Tulsa Plymouth Sunk?

[ocnblu]

Yeah, parts of it may be too delicate for a power washer, of course. Using a steam cleaning wand might be the solution.

[Delta Force79]

I hope they announce a winner next week, cause I'm hope they would try to clena it off. If it goes to a museum they forget it, it'll remain the muddy rusty exhibit

[Ravenfreak13]

I would march right up to that crazy woman tulsarama organizer and ask her how insane she is for leaving that on shiny spot on the bumper without cleaning the rest. The car is just gonna rot more with all that mud.

[Delta Force79]

This is a message from user Mike P on the Forward look forum...

I saw the car today. Anything can be restored, but in this case I'm afraid all that would be left would the stainless, set of glass (with the exception of the vent window Boyd's crew broke getting into the car) and the stainless steel VIN tag.

As I walked around the car, the driver door is rusted through, there is bubbling on every panel, and while the chrome looks shiny on the outer surface these often rust from the inside out (there is usually very little chrome on the back side).

One of the rear leaf springs fell off when the car was raised and from what I could tell from looking at the mirror they had under the car the U Bolts had simply rusted away. I get a feeling the frame is probably pretty thin.

Anything like heavy steel brackets look like they will be VERY heavily pitted if even usable at all. I don't know if anybody noticed last night at the unveiling but the inner trunk reinforcements (or what was left of them) literally fell off into the trunk.

I think on close inspection any exterior panel you will find are too thin to be usable.

Possibly the major engine castings could be reused, but after all this time I'd almost bet you end up with 8 sleeves. The tranny and rear end maybe the housings.....buy maybe not.

A few days ago I would have been the first say restore it, but on closer inspection I believe there would be so little of the original car left that it would be a travesty to do so. At this point personally I would really like seeing the car preserved in it's as is condition (after steps are taken to preserve it from further decay). And who know that may be what happens. I'm hearing rumblings that both the W. P. Chrysler Museum and 57 Heaven are both interested in buying the car once it's determined who owns it.

Before and after:

Edited June 17, 2007 by Delta Force79

[A Horse With No Name]

Nice, Nice looking car in the before shot. Glad to see a car in a color other than red.

Chris`

[Drew Dowdell]

*note to self; don't put any car I actually plan on keeping in the ground for 50 years*

[ocnblu]

Sigh, I guess I'll shut up then. A sad turn of events. Hopefully it can be preserved, saved from any more decay. Maybe a sealed garage with industrial strength dehumidifiers until all the moisture is gone.

[Flybrian]

I mean, if this is as bad as first-hand reports have said, isn't this really almost garbage? Perhaps the Walter P. Chrysler Museum would be interested simply because its a Chrysler product, but otherwise...its junk, right?

I can understand bending over backwards to save the very last remains of something that doesn't even exist in any way, shape, or form anymore, but there are many other '57 Plymouths running around, many exact Belvederes to be precise.

Oh well...

[Delta Force79]

ocn, I know it sucks...I never thought it would be possible to restore this thing and have it be road worthy...I was hoping they would clean the body and engine, interior a smuch as possible to be photographed and to show what nature can do to a brand new car sealed under ground...as well as for the fact that despite all the rust and mud...she's still beautiful.

[knightfan26917]

Hopefully, Sixty8 got close enough to write "WASH ME" with his finger on the back window before they left Tulsa.

He he ... that'd been great if he had been able to do just that .

*sighs*

And that message from Mike P ... that is a sad turn of events. Ah, well.

Despite the condition of the car, definitely a neat thing, nonetheless. I'm just glad I was able to watch part of it live Friday night.

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I see our time has gotten stale" ... Eve 6 ... 'Inside Out'

[Oracle of Delphi]

I mean, if this is as bad as first-hand reports have said, isn't this really almost garbage? Perhaps the Walter P. Chrysler Museum would be interested simply because its a Chrysler product, but otherwise...its junk, right?

I can understand bending over backwards to save the very last remains of something that doesn't even exist in any way, shape, or form anymore, but there are many other '57 Plymouths running around, many exact Belvederes to be precise.

Oh well...

Garbage in, garbage out!

[A Horse With No Name]

Actually the 57 product line for Chryser was a financial disaster of Biblical proportions if I recall correctly. There was an article in Automotive quarterly or some other book I read that talked about cracking windshields, horrendous mechanical problems, etc.

Actually the Honda Element has a class action lawsuit for cracking windshileds and mechanical problems.

Perhaps the more things change the more they stay the same, eh?

Chris

[vonVeezelsnider]

At Least they weren't ugly like the '62s.

[Flybrian]

At Least they weren't ugly like the '62s.

You must mean the '61s...

If it was a 1961 Belvedere, I would've left it in the ground.

No, I would've buried it in MORE concrete.

