The little gas station across the street from my Idaho college (go Coyotes!) catered to us impecunious students. So at the beginning of each fall semester, I'd buy 6 retread tires for my '54 Chevy. 4 "regular" tread, 2 snow tread with walnut shells impregnated in the rubber. At the first snowfall, the snow treads went on the back wheels (with the summer tires in the trunk for extra weight). Christmas breaks found me driving the 500 miles up to home in N. Idaho, then the same distance back, often through blizzards, deep snow and snowstorms. Come spring, the front tires were rotated to the back, the tires in the trunk put on the front and the snow treads left at the shop for retreading. Back to N. Idaho and the Sunshine silver mine. Next fall semester, repeat. I think summer treads were $12 ea., walnut snow treads $15 (well, it was the early '60s).
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