could be a 318 or 301. most likly it's a 301

If they had just covered the vault lid with plastic....

Happy Birthday Tulsa, this is one celebration that will be hard to top

Technology aside, doesn't Tulsa have cemeteries? How about basements? Between the two, you'd think somebody would have realized water was gonna get in regardless.

****FOR THOSE WHO havnt*** seen any video ,there is almost 5 minutes on you tube ,i typed in tulsa plymouth,... boy the interior is litterally encrusted in mud! the key in the ignition wont even turn.

I guess if you look at the whole event you would have to say it was a success. Think back about how many city anniversary celebrations that anyone outside of town gives a hoot about. This thing had Tulsa front and center all over the place. Just the fact that they came up with the idea was pretty cool.

As for the car most people I showed the pics too just said..oh cool look at that old car. Not like you see a 57 Plymouth running around much these days. It had the shape of a 57 Plymouth. I did not even think it would have that.

As for the storage..well hindsight is 20/20. I bet if you would ask most people back then it would have been a foregone conclusion that at some point between then and now Tulsa and most of the US would have been in a nuclear attack. I doubt that water even came to mind when they buried it. Many people probably thought why bury it no one will be around to see it anyway.

Look at it this way...we may not be perfect but we fared a lot better than most would have thought..so instead of cave men pulling a shiny car from a vault at least it is the car that is done...not us

I'm sorry,if ancient cultures could preserve a human body for a thousand plus years,somebody in 1957 should have been able to figure out how to keep a buried car dry.It's history,alright.It's toast,zip,nada,gone....now that it's OUT of the water in free air,now it's really gonna start rusting.I don't see how they can "leave it as it is"

Thanks, Diego. I thought I'd be guilty of contributing...

My daughter and I elected to view the happenings as many on MOPARTS did...via the media. We've not been to the Convention Center, as of yet [if she'll EVER get going...]. I am sure the general concensus is the event has been a great success, even with the disappointment of the car's condition.

To all interested, there will be a "cruise" that has become tradition in Tulsa, over the years. It is between 36th street and 51st street, with the hub being at the Sonic drive-in, at 38th and Peoria. Should be a hoot.


This has been one of the most unusual threads I've ever followed in my eight years of MOPARTS, too, I have to say. A smattering of opinions that varies as much as the climate in Oklahoma. I think that is what makes MOPARTS and our USA work. There are rules and regulations, but where else would you want to live? Thanks MODS, for letting us rail on the predictions and actuality of the centenial celebration.


1050 posts/replies. Woohoo!!

Boyd coddington is a blah blah blah.
They shoulda sealed the blah blah blah.
Surprised it didn't come out with 4 doors hur hur hur blah blah blah.

Seriously, you guys.
A fifty year old Plymouth Belvedere was just excavated on national TV. A city celebrates a centenial. Cool artifacts have been unearthed. Can we please get beyond the small talk and start looking at what we have?
There is a lot to think about.

That Plymouth looks pretty bad, but not too bad. What's it's fate? Should it be put in a museum? Should it be restored?

Condition - I was not there, so I would really like to hear from those who have inspecte the car up close. How bad is it? Can it be restored? We have seen the trunk, and it looks pretty flimsy. Still, it stayed on the hinges, so how bad is it?
How about other aspects of the car? Is the frame intact? (not "in tact").
Is the sheet metal solid enough, or is the metal getting really thin? Can the interior be upholstered after a thorough cleaning, or is it completely gone?
I see a lot of gold paint - what's the story on the other side of that metal?

Preservation - what to do? What would the Mopar community collectively agree on? Leave it or fix it?

Ownership - who gets it? And, when someone aquires this swamp monster, do we have an ambassador to help them make some decisions with the car? That may be a bit out there, but it would be nice to play some small role in the fate of this car.

Me personally? I'd love to see it fully restored and running. Museums are fine, but the biggest draw would be this car getting attention as it cruises the country's freeways.
As for the event, what a thrill! Iwas glued to my computer watching the wrapping come off. It was exciting stuff - a fifty year old Plymouth seeing the light of day. Yeah, the condition was rough. Still, that's why anticipation is a great thing - it's all about discovery and the excitement of not knowing exactly how things end up.

So, can we start talking about the car?

Have they washed it up yet? If so how does it look clean?

Bill.

Personally, I'd like to see it restored and stay on display in Tulsa.

How about everyone else?

What should thry do with the 57 ? single choice
Crush it... she's a goner.	12%, 16 Votes
Leave it as is, and Display it.	42%, 55 Votes
Restore it and Display it.	45%, 59 Votes
Total Votes: 130 Voting on this poll ends: 05/08/24 05:01 PM

Roger, those are pretty basic choices. If she is left as is, the oxygen and UV will eat her alive in short order. I don't think there is any chance in the world she'll be crushed. As for restoration, if an owner is found, as in the population match - then, to the person who guessed closest/their heirs - it will be up to that person. Maybe there ought to be another choice...create a "Save Miss Belvedere Commitee."

nice poll but it needs a Have Boyd restore it on TV option

I don't know if the city would be willing to pay for it, but I'd like to see it restored first than given to the winner.

VERY descriptive use of "smilies".

I have been rendered speechless by a mod! (sorry, man!)

I am going to submit one pic here. I have sent some good pics to the webmaster. I'll post a bad pic here so it doesn't compromise my contract. Hopefully you'll see its condition up close.

I hope they clean it up then leave it as is! I dont care if its all rust and such, but I dont want to see a muddy car.