No, I would've taken the remains of it, rounded up every last surviving 1961 Plymouth, unloaded 20 gauge buckshot into each of them, dug a huge tomb, filled it with salt water and muriatic acid, dumped each and every car in there, and capped it with poorly-mixed concrete poured by drunk Honduran laborers and placed a rusty, leaky septic tank on top of it all...in a Mississippi bog.

I would repeat the procedure exclusively for 1958 Lincolns.

[Satty]

But if it were Mr. Belvedere, you'd be trying to get him drunk so you could go to the zoo and taunt the dingos.

Edited June 18, 2007 by Satty

[aaaantoine]

Make that a 10-gauge. Much more devastating.

Or a 12-gauge, since the 10-gauge is considered obsolete.

Edited June 18, 2007 by aaaantoine

[Intrepidation]

The `57 is a beautiful car, especially being the 2-door hardtop that it was. There were many restored (and original) Belvederes of different body styles. The 2-door hardtops are just gorgeous.

As for this one, the engine is gone, and so are the the leaf springs, floor plans, and interior, but much of the body is covered in surface rust and dirt...not rusted through. When they wiped the dirt off the bumpers the glistened like mirrors.

[vonVeezelsnider]

You must mean the '61s...

If it was a 1961 Belvedere, I would've left it in the ground.

No, I would've buried it in MORE concrete.

No, I would've taken the remains of it, rounded up every last surviving 1961 Plymouth, unloaded 20 gauge buckshot into each of them, dug a huge tomb, filled it with salt water and muriatic acid, dumped each and every car in there, and capped it with poorly-mixed concrete poured by drunk Honduran laborers and placed a rusty, leaky septic tank on top of it all...in a Mississippi bog.

I would repeat the procedure exclusively for 1958 Lincolns.

No, I meant the 1961 and 1962 (Dodges and Plymouths). This was Virgil Exner's swan song at MOPAR, and they were a disaster (he downsized everything, and made them all look like Valiants.

1962 Fury

1962 Dart

[A Horse With No Name]

Okay, I'll be the voice of dissent here. I don't like the styling of the 62 Chrysler or 62 Dart...however...there is a 62 Dart Nostalgia Drag car running around up here that is kind of fun to watch go down the track just because it is so damned ugly.

Chris

Edited June 19, 2007 by 66Stang

[A Horse With No Name]

You must mean the '61s...

If it was a 1961 Belvedere, I would've left it in the ground.

No, I would've buried it in MORE concrete.

No, I would've taken the remains of it, rounded up every last surviving 1961 Plymouth, unloaded 20 gauge buckshot into each of them, dug a huge tomb, filled it with salt water and muriatic acid, dumped each and every car in there, and capped it with poorly-mixed concrete poured by drunk Honduran laborers and placed a rusty, leaky septic tank on top of it all...in a Mississippi bog.

I would repeat the procedure exclusively for 1958 Lincolns.

So...fly...why hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Chris

[ocnblu]

I don't mind the '62 Mopars at all, but the '61's are a bit offensive to the eyes.

[Sixty8panther]

I think Miss. Belvedere IS very special and now after hearing many

of the negative remarks about this car I'd love to buy it just to park

it in my living room and stare at it. And yes I'd wash it off first. The

dirt/mud/rust need to come off the car. I hope I can return to Tulsa

& this Belvedere someday soon in at least semi-clean condition.

I think the car is priceless... 95% rotted & all.

[ocnblu]

That's the spirit, Sixty8.

[Delta Force79]

She's not in the worst shape possible...I still say steam clean her and see where we're at. I mean the glass can't be rusty and it looks the same as the body...there is hope, the bumper proves it too.

[Ravenfreak13]

We'll never know unless the winner cleans it.

[Intrepidation]

I think Miss. Belvedere IS very special and now after hearing many

of the negative remarks about this car I'd love to buy it just to park

it in my living room and stare at it. And yes I'd wash it off first. The

dirt/mud/rust need to come off the car. I hope I can return to Tulsa

& this Belvedere someday soon in at least semi-clean condition.

I think the car is priceless... 95% rotted & all.

[balthazar]

>>"If it was a 1961 Belvedere, I would've left it in the ground. No, I would've buried it in MORE concrete. No, I would've taken the remains of it, rounded up every last surviving 1961 Plymouth, unloaded 20 gauge buckshot into each of them, dug a huge tomb, filled it with salt water and muriatic acid, dumped each and every car in there, and capped it with poorly-mixed concrete poured by drunk Honduran laborers and placed a rusty, leaky septic tank on top of it all...in a Mississippi bog. I would repeat the procedure exclusively for 1958 Lincolns. "<<

All this ire, with the millions of toyotas and mitsus and volvos and nissans & bmws running around? Destroy an appreciating American classic made with a maximum of steel and iron and stainless and a minimum of sensors and plastics and electro-bull&#036;h&#33;? No thank you x infinity.

In fact, replace every toyota on the road with a '58-60 Lincoln or a '61-62 Dodge or Plymouth and I'd die happy the day after.