'57 Belvedere Unearthed

[LS1Hawk]

TULSA, Okla. (June 16) - A concrete vault encasing a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried a half-century ago may have been built to withstand a nuclear attack but it couldn't beat back the natural onslaught of moisture...

Article:http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/classic-1957-car-unearthed-in-oklahoma/20070615154009990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/05/06/20070615222709990001

http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/06/00/20070615223009990001

More pictures: http://www.buriedcar.com/photo_gallery_new.htm

[Knipps]

that's a shame..
"it seemed like a good idea at the time"

[unstable bob gable]

That has got to be one of the coolest body styles ever! But the unearthed one ain't looking so hot!:shock:

[LS1Hawk]

That has got to be one of the coolest body styles ever! But the unearthed one ain't looking so hot!:shock:

Yeah...really sucks for the car. But I think it's the whole idea of it and the fact that so many people cared enough to come out 50 years later to see the car brought out of the ground is amazing...and they found Schlitz in the trunk! Maybe if they had encased the car in a tomb above ground it would have been better preserved? But a lot of the artifacts they pulled out with it, like the 45s and posters, were all in really good condition.

[NJSPEEDER]

i really wonder how bad it will be once it is cleaned up though. such a cool and desireable car, someon will buy it and restore it.

[NJSPEEDER]

actually. flipping through the pics. you can see that there is a lot fo mud on the car. looks like the seats are destroyed, but there is a pic that looks like someone knocked the crud off a small spot on the bumper, underneath is beautiful shining chrome :)

[transamkid]

maybe if we do that now, we should put a car in one of those POD things.
then just leave it somewhere for another 50yrs

[Blacdout96]

my question is, if it was intombed, how did all that mud get in there? wasent there like a concrete top to it, what did they use 2X4's and a tarp and said see ya in 50 years? i mean that thing should of looked like the Delorean in back to the Future 3 when Marty finds it in the cave with only a tarp on :lol: j/k but I just cant figure out how so much mud got on it really.

[79dizZy28]

but there is a pic that looks like someone knocked the crud off a small spot on the bumper, underneath is beautiful shining chrome :)

http://www.buriedcar.com/all_galleries/time/images/IMG_0508.jpg

[LS1Hawk]

Here's another link with pictures from 1957 when they buried the car: http://buriedcar.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album03

[NJSPEEDER]

i hope they get to work cleaning it up soon, i want to see if there is any major damage to the metal of the car. obviously sitting in a few feet of water for some many years would have caused damage to any seals or soft parts, but how much damage to the metal was there?

[V]

yea, im with tim, i wanna see the thing hosed down and washed up, i think we may be suprised. and i know it wont be THAT great but it will look a ton better.

[bad64chevelle]

My bet is on that once cleaned up its not gonna be all that bad.

[NJSPEEDER]

i am betting the interior is toast and the body is going to look really good. since it was a brand new car there would only be a few actual unpainted surfaces, exhaust and some exposed bolts. so as long as nothing happened to scratch any of the paint/primer that sealed the surface, then i doubt the seeping fresh water would be able to do to much to the body.

[LS1Hawk]

i am betting the interior is toast and the body is going to look really good. since it was a brand new car there would only be a few actual unpainted surfaces, exhaust and some exposed bolts. so as long as nothing happened to scratch any of the paint/primer that sealed the surface, then i doubt the seeping fresh water would be able to do to much to the body.

They said they greased the car in some sort of rust inhibitor. So if all that is on the grease, then maybe it's not as bad as it looks. But you know, 50 years of sitting in a tank of water...plus they wrapped it in a huge plastic bag which obviously wasn't a good idea because it would keep any moisture that reached the body from escaping....Either way I think they should still try to clean it up and see what they get.

[79CamaroDiva]

my question is, if it was intombed, how did all that mud get in there? wasent there like a concrete top to it, what did they use 2X4's and a tarp and said see ya in 50 years? i mean that thing should of looked like the Delorean in back to the Future 3 when Marty finds it in the cave with only a tarp on :lol: j/k but I just cant figure out how so much mud got on it really.

concrete is made with sand, gravel, cement and water.. add 50 years of water breaking it down and your left with a sloppy muddy mess

it was a good idea, its too bad they made the chamber out of concrete though. but 50 years ago, that must have seemed like a fantastic idea. i'm not sure when concrete was first used, but im willing to bet that no one had seen it break down like we know it does today. i hope the car comes clean, imagine having a brand new 57 belvedere with 0 miles :drool:

[LS1Hawk]

On the condition of the car...also mentions that they buried a Plymouth Prowler in 1998:
http://www.buriedcar.com/downloads/media%20coverage/The%20Oklahoman%20-%206-19-07--Excavated%20Belvedere%20is%20only%20getting%20wors e.pdf

On the winner of the car:
http://www.buriedcar.com/downloads/media%20coverage/Tulsa%20World%20-%20Car%20winner%20leaves%20heirs%20a%20final%20gif t%20-%206.24.07.pdf

[Teds89IROC]

That was a neat and interesting article to read, thanks for the follow up john.

[maroman88]

niice

[Tokyo Torquer]

I hear the car was just shipped to Jersey to be cleaned up here.