jasonl
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They had lots of cars like that after Katrina.
OT: Tulsarama - '57 Plymouth buried 50 years ago unearthed
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westyslantfront
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My parents bought a 1957 Plymouth two tone. It was red with a white top and had push button automatic transmission. It was a bomb so my parents bought a 1959 Ford Country Squire station wagon in black with simulated wood siding.
Ross
Ross
No way you can restore this one, bro'!
I spent most of Sunday night reviewing the pix of the Tulsa Plymouth. The rear end was sagging as if the frame had rusted or broken off at the body mounts or the rear spring mounts.
I remember seeing trade magazines for body-and-fender repairmen (which my dad was for any years) advertising patch panels for front fenders, rocker panels and rear fenders of 1957 Plymouths (Dodges, DeSotos, Chryslers, and Imperials, too) as early as late 1957. The '57 Chrysler products were years ahead in styling, but by the time "Suddenly it's 1960!" was actually 1960, they looked like they'd been on the road since 1860...
I spent most of Sunday night reviewing the pix of the Tulsa Plymouth. The rear end was sagging as if the frame had rusted or broken off at the body mounts or the rear spring mounts.
I remember seeing trade magazines for body-and-fender repairmen (which my dad was for any years) advertising patch panels for front fenders, rocker panels and rear fenders of 1957 Plymouths (Dodges, DeSotos, Chryslers, and Imperials, too) as early as late 1957. The '57 Chrysler products were years ahead in styling, but by the time "Suddenly it's 1960!" was actually 1960, they looked like they'd been on the road since 1860...
58limited
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I think that they should put it in their local museum just like it is. As far as the "near perfect chrome" the news story mentioned, I would think that it is the stainless trim, the real chrome is probably as bad as the body.
rinso
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This car is actually in much better shape after having been buried all these years, than non-buried Aspens and Volares of the middle 70's were two years after they were made.
We had a '58 Plymouth Plaza (the cheapest of the Plymouths then). The right headlight assembly fell out of the car while crossing a bridge in Joliet,IL. The back up light fell out when going to Bloomington, IL. The reverse button fell into the box that held the transmission buttons while I was on a date at the local drive-in theater; holding up lines of traffic until I used one of her hairpins to get the plate open and retrieve the button. (Ok, I was trying the girl dating thing then, mmm, that didn't work either). lol The main bearings spun while my mom was in Fairbry, IL getting groceries. (You should have heard the language on that one)! The upholstery had huge holes in it and only after 3 years of use. What a junk heap that car was and I had to take my first driver's license test in it too.( the left signal wouldn't signal unless you moved the lever by hand to blink it! How I passed the test with that car is still a mystery?lol
Dad sold it in '65 for $50.00 and bought a new '64 Galaxie instead. I have never owned a Chrysler product of my own, I am sure because of that car. "They sure don't make cars like they used to." Thank God. lol Gary
Dad sold it in '65 for $50.00 and bought a new '64 Galaxie instead. I have never owned a Chrysler product of my own, I am sure because of that car. "They sure don't make cars like they used to." Thank God. lol Gary
rinso
Well-known member
You'd think Chrysler (and my mom and dad) would have learned. My parents bought a 1997 Chrysler LHS with all the bells, whistles, and candy. The car was very luxurious to look at, but it amplified the road noise so badly, you couldn't hear the special Bose radio at speeds much above 40 MPH. (Road noise issues have been a "special" offering from Chrysler from clear back in the fifties, right along with their clunky, stiff-riding torsion bar suspension.) The car deteriorated rapidly, looking like a hoopty after only one year. The check engine light came on 2 weeks after the car was purchased, and no one, including Chrysler, could figure out why. It's still on. The sun roof cover fell out just as the car's warranty expired. It has gone through two AC compressors, 1 alternator, and 1 transmission. The leather seats are about the only thing that has held up. The car comfortably seats 5 people who don't care if they can't converse over the road noise when they are riding. Oh, the rear exhaust system fell off the car when it was less than a year old as well. I'm told this is one of the better experiences owners have had with the car.
