This Is The Way American-made Cars Used To Be

[donnay]

Florida woman, 93, reaches end of the road after 576,000 miles in her 1964 Mercury
By Joshua Rhett Miller

Published April 02, 2012

| FoxNews.com

http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/U.S./396/223/veitch640.jpg

EXCLUSIVE: The end of the road is here for Rachel Veitch's beloved "Chariot."

After 576,000 miles in the same 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, the 93-year-old Orlando grandmother is stepping on the brakes due to age-related macular degeneration in both eyes. She realized her vision had completely failed her in early March after running a "bald-faced red light," Veitch told FoxNews.com.

"I am legally blind, so I can no longer drive my lovely Chariot," she said by phone. "They don’t have to take it away, I would not dream of driving that car again."

Veitch, a retired nurse who told FoxNews.com in July 2009 that the car had outlasted three marriages and three sets of shocks, said she last drove on March 9. The following day, her worst fears were confirmed when she couldn't read large headlines in the newspaper, the result of years of deteriorating vision for the near-obsessive car fanatic.

"I know I'm not safe enough to drive," she continued. "But I have taken it in stride."

Veitch bought her beloved ride for $3,289 in February 1964 from a dealer in Sanford, Fla. The car, which has been appraised at $12,000, has gone through 18 batteries, eight mufflers and countless oil changes. She credits her near-obsessive dedication to the car as the main reason why it's spent nearly half a century in her care.

"When I buy gas, I write down the mileage, the date and how many miles per gallon I got," she told FoxNews.com in 2009. "I've never been a destructive person and I've just taken care of everything, except my husbands."

In July, Veitch's classic car will travel to Wisconsin to appear in an antique car show, but it's unclear what will happen to it after that trip. Veitch, who appeared on "The Tonight Show" in August 2010, said she might consider selling it to host and classic car aficionado Jay Leno if he's interested.

"I haven't talked to Jay Leno yet, but I'm wondering if he's interested," Veitch said early Thursday. "But I don't think I should start talking about it now."

Asked if any of her 4 children, 9 grandchildren or 11 great-grandchildren have expressed interest in the car, Veitch responded: "It wouldn't matter if they did, they're not going to get it. They couldn't take care of it like I did."

The car saw its lone wreck in 1980, when it endured a rear-end collision while Veitch, who was not injured, drove along I-95 in Georgia.

With nearly 600,000 miles behind her, Veitch, who will turn 94 in August, said she's taking the end of her time with "Chariot" in stride. After all, she's had a good run: The last time she bought a car, gas cost 39 cents a gallon, Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House and "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" was ruling the radio.

"A lot of people are worse off than I am," she said. "I don't have cancer, I don't have Lou Gehrig's disease. I am lucky."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/florida-woman-3-reaches-end-road-after-576000-miles-in-same-car/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fmost-popular+%28Internal+-+Most+Popular+Content%29#ixzz1qtVNAMfI

[Noble Savage]

Yeah and the only brain in that car is behind the wheel

here is another nice story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHwwwJ83oWo

[eduardo89]

Just goes to show if you take care of your car, it will last your forever. Well except if it's full of computers...

[donnay]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bxzU1HFC7Q

It's no wonder why I am replacing part's on my vehicle every year or two or why my dvd player dies every few years. When is it enough is enough with American's getting screwed all the time???. I have to buy a new printer every few years because they refused to put out a driver because Microsoft likes making new windows all the time. Clone pc part's are great! only if they stop making a gimmick where i cannot use the ram or the CPU every time they make a new motherboard. PROOF that we are getting shafted once again.

[eduardo89]

Donnay, it's because things aren't made to last anymore. We live in a disposable society. Look at how houses are built, they're built to last 30 years and then be torn down. Cars are built to last 10 year (if youre lucky), computers are built to last 3-4 years max.

People would rather short term savings than long term planning.

[CaptainAmerica]

Most old trucks and cars are easy to work on. Its not fun having to dismantle the entire car to get to one little part in a Japanese made vehicle even though some Japanese vehicles have nice specs(with exception to their crappy design of having no space to work on).

[ClydeCoulter]

That's why we need more resources all the time also. Just pump out disposable stuff ment to be obsolete soon and put in the trash. Recycling can't keep up with it all, and is a small patch on large wound.

