Belvedere-gate

[sgrizzle]

Did the rust-restoration company accidentally destroy Miss Belvedere? Did the rust-removal chemicals not work or cause more damage? Inquiring minds want to know.

In November 2007, Humberton's relatives shipped the car to the New Jersey facilities of Ultra One, a restoration firm whose specialty product is a de-rusting solution which is designed to remove only rust while leaving the underlying metal, paint and decals intact. It is estimated that the stabilization project would take roughly six months or perhaps longer given the difficulty of removing the mix of cosmoline and mud which caked on the car; there are no plans to disassemble and restore the vehicle. There is, however, discussion regarding the return of the driveline and electrical system to operating condition.

As of June 2008, the preservation process was still underway, as shown in a video posted by the New Jersey Star Ledger, with the stated goal to preserve the car as an artifact, not to restore it to roadworthy condition.

In December 2008, Ultra One deleted all the topics in their forum regarding Miss Belvedere. Attempts to contact Ultra One for comment went unanswered. The vehicle condition and state of repair have been presumed unknown until May 2009, when Dwight Foster of Ultra One participated in a podcast and provided details and new pictures, showing the Belvedere's restoration to be still underway, the car's exterior having been virtually freed of its rust and mud concretions. In that same podcast, Foster noted that he has purchased a rust-free 1957 Plymouth Savoy as a donor car to replace needed parts to keep Miss Belvedere from further deterioration. The frame and trunk underframe will be used from the Savoy to replace the weakened parts in the Belvedere. Miss Belvedere's ignition system is totally fused into a useless lump of metal, so the Savoy will provide replacement parts for this as well.

No update and no responses to inquiry in two years.... hmm...

[Conan71]

And what was the point in "re-storing" it with donor parts?

Does the phone number still work at Ultra One?

From their website, added last August:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/a_rusty_classic_in_trusty_hand.html

[Townsend]

Governor Christie?  Again?

Well at least Tulsa might not get blamed for this one.

[sgrizzle]

And what was the point in "re-storing" it with donor parts?

Does the phone number still work at Ultra One?

From their website, added last August:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/a_rusty_classic_in_trusty_hand.html

that link says 2008

[Conan71]

that link says 2008

Click to the video and it states:

"Preserving Miss Belvedere

Posted on Saturday, August 21, 2010 3:15AM"

No idea who posted it.  Give them a call and see what's up.

[DolfanBob]

Should have shipped it to "Ricks Restoration" in Las Vegas.

[Breadburner]

They should have done nothing......

[sauerkraut]

They released some pictures of the  partly restored Belvedere a year or so ago and the Plymouth looked much cleaned up from what it was when it was first dug up.  If they got another 1957 Plymouth and just swap out parts with the buried Belvedere, they might as well just rebuild the the other 1957 car and let the buried Miss. Belvedere be as it was. Sadly the buried Plymouth must of had extensive damage, no doubt the bottom & frame were badly rusted out. Too bad they did not plan better when they buried the car in '57 maybe install drains in the vault, or pumps. I was hoping a brand new mint Belvedere would of came out of that vault  in 2007.