Buried 57 Plymouth to be given to sister....

[BobT-47P15]

......of the man with the closest guess on Tulsa's 2007 population.

Found this article.

FREDERICK, Md. -- A vintage car buried for 50 years in Tulsa, Okla., is coming to Frederick.

A new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was buried in honor of Tulsa's 50th birthday celebration in 1957. It was unearthed during a centennial celebration last month and was awarded to the closest living relative of Ray Humbertson -- the man who, 50 years ago, most closely guessed the city's current population.

Humbertson died in 1979 so the car is being given to his sister, Catherine Johnson, of Bowling Green. Her Frederick nephew, Bob Carney, will try to remove 50 years of rust and make the car presentable. He won't do a full restoration, which he says would remove some of the car's historic value.

Tulsa will give the car to Johnson on Sept. 14.

Containers of gasoline in the trunk will be analyzed:

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Plymouth Belvedere buried in a time capsule was rusty and undriveable but gasoline cached with the car could have scientific value.

The people who put together the time capsule 50 years ago in Tulsa included two containers of gasoline in case fuel was no longer available for the Plymouth when the vault was unsealed this year.

For Paul Philp, a professor of petroleum and environmental geochemistry at the University of Oklahoma, the gas is valuable on its own.

"We're going to begin fingerprinting the gasoline and compare it to modern day gasolines," he said

[55 Fargo]

Glad to hear someone is going to try and revive this old girl. I would have thought this car would need a total body-off to deal with all the corrosion and silt that found its way into the vault. Just how bad was the body on this car, whats involved in bringing it bcak to life, and to be "presentable"...........Fred

[Don Coatney]

Having seen the car live in person I believe it can be restored if one is so inclined and has the time and money. The stainless steel trim and the glass are good to go with some cleaning and polishing. Everything (and I do mean everything) else needs replacement.

It sounds like the value of the gas in the cans in the trunk may be more valuable than the rest of the car.

[Norm's Coupe]

Sounds like someone really believes in reincarnation. I would just let the city keep the thing.

[knuckleharley]

.......

Containers of gasoline in the trunk will be analyzed:

.....For Paul Philp, a professor of petroleum and environmental geochemistry at the University of Oklahoma, the gas is valuable on its own.

"We're going to begin fingerprinting the gasoline and compare it to modern day gasolines," he said

Chances are they are going to find out it is better gas than gas sold 3 months ago. Years ago I was starting and driving cars that had been sitting more than 10 years,and now gas that has been sitting 6 months won't even start my lawnmower.

[BobT-47P15]

I suppose a good question is: what should a person do with that car??

Assuming you had the wherewithal to restore it......should it be restored with lots of pictures of it as it came from the vault? Or should it be left "as is" and shown that way? Which would have more value in the future??

Or, any other thoughts.......

[Norm's Coupe]

I suppose a good question is: what should a person do with that car??

Assuming you had the wherewithal to restore it......should it be restored with lots of pictures of it as it came from the vault? Or should it be left "as is" and shown that way? Which would have more value in the future??

Or, any other thoughts.......

Don't know about the value as that car sits right now. I wouldn't give a penny for it. Plus, even if it did have great value, would you want that thing sitting in your yard or garage in that condition all the time?

Like Don C said. The car needs everything. You'd have to replace the frame and all. Then would it really be the same car. Not really. So it wouldn't have any more value then, than any other restored 57. Only difference being you'd have to spend a ton more to restore it. Or, a better word......Rebuild it. Some cars are beyond help and I think this is one of them.

[Young Ed]

This was in discussion at our plymouth club meeting today. The guys who saw it in person were split about whether it could be restored. Some said the frame and underbody stuff was good. I'm sure it needs lots of work if it can be done. The other interesting thing mentioned was that the owner of the 57 museum in Branson was offering 200K for it.

[Norm's Coupe]

This was in discussion at our plymouth club meeting today. The guys who saw it in person were split about whether it could be restored. Some said the frame and underbody stuff was good. I'm sure it needs lots of work if it can be done. The other interesting thing mentioned was that the owner of the 57 museum in Branson was offering 200K for it.

The winner should grab that offer FAST before they have that person committed. I for one wouldn't pay to see a car like that in a museum. If I wanted to see old cars in that condition, I could just go to the junk yard for free.

As for restorability. Think I read that the trunk deck even cracked or broke when they opened it. Or was that the hood? That should give anyone with dreams of restoring that car an idea of the condition of the sheet metal. If it's that bad, you couldn't even weld it.

[knuckleharley]

It should be preserved,not restored. This means all the mud should be cleared from it and everything underneath and covered should be cleaned and coated with a coat of a preservative like Cosmoline to keep the air from getting to the rust and making it worse. Maybe even do this on the outside if you can find a clear preservative to put on it after cleaning the mud off.

I can see why the owner of a 57 museum would want it. It would make money for him. I can't see why anybody else would want it,though.

[claybill]

this car is ONLY valuable for museum purposes. why trouble our brain with restoration or no restoration questions, as it means nothing.!

for a museum it is solid $$$$$$ take the offer fast! as a restored car it might bring 20grand when done. as only the memory will exist. and some paper work.

think about it.

bill

[blueskies]

Here's a couple of pics I took of the car...

I think the crust on the out side of the car is a lot of rusty colored mud and grime. But, there is a tremendous amount of rust under the coating of crud. I bet the sheetmetal is not much more than lace, and the grime is holding it together. The car would not even roll, they moved it around with a fork lift... It sat in the bottom of a dirty swimming pool for 50 years, the equivalent of the bottom of a swamp. There is nothing on the car that isn't damaged beyond repair, other than the glass and stainless steel trim.

It's only value IMHO is historic, and I don't think it should even be touched. I think it should go to a museum for all to see. Once they strip it of it's patina, it will be stripped of it's significance and will become just another rusty old pile.

Looks comfy, wanna go for a ride?

Pete

[rearview]

That thing's gotta smell nasty

[Norm's Coupe]

That thing's gotta smell nasty

Bob, I think that may be an understatement.

[Don Coatney]

That thing's gotta smell nasty

Something wrong with a fifty year old new car smell:confused:

[BobT-47P15]

I doubt that much on that car would clean very well, except the chrome and stainless. As bad as everything appears to be, most all parts would need replacing.....and once that was done, not much originality. Might as well just find another car that looks like it. I think the Branson 1957 model car museum would be the place. All cars there are very nice----a variety of makes from that year.

[Don Coatney]

I As bad as everything appears to be, most all parts would need replacing.....and once that was done, not much originality.

Reminds me of Tim Adams ball pien hammer. It is all original however the handle has been replaced three times and the head twice due to normal wear and tear.

[Young Ed]

Haha Don. Heard that before about an axe. My dads sledge was all original down to the ducttape holding the original handle together. Then when I wanted to use it I thought I would be a good son and replace the handle for him. Besides I was using it indoors and didn't really want that thing breaking in a fairly closed in area. Well new handle broke after 8 swings! So I had to re-restore his sledge. But its still his sledge

[Rodney Bullock]

So the car is going to boiling green VA. I think I can fix it:cool: RIGHT! I think the city of Tulsa owes that lady a car, I 'm with norm they might as well keep it. ask Don if we can bury his car and we dig it up in 50 years. I bet Dons car would start and run, if we have a spare flux capasitor:D