1957 Plymouth dig up

[Conan71]

Here's a web site that belongs to a Couch employee.

There are photos of the vault just as it was opened before they pumped any water out:

Belvedere Photos

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Jorg,

Here's photos before they started pumping the hole:

To get them to show up, change your links to

http://www.3d-racing.com/57/assets/images/db_images/db_P10113861.jpg

and

http://www.3d-racing.com/57/assets/images/db_images/db_P10113871.jpg

[sauerkraut]

OK with that clear close up photo of the tear you can see the damage, it does look serious. A little bit of rust like that is normally just the tip of the iceburg. Looks like it's just about rusted thru at the tip of the tail fin. Too bad that wrap didn't hold up. If the total amount of water in the vault over the 50 years was only 2-3 feet deep the parts of the car above it may be good shape. I was hoping so hard for a mint showroom new car to be coming out.

[TulsaSooner]

They aired up the tires before they moved it into the Convention Center.  []

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

Wow, that's great Tulsa's getting so much positive attention.  

Did anyone find the keys for the car?  I'd heard they were lost.

Yea, I have heard many comments on TV today that no one knows where the keys to the car are.  Well duh, I bet they are either in the ignition switch of the car in the dashboard, or in the time capsule canister that was buried with the car.

[Conan71]

We saw an undercarriage photo of the car yesterday when we were down there.  They must have tucked the bag back under the car for the lift.  It was hard to tell, but it looked like a bare rim in the photo, glad to hear there were tires to air up afterall.  The bag was definitely compromised underneath.  It was rusty, but you couldn't make out any holes.  What we saw looked like a muffler, driveshaft and frame.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaSooner

They aired up the tires before they moved it into the Convention Center.  []

TulsaSooner has all the good info.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

We saw an undercarriage photo of the car yesterday when we were down there.  They must have tucked the bag back under the car for the lift.  It was hard to tell, but it looked like a bare rim in the photo, glad to hear there were tires to air up afterall.  The bag was definitely compromised underneath.  It was rusty, but you couldn't make out any holes.  What we saw looked like a muffler, driveshaft and frame.

That's good news, that you could identify those car parts from the underside.  Makes me think that any major water damage must have occurred within the past decade, and that it sat for many years undamaged.  At this point however, the condition of the car is really immaterial; what really counts is the magnificent world-wide publicity this event has brought to our fair City, and the wonderful sense of civic pride I and my fellow Tulsans must feel!!

4 hours to go.....

[jiminy]

A friend of a friend whose daughter is supposedly going to be there at the unwrapping said Coddington is saying it looks bad []  Don't know if that was before or after the unwrapping.

[TulsaSooner]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
TulsaSooner has all the good info.

[]

They had it down in the loading area for the Convention Center right by the parking garage which is near where I work.  I went over there and watched for a few minutes, there was quite a crowd gathered.

They were checking the tires and there was definitely an air hose working....I find it hard to believe there would be tires to air, but that's what it looked like they were doing.

And the forklift driver got a nice hand after maneuvering that thing in between two support poles and through the loading door.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaSooner

They aired up the tires before they moved it into the Convention Center.  []

I figured for sure that the tires would have been gone, no matter how well the vault held up!?

[Steve]

Well I for one am going to sign off this forum now, because I don't want to see any more negative rumors about our wonderful car that may or may not be true.  I will wait to see the Ch. 6 show tonight and view it for myself.

Everyone keep their fingers crossed...

[sauerkraut]

They put air in the tires and the tires held air?... That must mean that the steel tire rims are sound and still seal air tight. The close up of the tail fin sez alot to me and the bottom of the car must of been in the water alot longer than the tail fin. That tail fin is almost rusted thru. Rust specks on the side of the metal can also be seen. This is so sad. Maybe they left the keys on the car seat, or maybe even forgot to put to put them in the vault, I guess everyone was very excited that day in 1957...

[TulsaSooner]

I'm just saying I heard the air hose and they lifted up the cover around the tires and it sounded like they were putting air in them.

Whether that's what they were doing or they actually held air.....I can't say.  But that's what it looked like.  Like I said, that would surprise the hell out of me but who knows?

[tulsa1603]

According to Yahoo, it's a Pontiac, not a Plymouth:

Oklahomans Unearth Buried Car