Tulsa Valt Opened

mrodady · June 21, 2007, 03:56:01 PM

It is a sad state of affairs when they choose a customizer to speak on behalf of an old Plymouth. What was Lee Iacocca doing that day? (Wasn't he the one that saved Chrysler's ass?)
Gary

Go Fleiter · June 21, 2007, 05:09:35 AM

seems that the wheel even shows a waterline...

POC-Admin · June 21, 2007, 12:41:17 AM

They have the paper list of names and guesses - if they find the winner, it will be his choice. In my opinion, it cannot be restored. I doubt it will stay in one piece if they don't do something to keep it from disintegrating. It has a LOT of rust from the back-side, I would guess that you could poke a fork through the body anywhere.

The owner(s) will be identified and given a chance to come forward and claim the car. If not the Tulsarama committee will decide where it will end up.

Check out the buriedcar.com website for some very close up photos - some when it was still wet as they were setting it up for the show.

Mark

Roadcuda · June 19, 2007, 10:47:19 PM

Has a decision been made yet on what will happen to the car? Will they try to preserve it in its' current condition, or can it be preservered?

POC-Admin · June 19, 2007, 09:32:16 PM

Bill has a point however, what bothered me is that the 1957 Tulsarama promoters screwed up by not consulting any real experts and the 2007 promoters were just about as bad in just looking for a "Big Name" - I don't know Boyd but I do know he is not the person I would have picked to get the buried Plymouth running. If you watch his show, you know he does not have much "nice" to say about the guys that work for him. If they really were going to get the car running (if it would have been possible) there are a lot of better mechanics and 1st class experts on the 1957 Plymouth. Boyd makes street rods and Dubs. He is very popular. I will say many of his employees seem to be very good at what they do - one of them may have been able to get the Plymouth running but that was a moot point.

We can stop slamming Boyd now - this post was about the Buried Plymouth anyway.

Mark

Wm Steed · June 19, 2007, 11:46:40 AM

I guess this posting could be classiified as "Don't judge the other Indian, until you walk a mile in his moccasins"

I am not a fan of Boyd Coddington, his TV show leaves me cold with all the arguing, etc., going on. The fact of the matter is, the majority of the TV programs dealing with cars, be it the Barret- Jackson auctions ect. also leave me cold because I don't find them to be the real world of old cars and/or antique cars. I place all of these TV shows in the same group as wrestling. In other words, the world of make believe.

I have a good friend that has a '40 Ford 2dr sdn that was built by Boyd C. in 1978. The car is typical of a Coddington car with his higly stylized wheels and a few other modifications, ie; Chevy power train, disk brakes, rack pinnion, air cond, etc, etc. My friend drives the car all the time, having put over 40,000 miles on it with only a few minor repairs, the biggest of which was replacing the aluminum radiator because the fan came apart and went through the core.

I guess I tend to be from the school...... if you can't say something nice about a person, then don't say anything.....Bill

Roadcuda · June 18, 2007, 09:03:35 PM

It's a shame that the car didn't emerge in better shape. The '57-58s are among my favorite years of Plymouth. I had first had experience with the rust as my dad had a 58 Sport Suburban which he bought new, and put 125K on it before the rod bearings gave out in '65. After the rust had taken hold he put 1/2" pipes in to hold the floors up and metal, house flower box brackets bolted to the back of the headlight buckets and then to the inside of the fender so he could see at night. There was nothing else left to hold them in place!!! Let's hope the Prowler has better luck!!! As far as that Boyd guy goes, while I do watch the show, look at how many old cars that appear to be in good shape he has torn up for what he calls customizing. Also, has anyone noticed how many cars he's done in previous shows that are often back sitting in his shop during new builds? Why is that I wonder?

POC-Admin · June 17, 2007, 01:58:31 AM

More photos - had a great time today - great car show - around 400 cars - a line of 1957 Fury's a block long (at least it seemed like that) - over 85 Prowlers alone.

Got close enough to smell the Fury (Miss Belvedere as they call her) - watched chunks falling off as it dries out, I predict it will turn to dust in the next few years - so much rust - they will never stop it with anything. I bet you could poke an ice pick anywhere through that car.

In the evening tonight the party at the Prowler was great - Joe Cappy talked to us about his part in placing the Prowler in the Park in Tulsa and how it should be in great shape when the dig it up - or out in 2048 - I don't expect to make that as I would be a few months shy of 100 then.

Here is the prowler in the park.

Here is the front of the buried car.

This is what it looked like in 1957

chetbrz · June 16, 2007, 10:48:56 PM

Here again it ran when parked....

