[bgadow]

I picked up a stack of local classified advertising books from that era. In the late 70's the price of gas guzzlers was dropping like a rock. Lots of $800 full-size Mopars or Impalas, but high prices for used VW Rabbits or Datsun's, Honda's, Toyota's. It was in that second crunch that my father traded his El Camino for a Ford Courier (rebadged Mazda pickup) while his best friend traded a clean, garage kept '72 Charger for a Plymouth Champ (tiny Mitsubishi econobox). My father & uncle both installed large woodstoves and planted huge gardens. I was a fairly young kid then so I guess I missed the worst of it. It is rural where I live; the only time I recall gas lines were when we went to Metro DC to visit some relatives. One farmer in our town, who never met a get-rich-quick scheme that he didn't like, built a gasohol plant but it didn't last long.

One thing I remember from that time was the hucksters set up at the state fair. There were a couple guys selling this cone-shaped contraption that attached to the rear wheel of your car and worked as a wood splitter. (sounds safe, eh?) Another guy sold some gizmo that attached to your fuel line and was supposed to magnetize or atomize or some claptrap. He was apparently related to the guy who invented the Fish carburetor as he told a hard luck story of the "big guys" (GM, Ford, Chrysler, Exxon, etc) being out to get him. Dad bought one, I think it cost $45. Never saw a difference, I think his truck got the same 8 mpg it got without it!