Thats too funny Gary! My dad traded our 57 Plymouth for a 1964 Galaxie too! And the reverse button fell into the trans selector box when my mother was trying to park on a busy street downtown with four kids in the car. She got the screws out of the selector box somehow, and pushed the button back on, and we drove home from our dentist appointment with the selector buttons only supported by the shafts. What a POS those cars were! Remember how the rear view mirror was mounted? On the dash top, down low.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
My First Car...
...was a '57 Plymouth Plaza four-door sedan. Three on the tree and two-tone paint in white and green. That car was given to me by an uncle who wanted to get rid of it (for good and sufficient reason, I found)- and it never did run properly.
Someone mentioned upholstery and the old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to". In the 1950s, many auto upholsteries were rayon or a blend of nylon and rayon, heavy on the rayon. Nylon was still expensive stuff back then, used more for its advertising value than to create a more durable product. Many cars' upholstery wore through in six months or so, to be replaced with seat covers from Western Auto or a local trim shop.
I got that Plymouth in 1968, when it was 11 years old. Its paint was faded and rust was everywhere. The interior was rags. Things were broken, falling off, and otherwise pretty much shot. By contrast, I now drive a twenty-year-old Volvo 245 wagon, whose paint and upholstery are in very good shape.
Maybe they shouldn't make 'em like they used to. A ten-year-old car used to be a fairly sorry sight. Engines used to require valve and ring jobs at around 75,000 miles. And warranties? Ninety days on low-priced cars, for most of the Fifties.
Take it from someone who was there- the decade wasn't all roses.
...was a '57 Plymouth Plaza four-door sedan. Three on the tree and two-tone paint in white and green. That car was given to me by an uncle who wanted to get rid of it (for good and sufficient reason, I found)- and it never did run properly.
Someone mentioned upholstery and the old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to". In the 1950s, many auto upholsteries were rayon or a blend of nylon and rayon, heavy on the rayon. Nylon was still expensive stuff back then, used more for its advertising value than to create a more durable product. Many cars' upholstery wore through in six months or so, to be replaced with seat covers from Western Auto or a local trim shop.
I got that Plymouth in 1968, when it was 11 years old. Its paint was faded and rust was everywhere. The interior was rags. Things were broken, falling off, and otherwise pretty much shot. By contrast, I now drive a twenty-year-old Volvo 245 wagon, whose paint and upholstery are in very good shape.
Maybe they shouldn't make 'em like they used to. A ten-year-old car used to be a fairly sorry sight. Engines used to require valve and ring jobs at around 75,000 miles. And warranties? Ninety days on low-priced cars, for most of the Fifties.
Take it from someone who was there- the decade wasn't all roses.
exploder3211
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Ok..
My first car was a 1981 Buick Skylark. Given to me at age 14, because i said i liked it... Oy! What a crap heap... It was white with a green insides... It had 98K miles... No wonder my aunt gave it too me. If you tried to turn the power steering when cold it wouldn't go... The cruise never worked, the windows did not work right, nor did the power locks (it would usualy keep everything locked)..It leaked oil like a sieve, the transmisson slipped, the carb was wacko... I had it 3 months (as it was supposed to be what i learned on) until it burned up. I got $600 for it from my insurance and got an 86 Sentra with nothing on it, which i really liked and had until this past september with over 250K miles.. It finally died of a bad sensor and i do miss it.. But i did not need 3 cars.. LoL.. The antiques of my age
My first car was a 1981 Buick Skylark. Given to me at age 14, because i said i liked it... Oy! What a crap heap... It was white with a green insides... It had 98K miles... No wonder my aunt gave it too me. If you tried to turn the power steering when cold it wouldn't go... The cruise never worked, the windows did not work right, nor did the power locks (it would usualy keep everything locked)..It leaked oil like a sieve, the transmisson slipped, the carb was wacko... I had it 3 months (as it was supposed to be what i learned on) until it burned up. I got $600 for it from my insurance and got an 86 Sentra with nothing on it, which i really liked and had until this past september with over 250K miles.. It finally died of a bad sensor and i do miss it.. But i did not need 3 cars.. LoL.. The antiques of my age
rinso
Well-known member
It's true, cars are not made as large, beautiful, and stylish as they used to be, probably because of aerodynamics and fuel efficiencies.
