Pics from Back in the Day

[Photon440]

In 1975 after finishing high school I worked in a pop bottling plant and made $4.42 per hour. Plus shift differential when on afternoon shift. Saturdays were time and a half and the rare Sunday shift was double time. They asked when I was returning to school, I said I was staying full time so they upped my wage to $4.82.

 

[Fran Blacker]

In 66 I was serving and cooking hot dogs for $1.35. Plus delivering dry cleaned cloths to students at Cheshire Academy with my dad. His business made good money from them and gave them a discount.

 

[440 4 speed]

In 1964 our minimum wage was $1.05/hr. Cigarettes were .47 cents for a 25 package and gasoline was .53 cents for an Imperial Gallon.
Today our minimum wage is 14.35/hr. Package of cigarettes is 25.00. 6.95 for an Imperial gallon.

 

[moparedtn]

That hourly wage in 1966 in today’s cash is around $28/hour. Not adding the nice bene’s. Enjoyed a pension plan for about five years before it was nuked back in ’85. Was making a crap salary; but the plan accumulated near 19 grand. Know a few who are living pretty wealthy off their pensions.

Minimum wage in 1966: $1.25/hr
I recall my first "on paper" job at age 13 was $1.75/hr in 1974 or so...

 

[Richard Cranium]

So, you've always been a high roller!

That salary afforded me the ability to buy my first car, a 1969 318 Charger rust bucket for $700.00. That same car today would be worth 25 large.

 

[YY1]

That salary is 58K today.

Pretty good for "no experience, no HS diploma".

Federal minimum wage was 3.35 when I started working.

 

[68BabyBlue]

I was making $1.85 per hour at my first job back in 1975.

I was making the same working part time in the student union cafeteria at Penn State that year. Meal discounts bumped it up quite a bit for me, as I was consuming nearly 6000 calories a day during my heavy weight lifting era. Completing my degree got me into the big time. I landed a job as a writer for a medical newspaper group that paid $8500 a year. I was able to pay for an apartment in Bethesda, Md, and still save enough in a year to quit the job and pay for truck driver school. Three years later, after buying my first truck, I had quadrupled my income. My parents had to eat their words about my "stupid" career choice.

 

[Ron H]

1st job was at a machine shop in ’71 for 2 bucks/hour jr year. Wasn’t bad back then as I hated the idea washing dishes or working at Mac’s. Bought my 1st ride, ’67 GTO vert and always more than enough for gas for the evening carousing, drive-in’s, and dates before reality arrived.

 

[Orig69]

 

[AR67GTX]

About 1967 I got my first job at 16 running rides in a small amusement park at a whole $1/hr even. In 68 I moved up to grocery sacker, cart runner and bottle return sorter in a grocery store at what I remember was about $1.45/hr. It seems like after about 6 months or in 69 we went to $1.65/hr and I thought those were minimum wage figures back then but I could be wrong on that after this many years. My last summer before college I worked in a gas station but I forget what I made there.

 

[Ron H]

those were minimum wage figures back

Found min/wage in '65 was $1.25 '67 $1.40 and '68 $1.60. Seemed to stay there a few years as I was checking what I was making in '71 and was still $1.60. I was earning 2 bucks/hour then at a machine shop.

 

[AR67GTX]

Found min/wage in '65 was $1.25 '67 $1.40 and '68 $1.60. Seemed to stay there a few years as I was checking what I was making in '71 and was still $1.60. I was earning 2 bucks/hour then at a machine shop.

Thanks - I bet those were my wages - $1.40 and $1.60. I was probably off a year too, when it went to $1.60. After 55 years your memory starts getting a little contrary and wants to add 5 cents to everything.

 

[64BEL]

We used to think that if we could ever make $100. a week we'd have it made!

 

[Jeff Peterson]

Hey Joey, can we get a sub forum for “wages back in the day”?

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

@chargervert Aaah, the ancient ditching dork dishes ritual, who would have guessed many years later people would go away from finding beautiful wheels to compliment their ride, and say taxi cabs have the best wheels

 

[chargervert]

Now a days everyone wants their Hemi car to look like their grandpa's 63 Valiant! WTF!

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

These 2 legends even agree

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

 

[Ron H]

We used to think that if we could ever make $100. a week we'd have it made!

Yeah, had it made for a brief time still living with folks. Premium gas was under 40 cents a gallon at our local Clark station. Remember putting in 2 or 3 bucks and was plenty for the evening/night cruising and pack of smokes for around the same price as a gal of gas. How times changed just a few years later with the ‘energy’ crisis.

Was hard to find gas anywhere around where I lived, not many nearby stations then. My dad would take my Cuda on occasion to get it filled up on his way back from work passing a bunch of stations on his route. Lol, he liked driving my rides anyway for a change on occasion.

At the shop where I worked, the co-owners had their new company cars (Chryslers) I’d get gassed up for them and I usually did the deliveries/errands in their Dodge truck. They had a contract with the nearby Mobil station. Station posted ‘No Gas’ but they had it for their premo customers. Knew the owner being there often and asked him if he’d let me just get a couple gallons please. **** nope.

If one had the gift (and cash) of what the future would be as people dumped their muscle cars for compacts! Dealers were full of sweet cars on the used car lots. For grins I’d go in and test drive some of them: Recall driving a 6-pack RR, Cuda, GT500 Shelby vert, etc. Sales guys were more than happy to let me do it – praying someone would take it off their lot. Lol, maybe even crash it for the insurance.
Strange time it was.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Yeah, had it made for a brief time still living with folks. Premium gas was under 40 cents a gallon at our local Clark station. Remember putting in 2 or 3 bucks and was plenty for the evening/night cruising and pack of smokes for around the same price as a gal of gas. How times changed just a few years later with the ‘energy’ crisis.

Was hard to find gas anywhere around where I lived, not many nearby stations then. My dad would take my Cuda on occasion to get it filled up on his way back from work passing a bunch of stations on his route. Lol, he liked driving my rides anyway for a change on occasion.

At the shop where I worked, the co-owners had their new company cars (Chryslers) I’d get gassed up for them and I usually did the deliveries/errands in their Dodge truck. They had a contract with the nearby Mobil station. Station posted ‘No Gas’ but they had it for their premo customers. Knew the owner being there often and asked him if he’d let me just get a couple gallons please. **** nope.

If one had the gift (and cash) of what the future would be as people dumped their muscle cars for compacts! Dealers were full of sweet cars on the used car lots. For grins I’d go in and test drive some of them: Recall driving a 6-pack RR, Cuda, GT500 Shelby vert, etc. Sales guys were more than happy to let me do it – praying someone would take it off their lot. Lol, maybe even crash it for the insurance.
Strange time it was.

In 72 saw a orange 70 Hemi Cuda in a VW dealer lot $1950. Friend worked on it, Secord Cnrysler Plymouth. Guy blew the motor knocked half of 2 lifter bores out. He ask the dealer if he could take the block, them sure.