A Plymouth Comes to the Surface

[W. Gray]

In 1957, I recall watching the world news on NBC one evening.  All news back then was on film. Tulsa, Oklahoma was burying a 1957 Plymouth in an underground vault. It seems to me they wrapped the engine and tried otherwise providing some protection for a long sleep. The car was to be resurrected in exactly fifty years.

I was living in Independence, Missouri, at the time. Back then, all kids (boys anyways) knew every Detroit model of every Detroit manufacturer and every model variance by sight. For instance, Ford had three models: mainliner, customliner, and crestliner. We had a crestliner, which was the top Ford model. We kids would die if we were seen in a mainliner, which was the cheapest model. Later in 1957, Ford introduced a Skyliner, which was a convertible with a retracting hard top.

As a new driver, I was really excited about the Plymouth and wanted to be around when they dug it up.

Over the years, I forgot about what I had seen but from time to time it came to mind. Every time it pierced my memory, I asked someone if they knew about it, but no one did. It has been several years since it last came to mind.

If you go to the Taylor news net, there is a front page article in the Montgomery County Chronicle indicating the Plymouth will be brought to the surface tonight, June 15.  People in Tulsa back then placed a guess as to what the population of the city would be in 2007. All the entries were put inside the car. The person (or his or her heir) closest to the official population will win the car.

Back then a Plymouth was big with huge tail fins. The model buried was a two-door Belvedere hardtop. Hardtop meant there were no pillars. It was, in effect, a convertible with an un-retractable hardtop.  A good purchase price might have been $2,000, or so. All the manufacturers also had four-door hardtops but eventually all were discontinued because they were two dangerous in rollover crashes. Without the pillar supports, the roof crushed easily.

I would imagine the value of the Plymouth will be enhanced because of the recent demise of that particular automobile.

http://www.taylornews.org/

[kdfrawg]

I also remember when they buried that, although I have to admit I haven't thought much about it since. I'll be sure to keep up with the story now that you have brought it back into what's left of my mind. Thanks, W. Gray!

Here's another pretty good story about this:

http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2007/06/1957_plymouth_t.html

They have started to try to get the car out. Just in case you missed the sub-link, here are a bunch of photos of the opening of the vault. Looks like there's trouble in Tulsa city. 

http://www.tulsachevys.com/Images/buriedcar/index.html

[Dee Gee]

Looking  at the pictures, they had better have filled the canvas with some kind of waterproofing material because it appears like the whole car was covered with water.  So I am sure the interior of the car is ruin besides all the rust created while it was setting in the damp / wet for fifty years.

[W. Gray]

That is a shame.

Too bad they didn't have the cocoon technology they have today to envelop and mothball airplanes

[kdfrawg]

They would have been better off covering it in cosmoline and putting it in a big baggy.

[flo]

Did ya all hear that the microfilm that had all the guesses as to the population on it can't be found?  Most everything was completely decayed away.  Plus the car wouldn't start, what there was of it is just a rust bucket, it sounds like, but who would have known 50 years ago about how to preserve it for now.  Kinda sad, really......

[kdfrawg]

The best-laid plans of mice and city councilmen...

[Dee Gee]

They did have a container with a flag and other items that did come out in good condition but not the car.