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Jul 29, 2009 -- Florida woman continues to drive her 45-year-old car

Clark advocates thrift, but sometimes he'll hear about someone who goes way beyond him when it comes to making a dollar stretch.

A 90-year-old Florida woman named Rachel Veitch has driven the same car -- a Mercury Comet she calls "Chariot" -- since 1964. She bought it for $3,289 back when gas was 39 cents/gallon and it has outlasted 3 of her marriages. The odometer is now closing in on 600,000 miles!

"My Chariot has never lied to me or cheated on me and I can always depend on her," Veitch told FoxNews.com. "My last husband and I divorced in 1975 and he took the 1972 Pontiac we had and I kept Chariot. I'll bet he's traded cars half a dozen times by now and I still have my Chariot, my faithful pal."

Clark is not asking you to keep a car for 45 years. But you've to realize that a car is the second largest expense for most Americans after housing. And the biggest expense with an automobile is depreciation, especially if you like to cycle through new cars every 2 or 3 years.

If that sounds like you, Clark has a suggestion: Try buying a 3-year old car every 3 years. It will be new to you, and you'll let somebody else suffer the depreciation that accompanies a car's first couple of years on the road.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • Hey Gabe
    I'm sure she has probably rebuilt the engine and transmission once or twice over it's life span. But you know.... every car that is paid for occasionally needs a 'car payment' in the form of a repair. In this case with her extreme mileage rebuilding the engine/transmission is just maintenance like you might replace tires or brakes as they get to the end of their serviceable use.
    Most people do not buy a new car off the showroom floor because they are afraid their current car is going to breakdown and leave them stranded... most new cars are bought out of boredom with the old one or vanity.
  • Rachel' car
    This woman was my little old neighbor's friend. I am sorry I missed the show and glad to know Rachel and Chariot are still going strong. I saw Chariot and it is a beautiful car.
  • drive till it drops
    98 sienna pd 4000 used drove 50k,still selling for 4000!![less than nada] now sold to pay for 2005 miata[thanks to clarke] cost @1000 maint in 3yrs,still nice van!!hope to keep miata 10yrs[28kmiles now]and looks new,sporty cheap!!
  • Rust
    If the car isn't rusted out to the point of being unsafe, uncomfortable or downright embarrasing, then repairs are usually better than loan payments.

    If you can afford a new car when you want one, hey, thanks for making used cars available for the rest of us!
  • 600,000 Mile Odometer
    My 1998 Toyota Camry is pushing 400,000 miles and has most of the original parts. (Great mechanic and ditto maintenance.) AND, it STILL has book value! I think I can get 600,000 out of it. Then, I'll buy a hybrid.
  • they do too still make em like that
    I'm driving a 1985 Ford Country Squire Wagon with 176K on it (original engine and transm.)... don't drive it much because I work from home & mpg isn't too brag about - but my wife drives an 2001 Chev. Lumina sedan with 275K and the original engine and trasm. - that car with the v-6 eng. gets up to 35mpg highway and just barely under 30 average for the last 30,000 miles of driving - no end in sight for this car! They do to still make em like her '64 Comet.
  • Hey Al!
    Would you like to bet whether or not it's on it's original engine and transmission? I'll go one further, I'll bet you it's not even still on it's second engine and transmission.

    If an old car didn't mean break downs then no one would ever buy a new car. Expensive parts just don't last forever.

    I never will get it when someone spends $4,000 fixing a $1,500 car, or spends a dollar on gas to save ten cents on a loaf of bread. Have you heard of throwing good money after bad? I guess you're right, we just come from different states of mind.
  • used cars
    My '91 Explorer (98k personal miles) was stolen so I looked for my 1st love - a Jetta. Found instead a '95 Cabrio with a new top & slight body damage for $1,000. Put on 130k miles, courted my wife, saw the Blueridge Parkway and, when I couldn't lift my son into the rear carseat, sold it on craigslist in 30 min for $1,900. Tires & oil & gas put in, nothing but fun & memories out.
  • Still Keeps On Ticking
    Cash for my “clunker”? No way.