[heavenlyboy34]

Donnay, it's because things aren't made to last anymore. We live in a disposable society. Look at how houses are built, they're built to last 30 years and then be torn down. Cars are built to last 10 year (if youre lucky), computers are built to last 3-4 years max.

People would rather short term savings than long term planning.

It's known in industry as "designed obsolescence".

[WilliamC]

My little 'ole 2002 Saturn SL2 is right at 290,000 miles and still getting a bit over 30 mpg on the highway.

Which is good for me 'cause it's unlikely I'll ever be able to afford to buy another car again.

[Toureg89]

and now some jap cars are like that.

while i much like the simplicity of a non-computer-managed engine, computers do help us a lot at pushing the boundary of the power of an engine.

a 2.4liter Evo with the right computer mapping and some addition high end parts can beat any stock 4.5L, or 5.4L or 7Liter muscle car on or off a drap strip.

and while today stock jap cars arent made with a lot of engine space, by mixing and matching old jap parts, you can have a lot of fun. like a 1990s 2JZ turbo with the engine space of 1970s/80s datsun equals the performance of a corvette at the cost of a brand new sedan.
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/hybridmotorsportsllc/100_0552.jpg

theres not to mention the fact that older cars didnt have to comply with all the same laws as newer cars do...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3qOWw2s-QM

[donnay]

It's known in industry as "designed obsolescence".

If you guys haven't seen the video I posted above you ought to!

[WilliamC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNHL1ZwZjk0

[Toureg89]

If you guys haven't seen the video I posted above you ought to!
you have a link to a bit torrent (preferably demonoid)? third world internet would require me waiting 10 hours or so to buffer that video...

[Noble Savage]

today cars are smarter than the people driving them

[Toureg89]

If you guys haven't seen the video I posted above you ought to!
you have a link to a bit torrent (preferably demonoid)? third world internet would require me waiting 10 hours or so to buffer that video...

[Toureg89]

today cars are smarter than the people driving them
this...

[donnay]

you have a link to a bit torrent (preferably demonoid)? third world internet would require me waiting 10 hours or so to buffer that video...

http://torrentz.eu/ef23eb67f678608cafa7de5e0f2989585b0db2b5

http://kat.ph/pyramids-of-waste-aka-the-lightbulb-conspiracy-2010-t5244130.html


Here is an excellent article too:
http://owni.eu/2011/05/09/planned-obsolescence-how-companies-encourage-hyperconsumption/

[Anti Federalist]

She ought to hire a young college kid to drive her around, like Miss Daisy.

[AGRP]

Imagine all of the brainwashing she withstood telling her she needed a new car to feel good about herself.

[TonySutton]

My 2000 Chevy Astro has about 235k miles on it. The original loan was paid off in 2006. Since then I spend about $500 per year keeping her running good. I do most of the work myself so I am only paying for parts and the occasional service like a front end alignment. Very little rust although I live near Cleveland. It is starting to show in a few places. Sometime in the next few years I will probably replace all of the brake lines. I think the important thing is to just take care of your vehicle. Most people drive it until something breaks. They don't have someone look at it on a regular schedule.

[fisharmor]

My little 'ole 2002 Saturn SL2 is right at 290,000 miles and still getting a bit over 30 mpg on the highway.

Which is good for me 'cause it's unlikely I'll ever be able to afford to buy another car again.

My little 'ole 1991 Saturn SL1 is TMU, has been through an unknown number of drivers, and still drives me to work getting 30mpg.
And looking through receipts, owners have never had to:
-replace ignition components (aside from plugs, of course)
-reset timing based on altitude
-weld or replace rusted-out floorboards
-spray anything into the intake to get the damned thing started
-Apply bondo anywhere

I had a couple Beetles in the past, which are great old "do-it-yourself" type of cars, and they were the biggest hunks of shit I've ever owned.
I'm also a computer programmer in addition to a casual car repairman. The type of nonsense you need to do on a regular basis to these old cars is akin to troubleshooting problems in gcc. Rebuild a carburetor? Fucknuttery! Why is a whole replacement part at <$300 not less valuable to me than an entire weekend's work?

