So sad.

They must have pumped about three feet of water out of the vault after they opened it.

 

Why did they have to put the vault "down" in the ground. If they had just covered it up on the surface, things would be so different.

 

or just made it out of the same material as the 'time capsule' that survived everything....

or sealed the concrete containere better.

 

Not to worry. Somebody will restore it. I don't think the story is over yet.

 

I actually read in one article the plan is to have boyd coddington restore it, but that could just be speculation. I hope he manages to though; itd be great to see the car return to its glory day

 

What a shame - I was hoping for a better result. It was very interesting following this story. Guess they should have buried a case of bottled beer instead of cans!

 

Is this car really worth restoring?? It's in pretty rough condition.

 

Apparently not the problem. The vault was built B.C. (Before Caulking).

 

The car was covered in wax, so maybe all that rust is really just dirt and grim?

the chrome is still shiney.

 

Very disappointing. They might get that chrome bumper to shine up OK, but the interior looks like a more formidable job. This was still very cool to see, though!

 

What a killer model project. I always hate doing shiney dust free paintjobs, just need thick brown paint and wa-la!

 

Oh man that car looks like it's been... well... buried for 50 years Good luck getting those pistons loose from the cylinder walls.

 

It's kind of cool that after being filled back up, the tires still hold air.

 

We went to see Miss Belvedere last night. http://flickr.com/photos/tulsamini/s...7600377049057/

She's a sad sight to see.

Not saying this about anyone here, but all the "shoulda, woulda, coulda's" are getting on my nerves. The people in 1957 did the best they could for her. They did everything they thought was right and that's all they could do. The time capsule contents are pristine, so it wasn't a total loss.

In 1998, Tulsa buried a Plymouth Prowler prototype to be unearthed in 2048 for Tulsa's centennial. It's in a pressurized aluminum vault and when it comes up, ownership is returned to Daimler-Chrysler. It's buried in Centennial Park at 6th & Peoria. See you there in 41 years. I'll be twice as old as I am now.

 

I Googled to see what else is on line. This hot rod forum is amusing, obviously they don't have MINIClo moderating them. Page 4 has pictures of it still in the vault.

 

It looks strangely like the remnants of those who have spontaneously combusted (in this case spontaneously rusted).

When I saw the pictures of the vault with water in the bottom I queued the PIRT (Price is Right Trombone) - I'm not surprised it's a rusty hulk. I'm glad the time capsule items are in excellent shape.

 

ouch, sorry to see those picts. but at least you can tell wat it is...

 

I saw some of the news stories leading up to the event and they said that at one point the whole vault was once full of water so that's probably why the car is all rusted. I don't think they'll restore the car though...

 

TulsaMINI, thanks for posting those photos! I like the ones that show how much crud is all over the windows.

I'm curious how much of the time the car was underwater. From the looks of it, they might as well have pushed it into a lake and then towed it out fifty years later.

 

Yeah, "miss Belvedere" is pretty much a rusted hulk now, but it is not as bad as I expected. Even if the vault filled up with water soon after burial, the rusting would not be as accelerated as if it were sitting on the bottom of a lake or even sitting in a field. The anaerobic nature of still water in the vault kept the relatively thin sheetmetal from turning into dust (or mud, as it were). Sadly, corrosion is rampant in other areas, like the potmetal trim pieces and engines/trans internals. Ol' Bel looks pretty good considering the circumstances.

There's no denying that the car still has a presence, and there was no shortage of enthusiasm for her among the Tulsans. And the car is not just a worthless rotted wreck now, either. There is a lot of interest in it as an artifact, and there is speculation of it fetching a couple hundred thou if it were put up for sale. I'd sure like to see it in the lineup of cars at some highfalutin' car auction like Christie's. Brings a whole new meaning to the term 'patina'.

 

I can't remember the particulars, but just this last year they pulled a fifties car out of one of our lakes here in Madison. 2 high schoolers had been driving on the ice in the early sixties and broke through. No one knew, so they just came up missing until the car was found.

In any case, the car was in relatively good condition. Most of the sheetmetal still intact although there was concern it would collapse when they lifted it out of the silt. I suspect electroylisis had corroded a lot of the fasteners.

 

Been looking at the pictures. The chrome looks solid no pitting. There maybe hope yet once the dirt and grime is cleaned off. Biggest worry is going to be inside. Interior is destroyed anywere here was fabric against metal there will be rust.

 

If you find any info on it, give us an update! I love when people find things underwater. Like those WWII planes found in perfect condition under some ice and that WWII tank found in a lake.
http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/

 

Yeah an update would be cool!

 

I never did get to see the contents of the time capsule. Has anyone seen photos or videos of that anywhere?