1957 Plymouth dig up

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by jof



I bet there is some investigation running what went wrong or if and how the failure could have been prevented. The local press should have an article every day for the next days...

Considering the vault was filled in within a few hours of lifting the car and capsule out, I would say there's no on-going investigation.  That would have required keeping equipment there a few more days and security to keep people out of the vault.

I believe it's one of those things that you look at it and say: "Lesson learned, don't bury a car in a swimming pool.  Swimming pools are designed to hold water, not cars." []

Honestly, probably small fissures in the concrete or an osmotic effect of water trying to find a dry place to seep into.  When it was a rainy year, it leeched into the vault.  In times of drought, it leeched back out.

I don't believe anyone will ever have a firm answer.  Cracks and/or osmosis get my vote.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by jof

Hello again from Germany,

this forum is about the closest I can get to Tulsa and the Plymouth story from over here.

I bet there is some investigation running what went wrong or if and how the failure could have been prevented. The local press should have an article every day for the next days...

Since I am pretty much interested in that stuff, can you provide me with the links to that local press or information board(s)? You can also e-mail me personally at jof@gmx.li

My opinion to the comments above: from what I read in other articles back in 1957 they tried to do their best - I do not know what "gunnite" (for the seals) is and how groundwater-safe cellars were built back then, but to me everything seems all right thinking in terms of 1957.

Of course we think we are smarter today, but are we really? Today is today, and when we look back at what we are doing today in 30 years, we will definitely find a lot of things that we should have done differently (I could give a few examples, but I do not want to become political in this forum).

I think they did a good job back then. When you think about the publicity they gave to 2007-Tulsa back then, if you try to put this into "monetary thoughts" it will be worth a lot more than a 1957 Plymouth in showroom condition. My opinion!

Again my question, if you took any pictures of the engine or the interior at the show, please e-mail them to me.

Best regards

Jörg

They had some pictures of the inside of the car and engine area posted on this web site but they took the pictures down or the link is not working. The inside of the car is very bad, the dashboard is a total loss, the engine area is bad. You can still see the horn ring which I understand was a classic part of the '57 Plymouth, it has a oval type shape. This web site is about the closest I can get to the Tulsa car too, I live in Columbus, Ohio and was very excited about TulsaRama. On June 15th, 2007 the Plymouth was all I could think about and talk about, people in Ohio must of thought I was nuts. The Plymouth did make the 2nd page of our Columbus Dispatch newspaper on Saturday morn. I was telling everyone at work about TulsaRama so much so that they told me I should move to Tulsa if I like Tulsa so much and that's not a bad idea.[]

[sauerkraut]

Friday the 22nd is the big day gang, That's the day they pick the winner of the Plymouth. Who will it be? what is the closest number to 382,757 (or whatever it is). If the winner is not found I heard they will just hold the car for a period of time. if the winner turns it down will the car go to next closest number? I don't know.[B)]

[sgrizzle]

The car is held for five years. Then, if unclaimed, it can be given to someone else like the Tulsa historical society.

[Porky]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

I was wondering when someone was going to comment on my excellent use of an animated gif!!

[}:)]

[T-Town Now]

Winner to be announced today at noon at East Tulsa Dodge.

[sgrizzle]

I'm going to go out there. Tell whoever wins to keep the cash and donate the car.

[sauerkraut]

It's 12:36 PM eastern time so it can't be too much longer. That's 11:36 AM  central time.... I'd love to look that car over and put it up on a lift and check out the bottom and see exactly what happened in 50 years. I'd also would like to take the cylinder heads off and see if anything is growing in the cylinders. It's still a very intesting car. The car can also be parted out, some of the parts may be still OK or just need a serious clean up like the brake drums, mirrors, window glass, rear axle and driveshaft and the like. They can be used by Plymouth re-buliders or people who own '57 Plymouths.

[Porky]

Thy just announced that the winner is a person in Ohio that goes by the name of Sauerkraut.

Way to go Buddy! Will you be driving this beauty back to Ohio? [}:)]

[Steve]

The winner announced today on the Ch. 6 noon TV news was R.E. Humbertson, with a winning guess of 384,743.  (I may have the name spelling wrong as they did not show the name on the TV screen.)  Complete list of entries is supposed to be in the Tulsa World tomorrow and on the www.buriedcar.com website.  I was suprised they only found about 850 contest entries out of entire 1957 Tulsa population of around 260,000, but that is the best that has survived.

Hey sauerkraut, you live in Ohio.  My maternal grandmother's family was from Ohio; I think I still have distant relatives in the Warren area that I have not seen for years & years.  I visited Columbus once on business, about 20 years ago, and the topography and feel of the city reminded me very much of Tulsa.  My grandma claimed to be born in a mining town called Mudsock, OH.  She was born in 1895; I think Mudsock was in the Nelsonville area.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

The winner announced today on the Ch. 6 noon TV news was R.E. Humbertson, with a winning guess of 384,743.  (I may have the name spelling wrong as they did not show the name on the TV screen.)  Complete list of entries is supposed to be in the Tulsa World tomorrow and on the www.buriedcar.com website.  I was suprised they only found about 850 contest entries out of entire 1957 Tulsa population of around 260,000, but that is the best that has survived.

Hey sauerkraut, you live in Ohio.  My maternal grandmother's family was from Ohio; I think I still have distant relatives in the Warren area that I have not seen for years & years.  I visited Columbus once on business, about 20 years ago, and the topography and feel of the city reminded me very much of Tulsa.  My grandma claimed to be born in a mining town called Mudsock, OH.  She was born in 1895; I think Mudsock was in the Nelsonville area.

Yes, but I was born in Michigan, I'm a huge Michigan Wolverine fan, I moved to Dallas, Texas in 1980 and moved up to Ohio in 1991 from Texas. I did live in Tulsa for about 6 months in late 1979 before going on to Texas.[]

[sauerkraut]

It'll be intresting to look at the list of names and their guess. I am also surprised they found only 850 names, maybe they have more names on the micro-film that they can't find, or was in glove box and decayed away into that big blob they found in the glove box... That was a strange thing-- everyone said for 50 years the roll of micro-film buried with the car has the names then they find all the names on paper and no micro-film at all, did they make a last minute change in 1957 before they buried the car or what?[B)]

[Conan71]

There was a film can removed from the back seat last Friday night.  There was a gaping hole in the can and nothing was found in it, at least not on stage.  From where we were sitting it was hard to gauge the thickness of the film can, not sure if it was an historical film or that was what they put the micro film in.  My idea of microfilm has always been a 35 or 70mm format.  Not saying that's correct or not, just my idea.

[sgrizzle]

The film canister in the car was blank when developed.

There may have only been 850 names. Pay attention to the wording for one, it says to the person with the best guess or HIS heir. Likely this was a thing where a single family member would enter.

My guess is the supposed film was just duplicates of the paper copies found in the capsule. Had it in two places. Also possible there never was any microfilm version.

[Steve]

In retrospect, I think a microfilm of the contest entries was just rumor or urban legend, and never existed.  I find it very hard to believe that if a microfilm was produced, that it was not put in the sealed time capsule along with the other items that survived quite nicely.

The way I understand it, Tulsa's buried Plymouth was a publicity stunt, dreamed up by Chrysler PR men and Tulsa Chrysler dealers, and not part of the official city-sanctioned semicentennial activities.  Entry into the contest had to be by mail-in postcard or by some sign-up sheets provided at some local businesses.  I initially thought that many original entries may have been lost, but what they found in the time capsule may very well be the only contest entries.  In any case, it is the best we have to go on today.