    I paid cash for a 4-cylinder automatic 1993 Ford Tempo in 1994 to be my work commute vehicle. It now has 212,000 miles on it and still gets 27-30 MPG. Only the tires and radiator have been replaced; everything else is original. Passengers can’t believe how good the “Silver Bullet” looks and runs.

    IMO regular maintenance -- oil changes every 3,000 MI, tranny fluid changes every 25,000 MI, keeping it garaged and having a top-notch mechanic make any repairs -- is how to keep older cars running safely and well for decades.
  • car with 600K miles
    I have a 1999 Buick Park Ave with 71K miles on the engine - I intend to keep it forever. It rides like a dream and I have no car payments - cost me $6,700 with 50k Miles on it.
  • Gabe wake up
    Hey Gabe... just because a car is old does not mean it is costing you huge maintenance dollars. You are quite wrong.... I bet her total expense for owning/operating her Merc is almost nothing/month. And depending on the shape of the car it's probably worth today what she paid for it even with the 600k miles.

    Just admit it... you are a consumer and not a saver. This ol gal isn't hung up on impressing others and she is the better for it.
  • 64 comet
    I had a 64 comet and it was a heap of junk
  • No maintenance?
    Should have added that when I say no maintenance, that includes oil changes and filters. He will buy tiresor brake pads if he has to, but that it it.
  • No maintenance?
    A friend buys older used cars and drives them until they break, then gets another. He swears this is cheaper than keeping one car a long time. Given what out of warranty maintenance costs, I wonder if he's onto something. He buys boring sedans that have low resale values but are in good shape and often gets 50,000 miles out of them.
  • Sounds crazy
    This woman sounds like she's got some real security issues doesn't she? Her husband leaves her and she's got to keep the car, her "faithful pal," for the next 40 years? Whew!

