Oklahoma Unearths it’s Time Capsule—A ’57 Plymouth Belvedere, Gas, Beer, Tranquilizers and Cigs

[Lobster Martini]

(Ignore the fact that the Associated Press doesn’t know a Plymouth from a Pontiac.)

1957 Pontiac unearthed in Oklahoma

Hundreds watched Friday as a crane lifted a muddy package from a hole in the courthouse lawn: a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried to celebrate Oklahoma's 50 years of statehood.

The wrapped car — a gold and white two-door hardtop — appeared brown and red as it came out of the hole, but it was unclear whether the color represented dirt or rust. A bit of shiny chrome was visible on the bumper.

The car spent the last half-century covered in three layers of protective material and encased in a 12-by-20-foot concrete vault, supposedly tough enough to withstand a nuclear attack.

<snip>

Also buried with it were 10 gallons of gasoline — in case internal combustion engines became obsolete by 2007 — a case of beer, and the contents of a typical woman's handbag placed in the glove compartment: 14 bobby pins, a bottle of tranquilizers, a lipstick, a pack of gum, tissues, a pack of cigarettes, matches and $2.43.

<snip>

Your Friday afternoon weirdness. Have a lovely weekend, DU.

(http://www.buriedcar.com)

[tulsakatz]

1. tranquilizers?

It sounds like they're saying tranquilizers are a typical item that could be found in a woman's handbag.....that doesn't sound typical to me!

I grew up in the 50s and no one I knew carried tranquilizers in their purse. Aspirin maybe but not tranquilizers.

[WilliamPitt]

3. Mother's Little Helper

Time capsule indeed.

[Ioo]

2. Given the world is only 5000 y/o in OK, this stuff is pre-historic!

[Lobster Martini]

5. Groove on the fact that a pack of gum spent 50 yrs in a vault safe from nuclear attack!

Somewhere in the Northwestern U.S., Tom Robbins is thinking "I can use this..."

[tibbiit]

4. i have vague memories of that event (the burial)

It was a big deal to kids lol.
tib

[Lobster Martini]

7. Really? Cool--what do you remember?

Didn't expect anyone reading this to remember the internment of a '57 Belvedere, let alone the 14 bobby pins, tranquilizers, and $2.43. (Still trying to figure out that combination.)

[BikeWriter]

8. Someone in a thread the other day had witnessed the burial.

[theHandpuppet]

6. My God, my family had an old Plymouth Belvedere wagon

It was the size of a bull elephant but powder-blue with these enormous, malevolent-looking fins. Mom never bothered to take care of her cars -- like putting oil in them, so she slowly killed 'em off one by one -- so one day the poor beast died right in the middle of the railroad tracks with all us kids in the car!!! My mom is an eccentric all right and I have a real soft spot for those old Plymouth tanks. Reminds me of my crazy childhood. Mom didn't have any tranqs in her purse, though she kept the old hillbilly remedy tucked in there -- a small bottle of blackberry wine "for emergencies". I wish she had given me a swig when she killed that wagon on the tracks with the coal train bearing down on us. Luckily some guy in an equally huge car pushed us out of the way before we became just a distant memory.

[lyonn]

9. Cute story HandPuppet.

The tranquilizers have got to be someones smartass joke. Tranquilers didn't become big news until the 60's as I recall. There was a movie, Dancing As Fast As I Can about a woman addicted to them, but don't remember if it was 60's or 70's.

[Lobster Martini]

10. Wasn't planning to post photos, but here it is, a '57 Belvedere!

(Not the buried one.)