quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut
Tulsa's car made the national news on all 3 networks. I really hoped so much that the car would of came out showroom new.
I would bet it would have been in great shape had a drain been installed in the vault to drain out any water or moisture that might have seeped in. Considering all the trouble they went to, the additional cost for this precaution wouldn't have been a deal killer. A valve to prevent water from entering the vault could have been installed to make sure the vault stayed dry in case of sewer backup, flooding, etc.
I'm pretty sure they were confident they had any water issues under control. They expected the bag to keep the car dry, but likely never anticipated that the vault would fill up completely with water at some point, which it seems it did.
I wonder if we'll get an official statement on what they believe happened. After viewing the vault and inspecting the car, I would think they could come pretty close to determining what happened, when it happened, etc. For all we know, the car could have been high and dry up until the last 10 years or so. I think if it had been exposed to water during the sixties, it would have had much more severe damage than it does. I'll bet the water in the vault was a fairly recent event.
What a shame, but I do believe the car should be restored. What does it say about Tulsa to allow such a treasure to remain in deteriorated condition? It tells the world that we don't take care of our city, and from the looks of our streets, most would believe that to be a fact.
I think the Belvedere would make an excellent "spokesperson" for the City of Tulsa once restored.
Of course, that depends on whether the city has ownership of the car. I highly doubt anyone other than a car collector would want it in this condition, as it isn't even a good parts car at this point. And heaven help us if the winner decides to part it on eBay! That would be a true insult.