Car buried 50 years ago is unearthed

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/06/15/burie...c.ap/index.html

 

 

It'll be tough to jumpstart classic car after 50-year burial

 

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Calling it "our King Tut's tomb," thousands of people watched as a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was pulled from the ground where it had been buried for 50 years as a time capsule of American Midwest culture.

 

The concrete vault encasing the car may have been built to withstand a nuclear attack, but it couldn't keep away water.

 

At Friday's ceremony, protective wrapping was removed to show the mud-caked vintage vehicle covered in rust. Shiny chrome was still visible around the doors and front fender, and workers were able to put air in the tires.

 

"I'll tell you what, she's a mess. Look at her," said legendary car builder Boyd Coddington, who was unable to start the car as planned.

 

From the trunk, organizers pulled out some of the objects buried to celebrate Oklahoma's 50 years of statehood -- a 5-gallon can of leaded gasoline, which went for 24 cents a gallon in those days, and rusted cans of Schlitz beer.

 

The contents of a "typical" woman's handbag, including 14 bobby pins, lipstick and a bottle of tranquilizers, were supposed to be in the glove box, but all that was found looked like a lump of rotted leather.

 

Workers also searched for a spool of microfilm that recorded the entries of a contest to determine who would win the car. The person who guessed the closest of what Tulsa's population would be in 2007 -- 382,457 -- would win. So far, all they found were guesses of the population written on postcards.

 

That person, or his or her heirs, will get the car by June 22, along with a $100 savings account, which is worth about $1,200 today with interest.

 

A separate time capsule buried with the car was opened, and organizers removed and unfolded an unfaded American flag. Other historical documents, aerial maps of the city and postcards were in good condition.

 

"We don't care what condition it's in," said Bob Petri. "It's just the whole idea somebody thought of it in 1957 and here we are living it."

[Guest alex]

 

 

That person, or his or her heirs, will get the car by June 22, along with a $100 savings account, which is worth about $1,200 today with interest.

 

How shit is that?

[Jimbo 175]

 

 

That person, or his or her heirs, will get the car by June 22, along with a $100 savings account, which is worth about $1,200 today with interest.

 

How shit is that?

 

 

Northern Rock ?

[billytray 0]

Wish someone would bury Stephen Carr.

[Smooth Operator 10]

Surely 50 years isn't long enough before unearthing time capsules.

[The Fish 11114]

Surely 50 years isn't long enough before unearthing time capsules.

When you consider their country is only 224 years old, just under a quarter is a decent amount of time to celebrate I suppose.

 

if we were to celebrate something that had existed for a quarter of Englands existence what era would we be talking? do we count the pre-roman England?If that doesnt' count as England do we start with the Anglo-Saxon England?

 

From there we could work out what would be representative I suppose.

[Radgina 1]

Surely 50 years isn't long enough before unearthing time capsules.

When you consider their country is only 224 years old, just under a quarter is a decent amount of time to celebrate I suppose.

 

if we were to celebrate something that had existed for a quarter of Englands existence what era would we be talking? do we count the pre-roman England?If that doesnt' count as England do we start with the Anglo-Saxon England?

 

From there we could work out what would be representative I suppose.

[@yourservice 67]

Could have been worse.

 

Fred could have buried his shares in the capsule under SJP

[ewerk 31671]

They really fucked that up didn't they? The plan was obviously to unveil a 50 year old car that looked like brand new when instead they got something that looks like it was lifted out of a canal.

 

I'm sure the lucky winner will be overjoyed at their prize of 600 quid and a giant heap of rusty metal.