    Contrary to the entire idea behind Clark's story, I'm sure she's spending well over what the payment for a new car would run just for repairs every month. I wonder how many brand new Mercedes she could have bought just for the repairs on her Comet. Sometimes emotional reasons can far outweigh reason.
  • or a 3 year old car and drive it until it disintegrates...
    ... which is what I do. I also eat lunch at my desk every day and try to do most of my shopping within a mile of where I live and/or work, so I don't put unnecessary additional miles on my car for trips to out of the way restaurants and shopping malls. Food for thought.
  • 66 mercury
    I bought my 1966 Mercury Comet station wagon for $400 in 1979. It gets poor gas milage so I use it as my truck when I need to haul something. Will never sell it, I have a gaurantee for life transmission in it from AAMCO. And the egine is fun to work on.
  • used cars
    Bought a "gently used" '06 car in May, 09, never had a used car in 30 years! It's fabulous. I shopped, compared, and bargined. All thanks to Mr. Howard.
  • Mercury Comet
    My mother (74) has owned two cars in her lifetime, a 71 Mercury Comet and a 87 Ford Aerostar. The Comet was retired by a city bus, and she's still driving the Ford. They don't make them like that anymore.
  • Never buy a new car
    Smart money. Buy used.Keep it for 12 to 15 years. I do this all the time. Just take care of it.
  • cars
    While its good to get a lot of life out of your car, I'm not so sure it is very smart to be driving such an old car. You miss out on safety features like airbags, antilock brakes, and stability control.
  • Mercury Comey
    I owned a 63 comet for many years- a 6 cylinder standard, 2 door; best car I ever owned-wish they would remanufacture the car, would buy again
  • I am still waiting.
    Bought a new 1983 Benz Diesel 300SD for $39,000. It came with 48,ooo mile warranty. I was hoping to get 5 good years out of it. It now has 298,000 miles without any rebuilding. I hope to out live it.
  • 1964 Comet
    My dad had a comet; they were great cars. He kept it until he traded it in. Boy was he sorry he traded it in! I am driving my daughter's 2004 Sonata - great car-my 2nd Sonata. My husband is driving his 2nd Santa Fe and my other daughter is driving her 2nd Elantra. If you want to see how popular the Hyundai now are, look at how many you see on the road. Thanks for your programs, Clark!
    PS-my credit union stepped up to the plate and returned the money I didn't get at our ATM right away!
  • I finally got some sense about me and paid off my 2001 Tahoe early. Drove it for several years with no payments. Wound up trading it for a Tundra when Toyota had ZERO percent interest. I needed the truck as a toe vehicle for the camper we bought for cheaper vacations. Forgive me Clark, for I have bought a new car. I did get ) percent financing so I am not paying interest. I plan on driving this until I falls apart, or my woderful son decides which car he wants when he gets his driver's license, the wife;s or mine.
  • my Honda Accord
    I've been driving my 1987 Honda Accord for almost 23 years - so if I live to be 90 years old -- I too will be driving my Honda Accord for 45 years. This is the best car I ever owned - it was built in Japan.
  • car
    you right clark, i am in my late 20's and I see how people go out here and buy these cars they know they can not afford and they get mad when the repo get it. i try to tell them get something you can handle.... i tell people what i went through.
  • used 75 chevys
    The last car my family bought brand new was a 75 Chevy Monte Carlo. Kept it for over 12 years and about 160K miles. Since then they would buy a 5 year old used car and keep it for 5 years or more.
    We also had a 75 Chevy pickup, and by the time we finally traded it in, it was about 22 years old and had about 300,000 miles. About the only original parts on it were the frame, hood and grille, almost everything else had been replaced as it either worn out or rusted away. When you have no money, you HAVE to make what you already have last longer.
  • 1966 Volvo 1800 - 2.6 million miles and counting
    How about this Gordon man.
    http://www.designnews.com/article/12384-How_Irv_Gordon_Drove_his_1966_Volvo_P1800_Past_2_6_Million_Miles.php
  • have a used Honda for 14yrs
    MY husband bought a used Honda, we were not married at the time. We were engaged. He bought a dealership. it was a 1993 Honda civic, he bought it in 95. I just sold it to a young kid. We did put a used motor in it for $800. from a grat company in New York. It had 52,000. on the used motor when I sold it. The only reason I sold it is, I was afraid it would rust out. We are trying to buy american with the company the way it is.
  • Buy depreciated
    Case in point: Bought a 1996 Odyseey for $2900 (very dependable vehicle) with 190k miles, drove it for 4 years, sold it for $1700, and only did regular maintenance. Any individual can basically drive free if they want to. This lady is awesome, and proves a valid point. You can imagine she didn't give a flip about what people thought about her chariot. Right on Rachel, now you have a collector car.
  • Mercury Comet
    An AMERICAN car lasting 45 years? Impossible! We all know Americans can't build anything.
  • 14 years
    I am 40 now and I'm driving the same car I bought when I was 26. I've only owned 2 cars (still driving the 2nd)my entire life which is unusual in Oregon.
  • 89 s10 chevy
    had my truck for 15 years had 400,00 miles same engine& trany keep oil change every 3,000 miles&had a cooler on transmission paid $12,000 for and sold for $1800 did not eat oil
  • Depends on where you live...
    I have yearned to be able to do this for 40 years now. The reason I never manage to keep a car for more than about 5 years? Stupid people keep running into me, totalling my car! Seriously!

    In the past, I've always bought 5-7 year old cars, repaired all ailments and TRIED to drive them forever. Sure enough, because I lived in Sacramento, CA where idiot drivers outnumber the cerebrally-gifted 100:1, I was constantly being rear-ended and T-boned at intersections by utter morons.

    I moved away to a small town 15 years ago, and now actually have a 15-year old car that still runs like new, and I have no plans to ever get rid of it. The drivers here have brains and are polite and respectful of others' property, so I seriuously doubt I'll be buying another car again. I do agree that automobiles are a HUGE expense that can easily be avoided. If I'd saved all that money I spent on buying *another* car every couple of years up there, I'd be stinking rich by now.
  • 45 year old car
    Sign me up. My car is 2 years old and I'm ready for a new one.
    Unfortunately 3 years cars sell for the same as a new car in most cases.
  • 45 years - one car!
    I can't compete with her, but I've had only two cars (both Toyota Camrys) since 1991 and I'm not in the market for another car yet - - -
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