I loved the styles of the decades of the 50's and 60's but they were also the years of divine maintenance.
Tires rarely lasted more than 12,000 miles
Mufflers were shot after a year
Frequent tune-ups were necessary
Drum brakes easily overheated and made for long, uneven stops
Shifting type automatic transmissions such as Ford-O-Matic, Hydra-Matic, and Powerglide, shifted so roughly, that I'm surprised that no whiplash injuries were reported. They didn't last any too long either, and their gears whined like an old school bus.
Lets not leave out the deathtrap quotient of those cars either.
No,overall, I think autos are better made today, but then one pays a lot more for the improvements as well.
I loved the styles of the decades of the 50's and 60's but they were also the years of divine maintenance.
Tires rarely lasted more than 12,000 miles
Mufflers were shot after a year
Frequent tune-ups were necessary
Drum brakes easily overheated and made for long, uneven stops
Shifting type automatic transmissions such as Ford-O-Matic, Hydra-Matic, and Powerglide, shifted so roughly, that I'm surprised that no whiplash injuries were reported. They didn't last any too long either, and their gears whined like an old school bus.
Lets not leave out the deathtrap quotient of those cars either.
No,overall, I think autos are better made today, but then one pays a lot more for the improvements as well.
Rick and Rinso and everyone. Yes, the cars looked great in the 50's but not so good. Talking about deathtraps. That '58 Plymouth we had had a metal dashboard, painted to look like vinyl, a metal steering wheel that would cave in your chest if you go hit hard enough etc.
I have a beautiful '59 Lincoln Continental Mark 4 with most of the bells and whistles on it. When I bought the car a few years back, the guy that I bought it from gave me a grave warning. He showed me his right lower arm that has a long gash, maybe 7 inches or more? that he had to have sewed up at the hospital. Sitting on the hood of this monster is a beautiful crome emblem with very sharp points! He was washing it and forgot it was there or whatever, but his arm was sliced open as he slide his arm over the emblem. Lots of crome too inside,to bash out your brains with in case of a bad accident.
This was Ford motor companies best car that year and the quality of that is pretty good, Even the seats are not torn etc. Of course it has a 430 hp engine in it and shoe brakes which really to sort of pull one way. The transmission shifts effortlessly and the car rides like you are sitting on the sofa at home. No road feel at all in the power steering; I really don't like that but what are you going to do. With 10 mpg, I don't fill the 22gallon tank up often. Bye for now. Gary
I have a beautiful '59 Lincoln Continental Mark 4 with most of the bells and whistles on it. When I bought the car a few years back, the guy that I bought it from gave me a grave warning. He showed me his right lower arm that has a long gash, maybe 7 inches or more? that he had to have sewed up at the hospital. Sitting on the hood of this monster is a beautiful crome emblem with very sharp points! He was washing it and forgot it was there or whatever, but his arm was sliced open as he slide his arm over the emblem. Lots of crome too inside,to bash out your brains with in case of a bad accident.
This was Ford motor companies best car that year and the quality of that is pretty good, Even the seats are not torn etc. Of course it has a 430 hp engine in it and shoe brakes which really to sort of pull one way. The transmission shifts effortlessly and the car rides like you are sitting on the sofa at home. No road feel at all in the power steering; I really don't like that but what are you going to do. With 10 mpg, I don't fill the 22gallon tank up often. Bye for now. Gary
58limited
Well-known member
And the winner is:
From Foxnews:
"R.E. Humbertson, wherever you are, you are the winner of "Miss Belvedere," the rusty 1957 Plymouth hauled from its leaky vault last week after being buried for a half century.
Humbertson, born July 1921, or his or her closest living relative, has five years to claim the two-door hardtop that drew international attention when it was unearthed, organizers announced Friday.
