care if the power came from a solar panel, wind turbine, or coal fired plant just that its 120ish volts and 60ish hz AC.

We won't get rid of the petroleum industry, thats not the point, his point is we could reduce petroleum consumption and produce durable goods with petroleum instead of lighting it on fire to power things.

 

[gmerkt]

• Average price in 1991: The average price for regular gasoline in California was $1.14.
• Monthly variation:
  • January: $0.837 per gallon
  • February: $0.725 per gallon
  • March: $0.636 per gallon
  • April: $0.667 per gallon
  • May: $0.744 per gallon
  • June: $0.739 per gallon
  • July: $0.702 per gallon
  • August: $0.723 per gallon
  • September: $0.731 per gallon
  • October: $0.718 per gallon
  • November: $0.709 per gallon
  • December: $0.687 per gallon

Prices were lowest in February and March, reaching $0.636 per gallon in March, before rising through the year. By December, prices had increased to $0.687 per gallon, reflecting seasonal trends and supply dynamics. These figures are consistent with the broader national trend of declining prices following the 1990–1991 Gulf War, as noted in news reports from the time.

I don't think the numbers quoted above include tax. These are industry figures. The price to the consumer was over one dollar per gallon during that era.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Went into town yesterday on the way to work and the premium gas went from 5.49 to 5.99 overnight. JFC.

 

[Will_White]

Went into town yesterday on the way to work and the premium gas went from 5.49 to 5.99 overnight. JFC.

Cheap gas and no new wars FTW.

 

[Oxygen Mask]

We remember all that stuff from our youth - but not what happened yesterday, because we got old! The brain just works that way, we cannot help it. I read an article recently that explained why it's that way.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Mrs. Merkt wonders how I can remember all my grade school classmates. She says, "Why do you crowd your brain with that stuff?" I don't know why; some people are just made this way. She remembers practically nothing of grade school. She hated it so I suspect there is a function of repression going on there.

We all remember "useless info" lol. Grade school for me wasn't all that fun or engaging for myself either being quite the introvert.

 

[1775usmc]

I'm saving gas money by ordering a sawed off "shotgun" that can be shipped straight to your door.

IYKYK.

 

[teflon6string]

All I've ever known is getting bent over at the fuel pump without a reacharound.

...and no cigarette because rules are rules.

 

[trukinbear]

The Camaro was 25 years ago.

Oooh... an internet tough guy....I skeeered.

A Camaro will never be "exotic", no matter how much HP it has. Lots of hot rodders put in 800+hp engines in everything they can cram them in. Lots of import racers put in the ability to go 1000+hp from measly 2liter engines or smaller with enormous turbos, high RPMs, nitrous.

Depending on your intended use. I was talking about my daily driver. I had a 1971 Vega 'funny car' with a Keith Black hemi which would have been super exotic to attempt to drive as a daily driver starting with the 5500 RPM stall converter. But sure if you want to compare a 25 years ago hot rod with my under $30k 4-door Chevy.... You got me, you go back 25 years and tell me how it turned out, especially in regards to a discussion of gas prices in 2026... I'll wait

 

[trukinbear]

The Camaro was 25 years ago.

Oooh... an internet tough guy....I skeeered.

You seem seem to be the one hiding behind the Internet, I'll give you detailed directions should you wish to ask me if I'm bipolar to my face. I'm not sure what kinda kick you'd get from coming here to insult a 75 year old 5' tall 4x cancer survivor, but whatever, perhaps elder abuse is your style, and the hospital isn't far. Thanks for jumping all over my post about the gas prices I saw on my first trip by myself since I've been cleared to drive again. Id return the favor, except at my age crawling back up from your level might be difficult.

 

[gmerkt]

Of the oil used throughout the world, 20% comes through the Straight of Hormuz. That means the other 80% does not come through the Straight of Hormuz and is not threatened by the Iranian choke point. The US imports very little oil that comes through the Straight of Hormuz, like low single digit. Logically, the price of oil here shouldn't be much affected. BUT: Oil is priced globally so there is a huge opportunity profit for sellers into the US market. Said another way, oil that comes from west Texas shouldn't be as valuable as oil that comes from Iraq.

 

[gmerkt]

but not what happened yesterday, because we got old!

How about, I laid a screwdriver down five minutes ago. Now I can't remember where it is.

Real story. Because today, I had to replace one of the high beam sealed beams in my 72 Ford wagon. It looked like a flash bulb had gone off inside. I have a box full of sealed beams I've saved for this car. Including used ones from cars I've junked out. No, I didn't use a nice new one that came from Goodwill, I used a used one, all coated with dried slime that I had to clean off. It took me a half hour to change it. Once I found the screwdriver, I discovered that the three screws holding the ring on were rusted. So back I went for the WD40. Got it done but took way too long. Fortunately, I did remember where the box of sealed beams was.

 

[Unka-Boo]

You seem seem to be the one hiding behind the Internet, I'll give you detailed directions should you wish to ask me if I'm bipolar to my face. I'm not sure what kinda kick you'd get from coming here to insult a 75 year old 5' tall 4x cancer survivor, but whatever, perhaps elder abuse is your style, and the hospital isn't far. Thanks for jumping all over my post about the gas prices I saw on my first trip by myself since I've been cleared to drive again. Id return the favor, except at my age crawling back up from your level might be difficult.

You're the only one here making vieled threats and calling people out.....maybe take a break from the keyboard for a bit.....

 

[arakboss]

We remember all that stuff from our youth - but not what happened yesterday, because we got old! The brain just works that way, we cannot help it. I read an article recently that explained why it's that way.

What does it mean that I can't remember my youth or what happened yesterday?

 

[Oxygen Mask]

What does it mean that I can't remember my youth or what happened yesterday?

Yeah I can't remember a lot of the 70s either....

 

[Nosferatu]

You seem seem to be the one hiding behind the Internet, I'll give you detailed directions should you wish to ask me if I'm bipolar to my face. I'm not sure what kinda kick you'd get from coming here to insult a 75 year old 5' tall 4x cancer survivor, but whatever, perhaps elder abuse is your style, and the hospital isn't far. Thanks for jumping all over my post about the gas prices I saw on my first trip by myself since I've been cleared to drive again. Id return the favor, except at my age crawling back up from your level might be difficult.

Bless yer heart.