Got Engines?

Here is a nice story I saw in the New York Times newspaper about a car that ended up in New Jersey an hour west of New York City. A car buried in Oklahoma in 1957, dug up there in 2007 and then shipped to New Jersey for cosmetic restoration. No mention about the drive-train or car engines condition.

The car, a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, was buried in Tulsa as a vehicular time capsule to commemorate Oklahoma’s 50th birthday. The car was put into the earth with much fanfare. The city fathers, in news reports at the time, said they were proud of the care with which they buried the car, confident that it would be in good condition when disinterred 50 years later.

The Plymouth was the prize in a contest whose winner most closely guessed Tulsa’s population 50 years in the future.

The winner was Raymond Humbertson, who died in 1979, so the car was awarded to his sisters: Levada Carney, now 86, and Catherine Johnson, 95.

But water had seeped into the concrete crypt housing the car. So when the Belvedere was dug up in June 2007, there was a bit of the same letdown, as the crypt in Tulsa contained a rusted shell of a once-gorgeous car.

Which is why it ended up in New Jersey. Dwight Foster, owner of the Ultra One Corporation here, sells a rust removal chemical, Safestrustremover (safestrustremover.com). After the sisters accepted his offer to get the car in better condition, Mr. Foster had it shipped to New Jersey.

For two and a half years, Mr. Foster has been using his chemical to slowly remove the rust. About 18 months ago, after eight months of work, sections were clean but the car was still more rust than bucket. But by last summer, the gold and white Belvedere was starting to look a bit like its old self, at least on the outside.

“A lot of the original paint is still there,” Mr. Foster said. “What we’re doing, it’s like an artifact from the Titanic, you strip a layer at a time and not be too aggressive.”

Mr. Foster says the car rolls and steers now — he replaced the leaf springs, steering link and rear-end assembly — but it still has serious problems. There are holes in the valve covers and oil pan, and red clay got into the engine and dried like concrete. The frame is rusted and in some sections he can put his hand through the holes. He is not sure the doors can be opened without risking what’s left of the car’s structural integrity.

There are no plans yet to restore the car or even to get it to run. They want to preserve it, stabilize it, make it steer, make it roll.

The car may be getting closer to completion, but where it will go next is still in question. At this point the car may go to a museum or something where people can view it. No more plans for restoration at this point.

Pretty cute story, I do understand that they encrypted a 2008 Prowler, above the ground this time for 50 more years. Good luck Tulsa. GotEngines.com @ 1-888-344-8044.