Sorry
? I hit ?send? long before I was finished with my thoughts. The rest
was:
The ?57 Plymouth was chosen as a symbol of the era by the
Tulsarama committee way back when, in an attempt to have people look back at
1957, Tulsa and Oklahoma. It was an age so optimistic
that they honestly thought we would not have gasoline and oil 50 years in the
future -- and they wanted to share their time, their city, and their lives
with us.
That was Miss
Belvedere?s destiny, and it has been fulfilled in every way, by a car martyred
to, ravaged by, and forever frozen in, time.
The world DID look
back at time and Tulsa that day, and I?m still proud of what
they saw in that car, rust and all. It?s not the car?s fault that the
vault leaked, and her current condition only reinforces the fleeting nature of
time and man?s creations ? and that?s what a time capsule is truly
about. The perfect condition of the boiler tank capsule versus the sad
condition of the Plymouth just made each other more remarkable
and wonderful by comparison.
The people of Tulsa
were not embarrassed either ? rather they were (and still are) extremely PROUD
of that car ? proud of the simple fact that they put a car in a time capsule
50 years ago, and dug it up later. What a unique and wonderful thing to
try! For a day the world all looked at their little town in Oklahoma, and they saw
great joy. They, like we, celebrated the EVENT, not the outcome. It was
true human emotions, reminiscences, and
celebration.
I know you were a
believer that it was a ?showbiz? event (reference your ?SHOW BUSINESS VS THE
REAL WORLD? email of June 9th), but after having met, worked with,
and consoled crying event organizers upon finding a vault filled with water, I
can tell you only that they did their absolute damnedest to put on a good show
for the folks who came to see it, but it was in no way ?showbiz?. This
was about Tulsa, the people of Tulsa, and a look back
at a simpler time. The thought of swapping in a ?ringer car? in place of
an honest piece of their history would have been total blasphemy to
them.
No, I?m not
embarrassed, not at all. And no, I honestly don?t think people will be
faux-rusting their cars to match Miss Belvedere.
For those of us who
were there, and those of us who were there in spirit, I think they?d all agree
with the above. I know there are folks like your cousin who probably
will never ?get it? about why we feel this way, but hey, some of us do.
Some of us just do.
-Dave
From: Forward
Look Mopar Discussion List [mailto:L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dave Stragand
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:08
PM
To:
L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF
"MISS BELVEDERE".
In answer to your
questions, no, I totally disagree with you. That?s my two
cents.
-Dave
From: Forward
Look Mopar Discussion List [mailto:L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ron Allyn
Swartley
Sent: Thursday, June
21, 2007 11:37 AM
To:
L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [FWDLK] THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF
"MISS BELVEDERE".
The negative
side of "Miss Belvedere is with some saying she is the most beautiful 57
Plymouth they have ever saw and that she is a work of art, that they
think she is worth $300.000 dollars, etc, they are inspiring a lot of
guys to
NOT restore
their Plymouths, that they were going to restore. My cousin Rick who
is a General Motors fan and I were discussing the Tulsa Plymouth,
and he asked me " If glorifying the destruction of a brand new 57
Plymouth is considered to be great, and a work of art, and the most beautiful
car some Plymouth guys have ever seen-----I am sure all my Chevy
buddies would agree with them". What would have been a failure for you
Plymouth fans
he asked me? He said I'll bet if it was a two foot pile of rust you
Plymouth guys would say it was the most beautiful pile of rust, and you guys
would have taken thousands of photos of the pile of rust and probably all
tried to buy the pile of rust and put it on display.You and your Plymouth
buddies are sick puppies Ron.!!!!!!
Hey
guys, I disagreed with my cousin Rick, but he did make me think a little
more on the subject.!!!!!?????!!!!! If we make this failure a milestone in
Plymouth
history, aren't we going in the wrong direction? Aren't we glorifying the
hundreds and hundreds of Plymouth rusting in garages, barns, sheds,
backyards? Aren't we encouraging the guy who will not sell his rusty
deteriorating Plymouth to someone who will restore it, and
making him think it is worth a fortune!!!!!!! This thinking could work
against us in the future?????
Don't get upset----------------just think about it for a minute or
two.!!!!!!!!??????