The best thing is that a lot of Plymouth owners from all over the country.., got together, and that is the main thing. The car was the catalyst.., but the event is not about the car but about US. Plymouth owners.

For those in Tulsa... Enjoy and have fun.

As far as Boyd Coddington.., He wouldn?t now a classic car if he fell over one. Sorry just my opinion.

Chet...

Wm Steed · June 16, 2007, 12:35:46 PM

I hate to be a "I told you so" and I know that hinde sight is 20/20, but this caper was doomed to fiailure the minute they came up with the idea to bury the car. It would appear that the person (s) that came up with this idea never gave much thought as to how damp a basement can be unless it is built with a drainage system and proper ventalation.

Maybe the same engineers that designed the '57/59 Plyms, which probably had the worst bodies ever put on an automobile, had a hand in designing the vault and preservation means employed with this undertaking.....Bill

POC-Admin · June 16, 2007, 11:26:36 AM

They opened the hood - one of those shots is the engine under foil, I have a few more photos on my web blog at turbinecar.com.

The windows just fell when touched - nothing left inside doors to hole them up just the rubber which was quite well preserved. The vent windows fell out the hood opened but the bracing on both that and the trunk was paper thin.

They asked Boyd Coddington if he had ever restored anything this bad and he said no way - this cannot be restored - well - Duh! Boyd has never restored anything!!!! - I don't call Bling wheels and a complete chop and rebuild that guy does a restoration.

I hope to get close to the car today - they are allowing that at the show - they had a beautiful read carpeted area with a raised area with mirrors for the bottom all ready to show the "just like new" 1957 Plymouth.

Mark

RC Drown · June 16, 2007, 08:12:26 AM

Mark,
Thanks for the great photos.

Did they try to open the hood or the doors?

I wonder what kinda shape the engine is in?

Thanks again,
Bob

POC-Admin · June 16, 2007, 01:59:13 AM

Here are a bunch of photos I took today!

The Lifting

The move to the civic center

The carnage at 6:30. YES that is Boyd Coddingham!

It's a mess but kind of worth saving the way it is.

Mark

David Pollock · June 15, 2007, 09:30:43 PM

Whatever emerges from the wrappings is still in better shape than the white Belvedere hardtop I owned and sold in the fall of 1968. I wish I had rolled that one into a vault before the next owner totalled it. In any case, Tulsa's car has generated a lot of attention and it makes me ache for the era when my dad took me to the unveiling of the new Chrysler products in the late fall of 1956. We never even crossed the street to look at what Chevrolet had to offer.

Cliff54 · June 15, 2007, 06:34:10 PM

would have been better if they had put the Plymouth in ....oh Arizona!! ...in a barn! ::)

POC-Admin · June 15, 2007, 10:42:50 AM

Well,

I got here last night and heard the news - talked to Jim Benjaminson last night - he saw it when they lifted it - like the photos show, not going to be pretty. I will let you know more after the pony-show tonight. I too hope they keep it as found. I mean there is not a real point in restoring it and even cleaning it too much will destroy what value it has as a relic. It will be interesting to see exactly what fifty years of water can do to a car - remember the 57's were not the best example of rust-proof cars by far. Most of them rusted on the showroom floor and if they did not sell fast enough you had to fix the rocker panels and headlight pockets. hehehehe.

Going to have fun anyway - Saturday party around the Prowler sounds like it will be fun!

Mark

30 Ply 30U · June 15, 2007, 07:37:51 AM

I would really like to see it go to the W.P. Chrysler museum, displayed in the "as found" condition with a display and video set up. It is a great piece of the Chrysler saga. I don't know that the "winner" will really have too much intrest in a water logged car, but I may be wrong.

Bill James · June 14, 2007, 10:17:27 AM

I bet they could still sell it on e-bay :'( Bill James

FourDoor · June 14, 2007, 09:49:31 AM

Well that's it for a pristine '57 Plymouth waiting in the vault. It's a shame. Wonder what shifted the water table. You would think the people setting this up would have seen the water filling their hole in 1957 and taken steps to prevent it entering the vault or simply moved to another spot. Something must have happened in the intervening 50 years. As I say it's a shame as like all of you I was waiting and hoping to see a perfectly preserved 'Forward Look', 'Suddenly it's 1960' 1957 Plymouth.?

Dennis Hemingway · June 13, 2007, 05:38:49 PM

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it looks like this is a dog and pony show. It looks like they have already opened Valt and it was 1/2 full of water. I just copied this from the H.A.M.B. Forum.
Dennis
http://www.tulsachevys.com/Images/buriedcar/index.html
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...8516&showall=1
http://newsok.com/article/3065823