When the car was buried in 1957, hundreds of people submitted guesses on what Tulsa's population, which was around 250,000 in 1957, would be in 2007. Humbertson's guess of 384,743 was only slightly off the official U.S. Census count of 382,457.
There were more than 800 guesses, ranging from zero to 2 billion, written on a paper list and postcards inside a time capsule buried in the concrete vault, supposedly tough enough to withstand a nuclear attack."
From Foxnews:
"R.E. Humbertson, wherever you are, you are the winner of "Miss Belvedere," the rusty 1957 Plymouth hauled from its leaky vault last week after being buried for a half century.
Humbertson, born July 1921, or his or her closest living relative, has five years to claim the two-door hardtop that drew international attention when it was unearthed, organizers announced Friday.
When the car was buried in 1957, hundreds of people submitted guesses on what Tulsa's population, which was around 250,000 in 1957, would be in 2007. Humbertson's guess of 384,743 was only slightly off the official U.S. Census count of 382,457.
There were more than 800 guesses, ranging from zero to 2 billion, written on a paper list and postcards inside a time capsule buried in the concrete vault, supposedly tough enough to withstand a nuclear attack."
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Link To Story
Here's a FOX News story about the nephew:
Here's a FOX News story about the nephew:
I take exception to rough-shifting...
Hydramatics; they are extremely smooth creatures. In fact, the only shift you can feel is 2-3, if that. I had trouble convincing parts-store folks that it's a 4 speed. They assume anything GM from the 50's is a PowerGlide.
Some of you guys might recall Ben and I driving the '59 Coupe Deville to Omaha. New brakes/exhaust/tune-up for its maiden voyage after a 30-year hiatus. That car wanted to run at 70MPH all the way there : )
Hydramatics; they are extremely smooth creatures. In fact, the only shift you can feel is 2-3, if that. I had trouble convincing parts-store folks that it's a 4 speed. They assume anything GM from the 50's is a PowerGlide.
Some of you guys might recall Ben and I driving the '59 Coupe Deville to Omaha. New brakes/exhaust/tune-up for its maiden voyage after a 30-year hiatus. That car wanted to run at 70MPH all the way there : )
More high dramatics...
Hey, cadman, the only rough-shifting Hydra-Matics were the ones that were low on fluid!
Hydra-Matic, BTW, was the favorite automatic not only with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac buyers, it was the only automatic you could get on early Chevy and GMC pickups...and the automatic of choice for Nash, Kaiser, Frazer and even Lincoln(!)...that had to be wild to early customers who saw Hydra-Matics in their Lincolns and Caddies!
Powerglide was good for what it was--a cheap transmission for GM's cheapest car line--but neither Buick's various versions of Dynaflow nor Chevy's Turboglide had the cojones to keep up with Hydra-Matic!
Buick didn't refer to Hydra-Matic as Hydra-Matic until the Turbo Hydra-Matic was brought on-line in the late 1960s...they called them "Super Turbine 400" transmissions....
Hey, cadman, the only rough-shifting Hydra-Matics were the ones that were low on fluid!
Hydra-Matic, BTW, was the favorite automatic not only with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac buyers, it was the only automatic you could get on early Chevy and GMC pickups...and the automatic of choice for Nash, Kaiser, Frazer and even Lincoln(!)...that had to be wild to early customers who saw Hydra-Matics in their Lincolns and Caddies!
Powerglide was good for what it was--a cheap transmission for GM's cheapest car line--but neither Buick's various versions of Dynaflow nor Chevy's Turboglide had the cojones to keep up with Hydra-Matic!
Buick didn't refer to Hydra-Matic as Hydra-Matic until the Turbo Hydra-Matic was brought on-line in the late 1960s...they called them "Super Turbine 400" transmissions....
A lot of the oddball GM transmissions from the late 50s were developed in a hurry when the Hydra-Matic factory burned to the ground.
By that time, AMC and Ford were using the Borg-Warner, Ford used the 2-speed Ford-o-matic only with the smaller motors.
Ken D.
By that time, AMC and Ford were using the Borg-Warner, Ford used the 2-speed Ford-o-matic only with the smaller motors.
Ken D.
