Details: Car has 149,500 miles. Got it used and has been running great for two years. Religiously change oil, rotate/balance tires every 3000. At first, car would not idle when I did a cold start. Took to shop and was told a simple part needed to be replaced. Cost = $80 which I could not afford. He recommended I tap part with screw driver, which I did. That helped sporadically. (don't remember name of part) Eventually car started to make a rattling sound (sort of eheheheheh - like Elmer Fudd) I took to Tires Plus because I have a credit card with them. They said I needed: new ac compressor = $640 AND new struts = $490 AND tune up = $680, plus misc. = ended up with quote of $2000. Really could not afford! Daughter and son-in-law recommended their mechanic. He quoted me "a lot less" over the phone and the kids offered to pay with a credit card (a loan to me) So I went that route: "tune-up, cleaned intake throttle sensors, replace compressor with used one" is what the receipt said. Cost = $786 along with advice to drive it down to a quarter tank of gas and then get the fuel filter replaced. Now the car is running fine - no more elmer fudd noise, but there is a very slight "deisel-ing" sound. I chalked that up to a new tune-up. No wait! There's more: One week later, I have tank down to 1/8th. Stop at Chevron and put $20 in to hold till I can get back to their shop for the new fuel filter (it was the weekend). From the moment I pulled out of that gas station, when I accelerated, my car would hesitate, buck, backfire, BAD, then take off like it got the gas. My first thought was bad gas - I'll get back to same shop for that new fuel filter, which I did and they did. Mechanic said car still hesitating bad, gave me gas treatment called "Sea Foam Motor Treatment" to put in with full fillup (1/8th tank again), which I did. The bucking and hesitating continued. I tried to drive it as much as possible to get that treatment in there good. I got to thinking someone might have messed with my tank, so I went to auto supply store to get a locking gas cap. On way there, as car was hesitating its way down the road, the check engine light started blinking, then came on steady. So while at the auto supply store I had them check the codes. "Mis-fire cylinder #1" I took back to the same mechanic (3rd time) to have them check the plugs and wires. Mechanic put on his computer and said it was showing 3 cylinders mis-firing. So they put on a new distributor cap and ignition rotor.
When I picked the car up, he said it was still hesitating badly and he thought the Sea Foam treatment needed more time to work. He also added that "these engines are no good" and he hoped I would not break down. So off I went. The bucking and hesitating was so bad that every time I came to a stop light, I had to turn my flashers on. And I could feel it hesitate at 50 and 60 mph. I've tried really gunning it to blow out any carbon, which would produce a weird metallic rattling sound on the right side (like aluminum foil) and a backfire. Now I'm home. When I went to drive it yesterday, it would not start. The battery was not dead (radio and windows worked fine), but a friend suggested I have it jumped. So a neighbor gave me a jump this morning. No good. It sounds like it will just about start, but then doesn't. Now what should I do? Did I forget to start this post with "Mine is a tale of woe..."? Please help me!

Did you notice if it was smoking when you had it running ?

No, but I was inside. I have noticed people looking weird at my back end.

Oh, and the check engine light is back on.

I have a dumb ? Are you sure you didn't put diesel in it by mistake sounds like it.
But could be a O2 senser

In the beginning you said it was recommended that you replace an $80 part. You said that when you tapped on it that it ran better. Sure would like to know what part that was. It also sounds like when you added $20 worth of gas and it started to run worse that you stirred up something in the tank.

Thank you both for your input. I'm going to get the $80 part replaced.
I've already spent $1000. What's $80 more?