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Mr. Hoffa I presume?...

Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:03 AM
  #1  
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Mr. Hoffa I presume?...

OK - not an Olds, but I was on a construction site and this was unearthed...took a little forensics work, but looks like we have one of the 2,541 Chrysler New Yorker 2-Dr Hardtops produced in 1961...

...and no, Jimmy was not in the trunk.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
1961-1 (Small).jpg (54.4 KB, 126 views)
File Type: jpg
1961-2 (Small).jpg (72.6 KB, 125 views)
File Type: jpg
1961-5 (Small).jpg (62.6 KB, 123 views)
File Type: jpg
1961-3 (Small).jpg (58.2 KB, 126 views)
File Type: jpg
1961-4 (Small).jpg (64.8 KB, 123 views)
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:22 AM
  #2  
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That is crazy. AND it would have scared the peedung out of me
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:22 AM
  #3  
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Whoa that was some serious forensic work there Olds Dad. I don't know how you could tell it was a 2-Dr. though Great work none the less.
Scot
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:25 AM
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You sure that's not 'Christine'???? If it is, watchout, it could start transforming and possess you! ( Yeah, I know. She was a 59......) Why in heck would someone bury the car instead of sending it for salvage? Did you find any others??

Last edited by Allan R; Jun 10, 2011 at 10:51 AM. Reason: reinstall pic
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:27 AM
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Site would only let me upload 5 pics...here's the 2 door view...
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2 door view.jpg (67.7 KB, 86 views)
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:36 AM
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Best I can figure is that is was probably a stolen car - Odometer only showed 81k - bridge being replaced was constructed in the 50's so this came after that - were a few buildings that were razed for this construction so could have been buried as part of that work - who knows...couldn't find a VIN tag although I just had basic hand tools on me...I'm sure you could find something and trace it if you had access to the resources...so far this is the only one we found.
Originally Posted by Allan R
You sure that's not 'Christine'???? If it is, watchout, it could start transforming and possess you! ( Yeah, I know. She was a 59......) Why in heck would someone bury the car instead of sending it for salvage? Did you find any others??
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:38 AM
  #7  
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Now if you had dug up that car near the endzone of old Giant's stadium then...
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:40 AM
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A rather sad (and spooky) sight to see...
Let us know about the restoration plans...
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:43 AM
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That's pretty neat. When I was in Germany building a road with the military we dug up an old WWII rifle. Also some others dug up a tank, were removed immediately from the site and told they found nothing.
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Allan R
You sure that's not 'Christine'???? If it is, watchout, it could start transforming and possess you! ( Yeah, I know. She was a 59......) Why in heck would someone bury the car instead of sending it for salvage? Did you find any others??
Actually Christine was a 58 Plymouth Fury. I know this cause my husband belongs to the International Christine Club.

I attatched this to the Forwardlook.net site because they would all be interested in it. This is very interesting!
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:45 AM
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Just for the sake of possible closure. Did this get reported to the authorities? If a car was stolen, it's usually not disposed of in such a manner, unless there was something to REALLY keep hidden. This could be a missing piece of evidence in an unsolved case from way back. Having that bit of information could go a long way towards at least putting something to rest and help out a family that may otherwise not have heard anything for many years.

2cents.

-Jeff
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:48 AM
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So did you find anyone in the trunk
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by tndrtgr
Actually Christine was a 58 Plymouth Fury. I know this cause my husband belongs to the International Christine Club.

I attatched this to the Forwardlook.net site because they would all be interested in it. This is very interesting!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it a '57 fury in the book, and a '58 in the movie?

I heard that they had to adjust a year because there weren't enough '57's available at the time of the film's shooting for what they had planned to do for several of the sequences that destroyed the cars. (at least not affordably)

I know the movie was a '58 for sure, but it's been so long since I read the novel I forget exactly which year was in there. I'll have to pull it off the bookshelf when I get home if I can't find it here or online.

-Jeff
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:51 AM
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yes..."State Officials" are aware that it's there...apparently finding these old relics is more common than we think - I guess in those days it was normal to push an old car down a river embankment rather than have to pay someone with a hook to come get it...
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 10:52 AM
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hell...we didn't find the trunk!
Originally Posted by Schne442
So did you find anyone in the trunk
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 11:37 AM
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Interesting, so when does the restoration begin......................
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 11:43 AM
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Really cool find!!

It's sad to see a car like that.

Christine was a 1958 Plymouth (Grand?) Fury in the movie
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 01:58 PM
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That's crazy. Looks like most of the damage should buff right out!!

