Truck costs then Vs. Now

[Chickenhawk368]

Things like this can be very misleading, it's not that things cost more, we make less. Run what you make a year then compare it to what you would have made back then. You will have to do some research, find out what a person doing what you do made, then convert it to todays money. It's quite shocking! for me it worked out to an extra $20,000+ a year converted to todays money.

So it's no that things have gotten more expensive ( other then fookin' gas ), we have less money to spend on them.

[1970 Hi-Boy]

Especially when you figure that todays dollar bill is not even worth a dollar any longer, closer to 3/4 of its face value, that truly is sad indeed.

[ultraranger]

There may be another perspective to look at besides cup holders and the like in new trucks. Just think of all the steel and iron that is missing in the newly made versions of trucks. If looked at in this manner, your getting a lot less truck vs the old ones. Might be a partial reason for the near equal price comparison. But interesting none the less.

Exactly.

Government mandates force auto manufacturers to meet certain fuel MPG & emissions standards. To do this, they have to make the vehicles out of lighter materials --plastic/urethane. Great for meeting standards but puts less dense materials between you and a fixed object or on-coming vehicle, in an accident.

My '69 Ranger has never been gone through/rebuilt/overhauled (yet), and 43-years after its manufacture date it's still running up and down the highways. I seriously doubt most of the vehicles produced today will still be on the roads 43-years after their manufacture date. --They will likely have died, gone to the crusher and been made into something else long before that span of time has passed.

[elgemcdlf]

My basic F100 is supposed to have cost around $2,500 in '71. That would make $14,142.22 in 2012 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. The most basic F150 with V6 starts close to $24,000!

I was shopping for a new truck a few yrs back & the base model F150 was $15xxx here in central IN

[mcheath]

The base model F-150 in my neck of the woods lists for $24,665 with shipping.

But it has AC, a 6 speed auto trans, PB, PS, disc brakes, stability control, tilt wheel, wiper delay, AM/FM stereo, 40/20/40 split seat, 17" wheels, rear step bumper, halogen headlights, manual dual outside mirrors, airbags, 3 point seat belts, headrests, anti-theft key system, and a 3.7l V-6 with fuel injection. It also hauls 1700 pounds.

All options for the old F-100, or stuff that was simply not available at any price as it did not exist.

Base price of a 72' F-100 with fleetside longbed was $3266. To get as many options on it that match up as closely as the new F-150 adds $1651. Total price of $4,897. According to the BLS inflation calculator that's $26,989.62 in today's money. Amazingly the modern truck is a better deal.

[occupant]

My Gran Torino cost $5082 in 1975 (mine is a '76 but I have a 1975 Edmunds New Car Prices book and it might as well be the same car). That is $21,762.82 to 2012 dollars. Freight not included. A new 2013 Ford Fusion S sedan with the base engine and automatic and air and only a lighter/ashtray as options (since my car has that standard) comes to $21,760 plus freight. But the Fusion is much better equipped. If you add those options (stereo radio, power windows/locks, cruise, tilt, etc) my car comes out to $6103 which is $26,133.89 in today's dollars and that could move me up to a Fusion SE with the EcoBoost engine, automatic shift, tech package, and start/stop feature.

The problem is income. You guys have it right, we make LESS per hour than we did before. But the money spent better back then, too. In 1994 I had two jobs. I worked sacking groceries at O'Malia's in Indianapolis and earned $4.55 an hour and then I quit there when offered the job at Target, and worked fetching carts and stocking shelves there making $5.50 an hour. $4.55 an hour, 7% above minimum wage in 1994, is worth $7.07 today, about 2.5% BELOW minimum wage $5.50 an hour, almost 30% above minimum wage in 1994, is worth $8.55 today, only 18% above minimum wage. To match the spending power in 1994 today, I would need to make $7.76 (at the grocery store) or $9.42 (at Target). I inquired at our local Target and their starting pay for my position is $7.80 an hour. Disgusting, and makes me glad I work for myself.

[67 Camper Special]

In 1974 I was an apprentice carpenter making $9.80 an hr.

Fast forward to today and I am a general contractor billing out at $30.00 site rate. I now have overhead, about 250k, licences, insurances, bookkeeper, commercial property taxes, commercial gas and electric rates, etc.etc.etc. Add to that the government doing everything they can to drive me out of business, and yes, I would say I was better off in the seventies.

I worked a lot of 7/12's and could pay for a new car in about a month. Bought a new 75 Ford 6/stick 4x4 for $4300. Bought a new Corvette for $5600. That took six weeks to pay off. I enjoyed working for someone else.

Today I work as many hours as these old legs will let me stand up, and I just can't get ahead. I made a lot of moves this year to slash overhead, sold my commercial building, bought a Ford Ranger[4 cyl.] for mileage, put shop and home on one piece of property, sold my toys, and there was a lot of them. I went from 18 employees in 2000, to just me today. I like to pay good guys $25hr., but have not been able to raise my rates. The average employee cost me about $12hr in mandated cost now, so the hell with it.

The politicians can keep telling us we are better off and pointing to stuff like the cost of cars, but its BS.

Larry