A few weeks ago, we showed a snapshot of wartime grocery prices. Today, we show how much it cost to have your auto serviced 75 years ago. This ad appeared in the Milwaukee Journal on May 5, 1944.

Because of gasoline and tire shortages, it’s likely that most cars spent most of the war parked.  But even if they got little mileage, they would need occasional service.  And Sears Roebuck was there to help, with its Milwaukee service stations open until 9:00 every night except Sunday at 1337 W. Forest Home Ave. and 2100 W. North Ave.

A tune-up was $2.39 and included cleaning and inspecting the distributor, testing the coil condenser caps, and checking the spark plug wires for breakdown.  The spark plugs would be cleaned and the gap checked.

In addition, the service included inspection of the fuel pump and adjusting the carburetor.  The battery would be cleaned and refilled, and the generator, fan belt, and radiator would be inspected.