The title is not a catfish at all and that is right 567.000 miles or more than a trip to galaxy and back in the 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, the 93 year old Orlando Grandmother had no other choice but to step on the brakes after 18 batteries, 8 mufflers, 3 husbands… because of age-related issues.
Rachel Veitch bought her last car when a gallon of gas cost 39 cents, the “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena ” was a hit song on the radio and Lyndon B. Johnson was in the white house.
The woman is mother of four kids and a retired nurse; she bought “Chariot” in February 1964 from a dealer in Sanford, Fla., for $3,289.
The vehicle outlasted her three marriages and has gone through at least 17 batteries, eight mufflers, countless of oil change and three sets of shock.
“My Chariot has never lied to me or cheated on me and I can always depend on her,” Veitch said. (Rachel referred to Chariot as “she” or “her”.) “My last husband and I divorced in 1975 and he took the 1972 Pontiac we had and I kept the Chariot. I’ll bet he’s traded cars half a dozen times by now and I still have my Chariot, my faithful pal.”
Veitch told us that the classic car which boasts frosty air conditioning, automatic transmission and a “lousy” 15 miles per gallon — has been featured in several car shows across the country and even took her all the way to Pennsylvania in 2007 for her 70th high school reunion.
The dream car of the old lady was renovated in 2002 after she got a speeding ticket for going 92 mph in a 55 mph zone.
She said the main reason for her almost obsessive dedication toward the vehicle is due to the fact that the car has been under her care for nearly half a century.
“People don’t want to talk to me anymore,” Veitch said. “They’re tired of hearing about my Chariot.”
“When I buy gas, I write down the mileage, the date and how many miles per gallon I got,” she said. “I’ve never been a destructive person and I’ve just taken care of everything, except my husbands.”
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