I LIKE getting replacement parts for my car and swapping them out. I'm not gonna re-solder SMD capacitors on video cards, and I'm not gonna take apart distributors!


Donnay: can't watch the video at work, but will tonight!

[John F Kennedy III]

Sometimes they build cars better than they were before :D

1972 Chevy Nova (my favorite car)

632ci big block
950hp
Best quarter mile: 9.11sec @ 147mph

http://image.superchevy.com/f/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/32445495+w193/sucp_1005_02_+nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_no va+front_view.jpg

http://image.superchevy.com/f/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/32445504+w193/sucp_1005_05_+nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_no va+BES_engine.jpg

article with pics:
http://www.superchevy.com/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/viewall.html

[donnay]

Sometimes they build cars better than they were before :D

1972 Chevy Nova (my favorite car)

632ci big block
950hp
Best quarter mile: 9.11sec @ 147mph

http://image.superchevy.com/f/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/32445495+w193/sucp_1005_02_+nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_no va+front_view.jpg

http://image.superchevy.com/f/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/32445504+w193/sucp_1005_05_+nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_no va+BES_engine.jpg

article with pics:
http://www.superchevy.com/features/nova/sucp_1005_nmca_true_street_class_1972_chevy_nova/viewall.html


I had a '72 Chevy Nova! *Donnay is reminiscing*

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4894171564343780&id=4c5f3eb86140f21071db02c8b94726a4&url=http%3a%2f%2fimage.popularhotrodding.com%2ff%2 f16239007%2f0812phr_05_z%2b1987_chevy_camaro_1972_ chevy_nova%2bnova.jpg

[eduardo89]

I had a '72 Chevy Nova! *Donnay is reminiscing*

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4894171564343780&id=4c5f3eb86140f21071db02c8b94726a4&url=http%3a%2f%2fimage.popularhotrodding.com%2ff%2 f16239007%2f0812phr_05_z%2b1987_chevy_camaro_1972_ chevy_nova%2bnova.jpg

That is one ugly C-pillar on that car!
Front end looks nice though.

[donnay]

That is one ugly C-pillar on that car!
Front end looks nice though.

I think they were trying to mimic the Javelin. Which is one of my favorite cars! If I recall those windows didn't even roll down.

http://www.muscle-car-wallpaper.com/images/AMC/Javelin/1972/1972-amc-Javelin-1680x1050-01th.jpg

[Noble Savage]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol-ZxToJlyI/TZ4zob6VEKI/AAAAAAAAACc/VlCPANMqxOI/s1600/1132031346_res69mach1.jpg
I generally prefer gm cars but my brother had one of these when I was about 8

[QuickZ06]

I just wish AMERICAN cars were actually made in AMERICA.

One of the best if not my favorite car on the road is the ZR-1 vette. The car is amazing.

[Aldanga]

It's no wonder why I am replacing part's on my vehicle every year or two or why my dvd player dies every few years. When is it enough is enough with American's getting screwed all the time???. I have to buy a new printer every few years because they refused to put out a driver because Microsoft likes making new windows all the time. Clone pc part's are great! only if they stop making a gimmick where i cannot use the ram or the CPU every time they make a new motherboard. PROOF that we are getting shafted once again.
The computer parts are a whole other issue. Want to use that old RAM or CPU with a new PC? Welcome to a new PC that runs like an old PC. It's about improving performance rather than shafting people. (However, I do admit that Intel changes CPU sockets more than I'd like. Still, they're rapidly developing new technologies and that requires new approaches to all kinds of hardware.)

[John F Kennedy III]

I had a '72 Chevy Nova! *Donnay is reminiscing*

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4894171564343780&id=4c5f3eb86140f21071db02c8b94726a4&url=http%3a%2f%2fimage.popularhotrodding.com%2ff%2 f16239007%2f0812phr_05_z%2b1987_chevy_camaro_1972_ chevy_nova%2bnova.jpg

Awesome car :)

[BamaAla]

I like classics as much as the next guy; my father bought me a '67 Camaro RS the day I was born as a gift for when I graduated college. I love that car and have since added a '67 Chevy truck (chop top, working on the LSx conversion) to the garage with it. With that said, I would die if I had to drive those every day; you can keep these nostalgic feel good rides and I'll take modern German luxury.

