J.C. Whitney catalogs.

[eljefino]

I was born too late.

We used to have a Pep Boys-ish store, VIP, that sold this [censored] at the turn of the millenium. Granny knobs for the steering wheel. An electronic horn that plays "Dixie" and "La Cucaracha" and 48 other songs on a stupid little chicklet keyboard. Air horns that also played Dixie through some elaborate air manifold if you were a real baller. Strobe lights you could drill into your turn signal housings to play cop. 3-million candlepower spot lights. Naked lady/ Yosemite Sam mudflaps. Glass Pack mufflers with Woody Woodpecker on 'em. Purple neon license frames. Hula girls for the dashboard. Purple window tint with 40 free bubbles in every roll. Stickers with Calvin peeing. Bug deflectors for the hood, rain deflectors for windows of the smoker's Chrysler Cirrus.

Then they decided to sell the parts side to O-Reillys. Most stores have a parts guy who actually knows a little. The only stupid thing they sell now are those chrome letters so you can write "Diesel" on the back of your prius.

Now we're all amused by apps on the cellphone. As dumb as all this stuff was I'm still fond of it.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

I used to get them in the mid-eighties. The only thing I really remember was a spark plug cleaning machine. Didn't they also sell foxtails for your antenna?

I'm ashamed to say it, but the only thing I ever ordered was a lift kit for the back of my 1970 Grand Prix. I never installed it, though.

My favorites were the PAW (Performance Automotive Warehouse) and Summit Racing wishbooks. I learned at least a little bit about engines from them.

The best lesson was to not buy cheap head gaskets, like the ones in the PAW engine set. They blew after a couple thousand miles and pumped coolant out my Pontiac's dipstick tube.

 

[Errtt]

Seems to me haven't had one of the catalogs since around late 70s. Used to take them in work and nearly all day long someone was thumbing through it. I bought car speakers, compass/thermometer/altimeter thing, and a CB & antenna, probably a few other things. Don't remember buying the gimmicks.
Was about the same with a Radio Shack catalog but I actually went to the local Radio Shack store to buy things and always looked forward to the flyers. Ah the Mach 1 speakers, turntables, car speakers, portable radios etc. and I think that's where I bought one of those digital watches with a calculator some years after. And they still sell those kind of watches I've seen on Amazon.