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Rachel and her 1964 Comet Caliente time capsule car

pam kueber - Updated: April 12, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

https://www.growingbolder.com/romancing-the-road-259598/

Reader Frank gets snaps for spotting this great video — a true “time capsule” car. I’m thinkin’ this is the platform just before the first-ever Mustang (a 64-1/2 model) came out. Thanks, Frank, keep ’em coming!

Hi Pam,

The link below is not necessarily on topic of retro homes, but it is a cute story about an 89-year-old woman who still drives her immaculate 1964 Mercury Comet with 540,000 miles on the odometer. I’d guess you could call it a time capsule car. Just like the mid century ranch homes, the cars of the 1960’s had beautiful clean lines. Thanks for keeping up your great site.

Frank

More info on Rachel and her care: Growing Bolder website

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24 comments

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  2. transam says

    My grandmother drovw a mint 1964 Buick Riviera until the day she died. It’s great to see people not driving today’s throw away cars. I would like to know what kind of oil she uses. That’s a bg part of making an engine last.

  3. John Korolow says

    Wonderful! This is why many old cars are NOT clunkers. As a fan and owner of 1960s American cars for many years, I can tell you that these cars were made to last (and when they don’t have tons of power accessories like power windows, power locks, power this n that…) they are even better because the manual accessories are just simpler and a snap to fix if they ever do need maintenance. Many of these old Fords from Falcons to Mustangs to Fairlanes to Galaxie 500s and even Country Squire station wagons get very decent gas mileage and one simple trick to further improve gas mileage is to use steel belted radial ply tires (they were not around in the early 1960s but to the eye a steel belted radial will not take away from the originality of these cars as tires basically look like all tires on the outside). I like the fact that she didn’t muck around with the original body, chrome or interior. These cars look best by being as original as possible.

  5. John Taylor says

    Hip Hip Horay to the Sweet Little Lady. My Grandma Russell had a car just like that little Comet Mercury when I was in Grade School and Jr. High back in the 1970’s. Now Friends that little baby is Retro and oh so many cheers to the Owner and her Philosophy on life and the car. Long Live the Past and Long live NOW.

    JOHN

  8. Northside CJ says

    What a great story, and great video. We need more people like her. Love the Comet. I almost died laughing when I saw the JC Pennys reciept for the lifetime battery.

  9. Happy Daze says

    Up until about the year 2000, there were two elderly women in my neighborhood that were still driving vintage cars. One woman had a 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline, and the other had a 1961 Plymouth Valiant. Both were in mint condition, like this car. Take care of your toys, and they will last!!!

    • Syd says

      I had a ’61 Valiant too….Man do I miss that car. If it hadn’t finally died in 1992 I would still be driving it.