[Brian4Liberty]

I think they were trying to mimic the Javelin. Which is one of my favorite cars! If I recall those windows didn't even roll down.


The Nova was typical of many GM models at that time. Cutlass, Skylark, Malibu, Chevelle were very similar in appearance.

[eduardo89]

The Nova was typical of many GM models at that time. Cutlass, Skylark, Malibu, Chevelle were very similar in appearance.

Still is that way. GM basically repackages the same car in three variants: entry model, mid-range and luxury.

For example.

A Chevy Malibu
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/2013_Chevrolet_Malibu_Eco_2SA_--_02-29-2012.JPG/320px-2013_Chevrolet_Malibu_Eco_2SA_--_02-29-2012.JPG

Is essentially the same car as the higher priced Buick LaCrosse
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/2010_Buick_LaCrosse_1_--_09-07-2009.jpg/320px-2010_Buick_LaCrosse_1_--_09-07-2009.jpg

Which is essentially the same car as the even higher priced upcoming Cadillac XTS
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/x10cc_ca007_pt.jpg

[heavenlyboy34]

today cars are smarter than the people driving them
lolz :D

[Anti Federalist]

I had a '72 Chevy Nova! *Donnay is reminiscing*

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4894171564343780&id=4c5f3eb86140f21071db02c8b94726a4&url=http%3a%2f%2fimage.popularhotrodding.com%2ff%2 f16239007%2f0812phr_05_z%2b1987_chevy_camaro_1972_ chevy_nova%2bnova.jpg

Then you'll love the new family vehicle.

http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/photos/105500/105925.1978.Ford.LTD.Country.Squire.4-Door.Station.Wagon.10.Pass.jpg

[donnay]

Then you'll love the new family vehicle.

http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/photos/105500/105925.1978.Ford.LTD.Country.Squire.4-Door.Station.Wagon.10.Pass.jpg

Whaaaaaaat??? Oh NOooooooooooooooo! Not the family truckster!

http://homeawayroadtrip.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/img_1065.jpg

*Donnay runs and hides*

[fisharmor]

What is it with overpowered cars? How about matching the vehicle size to the engine?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426317_259986360750386_100002170728742_576215_1678 302730_n.jpg

This is the '77 I learned to drive on, what I carted too many people around in through High School, and probably the source of my social status.
It was a freaking death trap by the time I got my license in 1991 - 14 years after manufacture. (Think about that: 14 years ago was 1998. How many 1998 deathtraps are out there?)
In 1991 dad got a GMC with square headlights, a 350 instead of a 400, and fuel injection, and I inherited that when he was done.
It is still running, though I replaced it with a 2002 because the '91 had windows that wouldn't go down (how many late 90's cars have that happen), the door hinges were all beaten to shit and didn't open and close properly, and it was the last of GMC's "let's build trucks that can't stay in alignment" initiative.

The 2002 only has a 5.0, but still does everything the bigger engines did - except it has no throat. It's a soulless piece of machinery.
However, it works on a regular basis. I've never had the steering wheel come off in my hands (like the '77 did) and I've never had the driver side door fly open unexpectedly on a clover leaf (like the '91 did).
Maybe I need to give it another 10 years.
I doubt it'll follow through and fall apart the same way.

[eduardo89]

AF, we've got an image link fail...

[PreDeadMan]

I have a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited unrelated to the story =p I've owned 2 American cars both were pieces of shit a 1989 caddy coupe de ville the abs brake system locked up on me so i had to push super hard for it to stop and a 1997 dodge intrepid the steering wheel locked up on me while in a parking lot at my job... if i was on the highway i'd be dead...... before i got the Elantra i had a 1998 Nissan Altima which was pretty good lasted the longest out of the other 2 but since i started a new job i wanted a brand new car with no problems so i got that Elantra.

[fisharmor]

PDM: I will never own a Nissan, and it has nothing to do with quality....
http://www.digest.com/Big_Story.php

[LibertyRevolution]

I gave up on American cars a long time ago...
I drive a 20 year old Subaru with 200,000+mi on it.

My 1992 Subaru SVX:
http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad73/Lookin4SVX/SDC12908-3.jpg