Actually, as a kid I watched a builder bury a Corvair in the front yard of a new house he just built in a neighborhood. A black 4 door with red interior. So if anyone on this site lives in Bucks County, PA, on Bristol Road, on the Southampton side of the road, in the row of houses up on this hill, built in the early 70's and is closest to Second Street Pike, you have that Corvair in your front yard. It's about 10 feet down and about 20 feet from your front door. No kidding!!
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 02:40 PM
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OK. I'm used to "Before and After" pics, but this is causing me a headache.
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 03:48 PM
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I can fix that, my dads a TV repairman, he's got an awsome set of tools.
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by GTI_Guru
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it a '57 fury in the book, and a '58 in the movie?

I heard that they had to adjust a year because there weren't enough '57's available at the time of the film's shooting for what they had planned to do for several of the sequences that destroyed the cars. (at least not affordably)

I know the movie was a '58 for sure, but it's been so long since I read the novel I forget exactly which year was in there. I'll have to pull it off the bookshelf when I get home if I can't find it here or online.

-Jeff
Its a 58 4 door in the book, and a 58 2 door in the movie (because 2 doors are cooler)

The book specifically says he ordered it in september 57 cause thats when the new models came out.

There is a video online somehwere of the rubber car they used for the "restoration" scene- they made body panels out of rubber then sucked all the air out of them deflating them, then ran the film in reverse showing the dents popping themselves out. Awesome.
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by RAMBOW
Its a 58 4 door in the book, and a 58 2 door in the movie (because 2 doors are cooler)

The book specifically says he ordered it in september 57 cause thats when the new models came out.

There is a video online somehwere of the rubber car they used for the "restoration" scene- they made body panels out of rubber then sucked all the air out of them deflating them, then ran the film in reverse showing the dents popping themselves out. Awesome.
AHH! I knew there was something like that I wasn't remembering correctly. Thanks for filling in the blanks. And I remember seeing that video once way back when... very cool stuff for sure.

-Jeff
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by compedgemarine
I can fix that, my dads a TV repairman, he's got an awsome set of tools.
!!
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 11:03 PM
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yes..."State Officials" are aware that it's there...apparently finding these old relics is more common than we think - I guess in those days it was normal to push an old car down a river embankment rather than have to pay someone with a hook to come get it...
Yup, when i was a kid the was a '59 impala shoved down a ravine, along with an old Dodge, mid fifies I think, everyone new that they were there...just a fact of life.
Old Jun 10, 2011 | 11:05 PM
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Though I am not much of a Mopar fan, I always liked that astrodome speedo and gauge setup.
Old Jun 11, 2011 | 06:04 AM
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Wow man. Did you know right off what is was?
Old Jun 11, 2011 | 06:11 AM
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It was common practice in this part of the country to use dead cars for "erosion control" back in the day. But most of those you can still see sticking out of the stream/river bank. John
Old Jun 11, 2011 | 06:19 AM
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Thanks for sharing! I have heard some local stories of people stealing cars & cycles and burying them too. That was a long time ago, and no it wasn't me.
Old Jun 11, 2011 | 10:31 AM
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I knew it was a mopar because I saw the push button trans on the left of the dash...then I found a lens with sae-61...from there it was a google images search and a few more trips to the wreckage - was fun and I learned a lot about those cars...very cool cars and that guage cluster was insane!!
Originally Posted by Bill in NC
Wow man. Did you know right off what is was?
Old Jun 11, 2011 | 12:19 PM
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Post those pics on Craigslist as a 'builder', and ask $7000.
Old Jun 13, 2011 | 05:41 AM
  #31  
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I'm with you on that - but after doing this research I have a whole new respect for this era - coolest thing I noted was the "L / R" below the push button transmission cluster - first I thought it was for power mirrors, but then I realized it's for turn signals - there are no stalks on the column - I just can't figure out how they "cancelled" since steering column mounted ones have the cancelling cam mechanism...I wonder if it was solenoid or vacuum?...anyone know?
Originally Posted by 1969w3155
Though I am not much of a Mopar fan, I always liked that astrodome speedo and gauge setup.
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Old Jun 13, 2011 | 06:22 AM
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Originally Posted by compedgemarine
I can fix that, my dads a TV repairman, he's got an awsome set of tools.
'Spicoli....you can't fix this...My brother is gonna s#%t or kill us."

Love that movie.
Old Jun 13, 2011 | 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by 455man
When I was in Germany building a road with the military we dug up an old WWII rifle. Also some others dug up a tank, were removed immediately from the site and told they found nothing.
"I know nothing, I see nothing, NOTHING!" - Sgt. Schultz

- Eric
Old Jun 13, 2011 | 05:44 PM
  #34  
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Very interesting pictures.


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