Tulsa's Buried Belvedere

[N5RLR]

On June 15, 1957 a new gold and white 1957 Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe was buried in a time capsule in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The time capsule was part of Golden Jubilee Week: Tulsa's celebration of Oklahoma's semi-centennial.

* * * * * * * * * *

At about 12 Noon on Friday, June 15, 2007 the car will be officially raised and unveiled.

More here:  Tulsa's Buried Belvedere [click]

[Glenn NY4NC]

Hi mike;

FYI, that's a dead link at the moment...

I wonder if they're going to start it up!...   like the Volkswagen in that old Woody Allen movie?   

[Mike/W8BAC]

Try this one Glen.

http://www.buriedcar.com/

[WBear2GCR]

50 years seems a tad premature.
And, otoh, seems the expectations of those at that time were a bit "optimistic" about the gulf in time of 50 years being that great.

Otoh, in 1957 the world of 1907 was pretty much lost and gone.
But there's no trouble today finding a '57 car, even a Belvedere.
We have old newspapers for the most part.
And who cares about those blown up ego politicians? Ha!
Perhaps the ariel photo will prove amusing.

Now, a hundred years from then, a time capsule like this would be really something.

So, I propose that they should place all this on exhibition for a year, then reseal the sucker (preferably in a dry Nitrogen environment) and bury it for another 50 years, when they can dig it up again, and see what gives...   

            _-_-WBear2GCr

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I ran across this back in 2004 and thought how nifty it would be to see it raise to the surface after so long. Talk about a time capsule....'BAC has some experience there.

Speaking of which, got my latest ER mag in the main yesterday, with Mike 'BAC smiling on the cover, in front of a nice Collins 212B console and other fine gear. Now, if I can only find time to read it.... 

[Glenn NY4NC]

Is that a 1957 case of Schlitz beer they put in the car? yech!!!!

[WA3VJB]

Haven't hit the link yet, but it's difficult enough to control the environment around my 1964 Buick.
I wonder what steps they took to keep the rot away from the time capsule.

[Jim, W5JO]

The capsule leaked and was half full of water.  What a mess.  Wonder if the warranty applies?

[WA1GFZ]

My dad had a 57 ventura with a 318. not a bad car. My Dad threw a rod once..I think he was racing but never copped to it.
 Then we got a 60 poncho with a 389, my first ride but I added duals and a AFB and prowlers on the back. Ah what a back seat.

[N5RLR]

Hi, Glenn.  *D'OH!*  Sorry about the bum link.

* * * * * * * * * *

After half a century underground, there were plenty of questions Friday night about Tulsa’s buried Belvedere. What would it look like after 50 years? Would it be rusty? Would it start? Did all the artifacts turn to dust?

After 50 years of waiting, the ‘57 Plymouth Belvedere’s protective coatings were peeled off. Time and water had taken its toll on the car. During its 50 years underground, water leaked into the vault, and years of rust covered the buried treasure. Back in 1957, organizers put a glass jug of gasoline in the car just in case fossil fuels were history. The gas survived, but the tank it was meant to fill up didn't.

The beer in the trunk is no longer drinkable, but the event wasn't a total loss.

Buried next to the Belvedere was a time capsule. The contents survived decades underground.

Plates, yearbooks, coins and even newspapers were pulled out of the capsule, looking as crisp as they did when they were buried half a century ago.

While the car might not be recognizable, the memories it brought back are still fresh and will be talked about for the next 50 years.

Video:

Local News Coverage Of The Unveiling Of Tulsa's Belvedere [click]

Unearthing The Belvedere [click]

Time Capsule Removed From Belvedere Vault [click]

* * * * * * * * * *

I'd hopes that the car wouldn't be in too bad a condition.  Hopefully, it might be able to be restored. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

They had plenty of experts in archival preservation in 57 - this was the best they could do? I'd like to know what the "protective" coatings were. I bet they held the moisture in once it got in. they should have filled the container with silica gel blocks, filled the motor to the spark plug holes with light oil, filled the interior with silica gel, and put some cosmoline on all the chrome and unpainted metal. And why didnt they lead line the vault lid and solder the thing shut?

whoever was in charge of putting the car in there was a goof. Probably drunk on the beer they put in the trunk.

[Bill, KD0HG]

Sheesh!

It was a Chrysler Belvedere, Derb!

Not a 57 Vette or T-Bird.

If it was, then I'd feel bad too.

[WBear2GCR]

Oh geez... filled with water!

Who knew there was water in the ground in Oklahoma??!!!

            _-_-bear

[N3DRB The Derb]

eh, I just hate sloppy work. I looked at the vault for 3 seconds and realized it was a big water trap. It's just a waste....even a Belvedere is a terrible thing to waste.

