Purple Checker Marathon

Memory From:
Callie Mae, United States, Purple Checker Marathon

During the 80's, I ended up with a car like no other. It was a 1972 Purple Checker Marathon, not an old cab, but a sedan sold to the general puplic. It was a beast with a good old fashioned 350 chevy motor in it, but because it was a Checker, it had to have a custom exaust, which in this case was always blowing the exaust manifold gaskets on an annual basis and because I was poor and tired of spending money on replacing the exaust, I decided to drive it loud and live with the fumes and backfires. Whats worse is that it then developed an issue with the power steering in that every time I pulled into a parking space the power steering hose would blow and start an engine fire. The first time that happened, I was at a gas station and I remember grabbing sand and gravel off the pavement and throwing that on the engine in a panic to put out the flames until the attendent came out with an extinguisher. After a few times like that I learned to carry my own fire extingusher in
the front seat next to me and it then became "old hat" and I would just put out the fire, start the car back up and be on my merry way. I did love that old car, it was fun to drive, but in winter, even with 3 separate heaters in it, darned cold!

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