Crews Perform Mini-Lift Of Buried Belvedere

Thursday, June 14th 2007, 4:09 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsarama organizers hold a practice unearthing for Tulsaâ€™s buried car. Crane crews had a dry run of lifting the wet car on Thursday. News On 6 anchor Terry Hood reports crews made sure the rigging on the car was secure before Fridayâ€™s unearthing. Plus, lifting the car out of the vault gave it a chance to drain.

Don't tell the team from Taylor Crane and Rigging they're a day early. They set up the heavy equipment downtown just like it was the Belvedere's big day.

Water was always a worry for them, metal support skids were buried with the car, but weren't wrapped or sealed like the Belvedere. Those beams may be the source of most of rust in the waterlogged vault, and that's a relief to everyone but Jim Taylor. His guys brought in new beams to take some of the pressure off.

"We actually have a dual-lifting system, or two separate systems, in case one fails our new system will hold it," said Jim Taylor Jr. of Taylor Crane and Rigging.

With failsafes in place, the crane crew was ready for a practice lift. Many gathered around the vault to see the Belvedere rise again, and everyone held their breath that the rigging would hold. Most expected to see the car raised a few inches, but crews lifted it ten feet giving the water-logged floorboards a chance to drain. Crews say getting the car out of the rusty, muddy vault gave everyone new hope.

"It looked better today than it did yesterday for some reason,â€ said Taylor. â€œI was down in there myself and it was muddy, but it looks better today."

Organizers say they'll be in the clear if Fridayâ€™s lift goes as well as Thursdayâ€™s practice one did.

While the car was up in the air it gave people a chance to inspect the damage 50 years underwater could do. Hot rod builder Boyd Coddington from cable's â€œAmerican Hot Rodâ€ came to Tulsa to take a look. He will get a chance to clean up the car between the Friday unearthing at noon, and our live special Friday night at 7.

How well did the Belvedere and the memorabilia buried with it survive underground for half a century? Find out on Friday, June 15th, at 7 p.m. on the News On 6. You can also see live streaming video of the unveiling on kotv.com.

Watch the video: Crews Perform Practice Lift Of Tulsa's Belvedere