We were approached by Mr. Larry Schau with a proposition some months back that we simply couldn't resist. His offer was to provide a substantial donation to the site in exchange for us covering the unearthing of the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere taking place in Tulsa on June 15th. Not only was he ready wish a generous donation, he was going to provide a car as well. Needles to say, we jumped at the offer.
We left Winnipeg at 1:00 on Thursday, the 14th in Larry beautiful 1965 Valiant, with the sun shining. The first clue that this trip may be something other than we expected came at the border crossing. We were held up for well over an hour as they asked us a number of questions and searched the car. I'm guessing that nobody could understand why anyone would want to see a car dug out of the ground after 50 years. For non-car people, this probably seemed pretty crazy.
Very shortly after clearing the border, the rain began. It rained on and off throughout the night, and we arrived in Tulsa to a very dark and dismal morning. Intermittent rain made us sure that the unearthing would be a soggy event. Then the fun began. We needed to pick up our media credentials by 9:00 am, and it was now 8:45. No time to lose.
Upon arriving at the location we were given to pick up our media credentials, we were directed to what was supposed to be the office in charge of this. We were greeted by first a blank look, then informed that they had nothing to do with it. Great. Back to the front desk. From there we were directed to the lower floor, with the promise that this time the directions were accurate. They were. I walked in the door just as they were getting ready to close up shop. It was now 9:00 on the nose, we has just made it.
The next matter of importance was obtaining something to protect our cameras from the rain. Never mind us, we'd survive a drenching. But the gear had to be protected. After much searching, we were able to find some plastic bags that with some creative modifications, served the purpose. Not pretty, but functional.
Just as we were taking our places for the unearthing, the rain let up. The sun even started coming through. We couldn't believe it. Maybe this thing was going to turn out right after all.
One the unearthing ceremonies started, we were in for another treat. Preference had been given to local media, and the rest of us got to spend a whole lot of time being frustrated trying to shoot around those with the privilege of being wherever they wanted to be. Which seemed to be directly between us and what was taking place.
Finally, Miss Belvedere was exhumed. And I use that word on purpose. What came out of the ground was not a pretty site. Yet we told that we shouldn't be concerned with the appearance of the tarp, as the car underneath could be in far better shape. I had my doubts. The first chance I got, I snuck out of my seat and got some closer shots. What I saw and smelled up close told me that the unveiling was going to leave some viewers with broken hearts.
They trailered Miss Belvidere off to prepare for the unveiling, and we took ourselves off to find some lunch.
After much exploring of old Route 66 in Tulsa, we were able to find a diner that reasonable suited what we think of as the theme of Route 66. Prices were reasonable, and the food was decent. Typical high cholesterol fair that came from a time when cholesterol was unknown to the travelers of that strip. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
We did ask around about Route 66 nostalgic stuff, and were informed that there was nothing worth looking at on Tulsa's Route 66. That appeared to be accurate, as most of what we saw was a cross between ghetto and industry. It looked like Tulsa didn't see the need to glorify old Route 66.
After lunch we checked out the indoor car show. There was some extremely nice vehicles on display. Then we tried to find the outdoor car shows that we had heard were supposed to be scattered throughout the area. We were informed that these car shows that were being promoted weren't really organized. The event coordinators had just assumed that there would be hundreds of old cars on hand for this event, and that they would somehow manage to all find the same lots to park in. While we did see a lot of old tin, we weren't able to find any real concentration of cars in one lot. So much for the outdoor shows.
Back to the arena for the unveiling ceremony. Again, we were treated to being in poor position to document events. Off to the side of the stage, trying to get images through the throng of participants on the stage and the local media crews.
The unveiling was everything I had come to the conclusion that it was going to be. The rotten tarp was pulled back to reveal a rusted, rotten hulk. The rear bumper of the car was almost sitting on the stage, leading me to think that the rear frame was probably rotten right through. The hood and truck were opened, and flexed more like those on a Geo Metro than those on what was once America's greatest land yacht. When we were allowed on stage for our 3 minutes of close-up time with Miss Belvidere, I was able to see that little more than some trim and maybe the glass seemed salvageable. No body panel was immune to the ravages of multiple submersions while she was in the bunker.
So what went wrong for Miss Belvedere? It seems to me that back in 1957, someone came up with what could have been a great idea. A whole bunch of other people jumped on board, but excitement seems to have overcome some realistic thinking. Not enough though was put into the construction of the bunker, nobody even thought of something as simple as a sump pump. And over the course of 50 years, nobody ever thought to check the bunker's integrity. A recipe for disaster.
And so, at around 9:00 at night, we left Tulsa. Our next destination was Branson, Missouri. The home of the 57 Heaven car museum.
So was I sorry to have made the trip? Not at all. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat, even knowing the disappointments awaiting. Because no matter how you look at it - the loss of a pristine automobile, or the attempt of people 50 years ago to give us a glimpse of the past - this was a car event. And I got to put 2500+ miles on in a 42 year-old car in 4 days. A road trip to remember. And that's something you have to appreciate.
