When cruising at highway speed, my 1983 Chevette runs fine but lately it has sporadically felt like it is starting to starve and begins to slow. When I throw in the clutch I can race the engine. But when I engage it, the starving (at least it feels like starving) begins again and will slow the car to a stop if I let it.

I just tried to get back to work and in the last few hundred yards there was a small amount of back firing along with the bucking.

The car has 40,000.