aeroman

Not really a Porsche story but kind of cool anyway....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/23/bur....ap/index.html

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Organizers of a coming-out party for a buried 1957 Plymouth Belvedere could use some help.

The car, which was buried in brand-new condition under the lawn of the Tulsa County Courthouse in 1957, is scheduled to be unearthed June 15 as part of the Oklahoma Centennial.

Promoters are looking for people who helped lower the car into its crypt in 1957 to perhaps shed some light on what to expect when the car is unearthed.

There's speculation the car may have turned into a pile of rust. Or that it's in pristine condition and worth thousands of dollars.

Sharon King Davis, who has chaired Tulsa's centennial efforts, looked at photos of the people responsible for burying the car in 1957 and found her grandfather.

"I wish grandpa had left me some instructions," she told the Tulsa World.

The car had been largely forgotten until Davis and her group started work on the centennial. Files on the car have vanished, so it's not clear what to expect when the lid is lifted.

What's known is that the car is on a steel pallet with jacks under the axles. Efforts were made to preserve it, but it's unclear if moisture has gotten to the metal and caused rust.

"There's a kind of Rip Van Winkle reaction," Davis says. "Most people had long ago forgotten the buried car, but as the time to dig it up nears, they are waking up and wondering about life in 1957."

Another unknown is who will be able to claim the car.

When the car was buried, a contest was announced to award the car and a $100 savings account to the person who came closest to guessing Tulsa's population in 2007.

Organizers concede that finding that person or his or her heirs may not be easy.

At the time, the guesses were recorded on microfilm and sealed in a steel container buried with the car.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Indycam

How much would it cost to haul the rusted out hulk to the junk yard ? If its more than $100 , the winner is not going to be happy .

Wikkid911

This reminds me of a Texaco promotion a few years back they ran here in the UK. They buried 7 SLKs (girls car I know) in containers and put a hub cap on top of where they were buried. I made this my mission in life for about a month to find one of these cars and spent countless hours solving the clues and walking through fields etc. One of the cars was found just 3 miles from where I was looking but I enjoyed the game anyway.

jeffnudd

Think there is going to mixed opinions here but think the majority so far is a pile of rust.

aeroman

57 Plymouths were known for rust.

Dan V

They better have a set of jumper cables handy.

bgiere

I hope they used Stabil or it won't start.....

Bearclaw

Sta-bil or anything similar wouldn't help for that long. The 10 gal. of gas should be a gooey chunk by now. Maybe they pickled the engine, but the rest of it...? The concrete coffin won't help matters, but maybe the Saran Wrap isolated it somewhat. They were spraying in some stuff around it. Sand? Oil?

Lots of "barn cars" have been found, saw a '56 Olds that had sat in barn with soem blankets over it for 40 years until being discovered. Guy said it was in remarkably good shape.

"The contents of a women's purse, including bobby pins, a bottle of tranquilizers, cigarettes and an unpaid parking ticket"
Times never change.

jeffnudd

Yes it could be in good shape, only the other day i had to open my wifes legs and apart from a few cob webs that was in supprisingly good shape too.

EDIT: It doesnt matter how long its left it will always clean up.

Bearclaw

Had it been pickled before storage?

jeffnudd

I cant remember. LOL

jeffnudd

Actually isnt there a abandoned city called Famagusta in Cyprus since 74 that has a showroom with mint cars in it still?

springer3

I think pile of rust too. It will look something like the Titanic. Next time dehumidify the vault, or, even better, maintain an inert-gas blanket around the car.

TR6

Maybe they should have buried it in Arizona instead.

Indycam

http://www.plymouthcentral.com/57Belvedere1.html

I now understand why they buried it .