Early model Celica pulled from a river

CharlieBucket · **Posted:** Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:52 am

Looks like a small bumper pre 74 car. I think we could get it running again!

Read the story here:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... -1/FOSNEWS

kingtoy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:35 am

It would be cool if someone saved it. That is, if it's worth saving once they clean it up.

RotaryRoadster · **Posted:** Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:30 am

kingtoy wrote:

It would be cool if someone saved it. That is, if it's worth saving once they clean it up.

It would be...but I dunno if its worth saving, ~30 years in mud? And the article did say that "rocks had formed on the roof" etc.

Norcal510 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:32 pm

wish they had posted bigger pictures.

john · **Posted:** Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:54 pm

Norcal510 wrote:

wish they had posted bigger pictures.

cesariojpn · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:10 am

Quote:

Once the car was out of the river, Hoyt and other fire personnel used tools to bust open the doors and trunk of the car. Both the interior and of the car and the trunk were filled with mud. The driver's side windows of the car were open, but the passenger side was closed.

It's a goner.

e-at_me · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 4:13 am

interesting that this is an old celica that this happened to instead of something more worthy, like a dodge aries or something.. sad.. plenty of useable parts? maybe..

kingtoy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:17 am

I have seen some cars with some bad rust rescued. I bet this thing isn't a goner yet.

Norcal510 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:25 am

Thanks datsunfreak for the larger pictures. I must say even though its sad to see this thing being pulled from the river. Id must admit pretty cool pictures.

CharlieBucket · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:31 am

It looks good coming out of that river! Even 30 years on the bottom of a river cant change that.

c72c · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:34 am

kingtoy wrote:

I have seen some cars with some bad rust rescued. I bet this thing isn't a goner yet.

Same here. I'd give it a good look over before giving up on it.
There was a cadillac put under ground in a 'sealed' concrete box in 58, they pulled it out to find it had filled with dirt and water numerous times over the 50 years. It came out in pretty decent shape for being filled with water so many times. It's hangin out in a museum now.

e-at_me · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:32 am

it was a plymouth belvedere, and it is very sad shape:

http://www.unburiedcar.com/

BruceAlmighty · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:03 pm

im sure that Celica is still saveable.

gypsy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:12 pm

You guys are kidding right ?? Salvageable I highly doubt it

That thing would be rusting from the inside out and then the outside in. The primer used on the innards would have become porous and deteriorated within weeks on being submersed. Anything can be saved but what are you actually saving once you replace the door pillars, roof, rear quarter panels, doors, chassis rails etc ! Without pulling off intergrated panels to treat the inner cavities, you'd have continuous rust and hidden structural problems caused by rust. You may be able to save a few bits from that car that arent made of metal but that's about it. A mate owned 2 of these Celica's and they both had bad rust issues without needing to be pulled out of a lake, just day to day use was enough for them to rust away especially in the A pilars and firewall cowl.

phorayg · **Posted:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 10:07 am

That's funny, in the article on the last picture it says late model celica. It's more like late as in passed away.

kingtoy · **Posted:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 12:31 pm

I think being cake in mud all those years has somewhat acted to preserve it.

Rad2Ltr · **Posted:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 10:29 pm

It really depends on the water in the river. If its really cold with low o2, there is a chance its still salvageable with lots of work. I'd guess its a goner, but after seeing some of the airplanes pulled out of lakes and such, its possible that its not dead and gone forever. Time will tell.

Will

boxer3main · **Posted:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 11:06 pm

kingtoy wrote:

I think being cake in mud all those years has somewhat acted to preserve it.

I could guess my 87 subaru was in worse shape.. even the tunnel failed in spots, hit by lightning, salt, a batch of hydrochloric self made, rumbles, electrolysis, and outright japanese pansy in a place that could leave 1200 pounds of snow on the big bad "family wagon"... rant aside.. I would tackle that celica. shoulda kept my sube in a river until it was time to restore.
:lol:

funny enough, I could not decipher that websites location? rochester where? what country?

My local paper on the web is just as shelled as that one...not thinking of anyone else that may find it. Crazier than a northwest subaru forum.. :roll:

cat0 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:27 am

boxer3main wrote:

rochester where? what country?

A quick google search revealed this. New Hampshire.
Wonder if more pictures will surface.

1600GT · **Posted:** Sat Oct 02, 2010 5:14 am

nobody else has made the obvious comment yet, so i will....
"don't worry, it'll polish out...."

Early model Celica pulled from a river

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