Think it will still run!

[elmo]

I might have to roadtrip to Tulsa on June 15.



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

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

http://www.buriedcar.com/


Elmer

[cam5e]

I'm curious to see how well it's fared too. Might be the best example of the type, or a rusted hulk. We'll know soon enough.

[Ira]

My friend was a teacher at Coral Springs Middle School when it first opened in 1974 (I made up this year because I don't remember exactly when)--and they buried a time capsule.

In 1999, for the school's 25th anniversary, he was still teaching there and they were going to dig up the time capsule in honor of this "amazing" event.

But no one could remember where they put it.

I swear, this is a true story,

I live in the most retarded city in all of America.

[cam5e]

I live in the most retarded city in all of America.

I think most of us can make that claim form time to time

[Nitetimes]

I opened up a time capsule of sorts myself last night.
My stepdaughter has a gas dryer that belonged to her grandmother, works great but she has a bad habit of letting it swallow things it shouldn't.
Well it swallowed a wash cloth and it got stuck in the squirrel cage fan, effectively stopping all function of the dryer.
So I drive to Pittsburgh pull the front of the dryer, still can't get into the vent duct around the fan so I pulled the cover off of it. After pulling out piles of lint and change and kids toys I found 2 Kennedy half dollars cleverly hiding on the bottom disguised as dust. One is a 71 and the other is a 64. Now this dryer is at least 30 years old so I'd say the been there a while!
I know, dumb story but it kinda fit in with what the thread was about.

[ALAN GEDDES]

I had to restore a car that was buried for only a few years in an insurance scam and it had been covered with tarps and it was a mess. Rust, mildew, body damage from just the weight of the earth. I wouldn't hold out for much on the 57.

[doug hodder]

I'm willing to bet that all the seals are shot! Doug

[Bigwoods]

My closest story to this is I had a 71 Firebird in storage for 20 years. My son in law went to get it and when we opened it up we found photos and my sons toys in it. A neat thing was I had a tool box in the back and found some old favorite tools. It was quite fun.

He changed the fluids and filters and it fired right up. The motor only had 30K on it.

[SkipperSue]

My old 1971 Mercedes 220D was "retired" in 1988. I got it last year and but a battery in it, checked the oil and fired it up. It purred like a kitten right off the bat. I did have to compleatly redo all the hydrolics (calipers, master and slave cylinders etc.) New tyres also. Gave $600 dollars for it and put about $1200 in repair parts but it runs like new, I love this old car.