Hemmings Collector Car Radio, episode 16: De-rusting Miss Belvedere, why cash for clunkers doesn’t work

Remember Miss Belvedere, the ‘57 Plymouth that the fine folks of Tulsa buried when it was new, then unearthed two years ago? Yes, it emerged rusty and crusty, but the effort to preserve the car is ongoing, and for our latest episode of Hemmings Classic Car Radio, David LaChance spoke with Dwight Foster of Ultra One, the company that is working to get Miss Belvedere back into presentable shape.

Also in this episode, a brief overview of cash for clunkers and why it’s a sorry piece of wrongheaded legislation. Yes, familiar territory for constant readers of the Hemmings blog, but it’s worth repeating while the matter remains under consideration.

Click to listen to the latest episode of Hemmings Collector Car Radio now.

As an added bonus, we have exclusive photos of Miss Belvedere and the de-rusting process you may want to peruse while listening to the latest episode.

For its trip by flatbed back east, the Belvedere was shrink-wrapped. Thoughts of transferring the car to an enclosed trailer were abandoned when it was discovered just how badly the frame had deteriorated.

Here’s the reason the Plymouth is getting a donor frame. Decades of submersion left the original too weak to support the car.

Ultra One uses a pump, a hose and a kiddie pool to keep a continuous stream of Safest Rust Remover on one area at a time. The product leaves the 52-year-old paint unharmed.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this one must be worth 1,000 “ughs.” This is the before…

and this is the after.

There are a half-dozen or so types of material used in the car’s ashtray, and Safest Rust Remover is safe for every one. With the corrosion gone, it’s possible to see that this is a brand-new, unused part.

These are the surviving sisters of the late Ray Humbertson, whose 1957 guess of Tulsa’s 2007 population was the closest of all those who entered to win Miss Belvedere. Catherine, on the left, is 94, and Levita is 85.

The official documentary about the car, “Tulsa’s Buried Belvedere,” is available from AVCOM Productions.

If you haven’t heard an episode of Hemmings Collector Car Radio until now, then now’s a good time to listen to all the previous episodes of the podcast – all free, just like the current episode.

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