buried car: doesnt look good

[flyingn]

thought that was not to be opened till friday?? Is that the 57 Plymouth from Tulsa???

[70 copo]

Good blog Here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ight=tulsarama

Video Here: http://www.kotv.com/e-clips/?id=6709

7 FEET OF WATER.

[70 copo]

More Video. TV Anchor states car was completely submerged.

http://www.kotv.com/e-clips/?id=6717

[GMC_Typhoon]

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Workers unearthing the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried under the city's courthouse lawn were dealt an early setback Wednesday, as several feet of water were found in the concrete vault supposedly strong enough to withstand a nuclear attack.

The two-door hardtop, buried in 1957 to celebrate Oklahoma's 50 years of statehood, is set to be lifted out of the 12-foot-by-20-foot time capsule Friday morning to commemorate the state's centennial year. As many as 50,000 people from all over the world are expected at the event, and more than 260 media credentials have been handed out to reporters from New York to New Zealand.

But news of the standing water was crushing to event organizers. As heavy rain fell at the site, the Belvedere's fate remained unknown.

The vault was briefly opened Wednesday so hazardous materials crews could inspect the 10 gallons of gasoline and motor oil cans that had been placed in the time capsule in case internal combustion engines became obsolete by 2007.

Excavators found water halfway up on the car's fenders and more evidence water could have been to the top of the vault at one point, said Art Couch, who is heading up the unearthing project.

``I don't know how bad it is, but it's not good,'' Couch said. ``We were hoping it would be dry in there.''

It's obvious that the trunk lid is completely gone. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole car folds in half when they try to lift it out.

[VintageMusclecar]

Well, if nothing else, they've learned at least one thing from this ordeal...












how NOT to put a car away for long-term storage!

Eric

[flyingn]

well... If the vault was full how could the level of water gone down if there was no dranage in the vault?

[mrrec]

[ QUOTE ]
well... If the vault was full how could the level of water gone down if there was no dranage in the vault?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's pretty tuff to make concrete watertight and it obviously leaked at the joint of floor and walls. Groundwater could enter this way, too, but looking at the top of the walls and the goo in the bottom, it appears the lid was not sealed properly - a major mistake. A drainage system around the peremiter would have done a lot.....

So water enters at top and does not drain out unless the groundwater is low enough to allow it to escape through the floor/side joint.

I think it will take more than a 5 gal can of Safest Rust Remover on this one......

Dave

[Lynn]

Well at least they did that to a Belvedere, and not a 57 (take your pick of any number of AWESOME vehicles available that year)

Lynn

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]
well... If the vault was full how could the level of water gone down if there was no dranage in the vault?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe there really was no water but the excavation is being done by the same crew as in Eric's posting a few days back and they've gotten into that old case of Schlitz that was in the car ? .

Seriously, this thing will not be in good shape as these cars had serious rust problems from day one anyway...and if the torsion bars or mountings haven't failed yet, it probably will as soon as they set it down after extraction from the tomb?.

~ Pete

[Hylton]

Thank God they didn't decide to use a '57 fuelly 'Vette!