[Jim, W5JO]

Oh geez... filled with water!

Who knew there was water in the ground in Oklahoma??!!!

            _-_-bear

There is a lot more in Oklahoma ground  than water.  A lot of the natural gas that supplies the NE comes from here.  Up until about 1975 a lot of the zinc for car batteries came from here.  But it is a shame the politicians who awarded the contract for the capsule didn't choose better.  Politicians  who live here learned how to scam the public from some real pros.  The car is a good example.

[WBear2GCR]

Are there any still pics - jpegs of the thing??

My antique system refuses to decode the moving images.

         _-_-

[WBear2GCR]

Seems they made one minor miscalculation... now that I found some stills.

Concrete is not impervious to water... 

Someone, it would seem, forgot to notice this minor detail.

funny...

           _-_-

[W1GFH]

Are there any still pics - jpegs of the thing??

It was sitting in a water puddle for 30 years, and they expected to start it up? So stupid.

(According to records, it was well-known at the time that the Belvederes were among the most rust-prone cars ever built!)

[WA3VJB]

Isn't this the same model that can fix itself, a la Christine ?

[k4kyv]

It would have survived in better condition if someone had simply parked it in a garage in 1957 and left it alone.  I have seen 1920's era cars that cleaned up nicely after being pulled out of decades of storage with little more than a heavy accumulation of dust.  It was stupid burying it in the ground.  An above ground vault might have worked.

[The Slab Bacon]

Its a shame, any OTHER form of "encapsulation" would definately provided a better chance of survival. 50 years sealed in a partially water filled, 100% humidity environment has really taken its toll on that car. Is it restorable?...................thats a tough call. But I would still liked to have been there when they opened it!

the experiment was kind of a failure, but the intent was definately noble! It would still be an honor to cast your eyes onto somethung that no one has seen for 50 years. I wish that I could have been there to see it.

What would have been neater is if they would have entombed it into a sealed room in the basement of some big building or something like that. the odds of an in tact survival would have been much better.

Also being an engine collector, I do know of a said instance. While doing a rehab on an old building in downtown Baltimore 20 years ago, A large steam engine was "entombed" into a room in the basement of a renovated office / retail building because no one wanted to remove it, and they were afraid that its removal would damage the renovated parts of the building. So it was walled up into a sealed room in the basement. If any of you are visiting the "inner harbor" area of Baltimore, and you decide to grab a burger at "Fuddruckers", you are only a few yards away from it.

                                                      The Slab Bacon

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I thought that the car in Christine was supposed to be a Fury, but there was an issue with the age of the actual car vs the year('58?) the Fury was produced, or something like that. I could be making it all up, too.

Frank, remind me the next time we meet to tell you about the basement full of old engines in a building in Colorado. A little gal I was dating out there worked in the place and told me about them. I was supposed to go rescue them from oblivion. Of course, things changed so that didn't happen. She did say that some of the floor would have to be removed the get the larger engines out, since they were apparently built into the place during renovations or perhaps initial construction.

Hose that car off and clean it up, even if it doesn't get 'restored'. Now there's a term that means different things to different people...

[The Slab Bacon]

Todd, it is so kool to find stuff like that. There are many "time capsules" hidden out there still to be found. I love hearing about stuff like that, it is way kool, especially when you find it undisturbed!!

Another neat one that I stumbled over years ago: I was walking through a pretty well untouched piece of wooded property about 20 years ago (that belonged to a cantankerous old woman that was known for shooting at people) and made a rather interesting discovery. (I wish I had had a camera with me) I was searching for a legendary old HUMUNGOUS old gas engine that supposed to be in there with hopes of trying to buy it. I found a Ford model T truck that had been abandoned there bazillions of years before and was left undisturbed. The engine, transmission and rear end were still in tact, but the body had rusted until it disintegrated right in that spot. All of the what was left of body parts were laying on the ground where they literally fell to rest. But what really was awe inspiring was a tree close to 4' in diameter and prolly 50' tall had grown where the rear axle and frame met. The metal parts were completely grown into the tree!! I often wondered how long it had been there for that tree to grow that big!! And none of it had ever been disturbed being so close to a suburban area!

                                          The Slab Bacon

[Jim, W5JO]

The car would have fared better if they had just dug a hole 10 ft. deep and buried it without the tomb to collect water.  Unless there is a water table, surface water won't penetrate more than 10 inches below ground surface.  I would bet it would have been in very good condtion following a wash job.

[k4kyv]

For a story of a different time capsule, read Brian, W5AMI's account of the Bartlesville Kilowatt.