>I was driving home the other night and my '73 Bus started backfiring and
>lurching forward instead of accelerating smoothly.  I stopped immediately
>(of course) and checked the engine compartment to find wires attached to the
>coil smoking and sparking.  I found one wire that had fallen off the coil
>and replaced it.  I went to re-start the Bus and the key wouldn't even turn
>in the ignition.  

Mark,

it sounds like your ignition switch is broken and it just might be the
root cause of your other elctrical problems. Find a new one for about
$20-25. 

The switch on my (fuel-injected) '75 broke 4 years ago and caused the
lurching you described, and it also locked the steering wheel.(!)

-- 
Sami Dakhlia
Dept. of Economics
Washington-University-in-St.Louis	
dakhlia@wuecona.wustl.edu