69 camaro found

[ws23rt]

It is a sad and somewhat creepy story.   A modern day archaeological find.

Their is a boat launching ramp near where I live that has been used to dump cars for many years. The river channel is deep and still holds many cars some may have remains of the occupants still in them. The local authorities are not moved to spend the cost of bringing them all up until the pile is a boating hazard 

[Mopar Nut]

one link I found shows jimmy next to his Camaro when it was new, its blue with white nose stripe.

[GOTWING]

I also noticed as the hours went on the roof and windshield area is not noticable anymore.

[Todd Wilson]

Theres an article in our local paper about this find in Okiehoma. They say the lake is very murky and 6-12 inches is about all you can see into the water at best. They said its difficult to drive around the lake at night as its easy to go off into the drink even for people who know the area. 1970.........Kids drinkin and smokin in a 69 Camaro out running fast and splash.............


Todd

[tsmithae]

I was curious about the driving into the lake theory and there is a road that leads straight to the boat ramp and it is a possibility (I google mapped it...).

[Mike DC]

  
If you drove straight down a boat ramp, then you'd have to get out pretty far to be 12 feet deep and staying hidden while people launched boats above you for 40 years.  


The front end of that Camaro does not look like it hit the water head-on with much speed.        

[mopar0166]

they should grab a junker and try to debug this further.  It not like we dont have the means to do this typ of experiment in todays world.  im sure you could even do an automated one before an actual. 

[stripedelete]

 
If you drove straight down a boat ramp, then you'd have to get out pretty far to be 12 feet deep and staying hidden while people launched boats above you for 40 years.  


The front end of that Camaro does not look like it hit the water head-on with much speed.        

You would think so, but, most ramps flatten the natural drop.  Especially at a man made lakes.   Anyone trailering during a severe drought can tell you some horror stories.  Once the ramps it straight off.

My guess is they flipped when they came off plane. That would explain damage to top and rear and the absence of a survivor or at least a floater.

[Mike DC]

            
Yeah I could see the drop-off allowing for the cars to stay hidden.

                 

But still, the front end of that Camaro looks pretty straight for a car that hit the water with any real speed IMHO.  

Water is brutally hard once the impact speed gets above the first few MPH.  And that Camaro's front end is as aerodynamically bad as a '68 Charger.  I would think going fast enough to travel a couple of car-lengths in the water would have forcibly ripped the hood upwards at the very least.      

[F8-4life]

I wonder what the camaro looks like under all that mud. Blue w/ strip & under water since a year old.

[polywideblock]

so is it definitely a bad bend in the road or is there the possibility that a serial killer has been undiscovered  in a small town for all these years

[JB400]

           
Yeah I could see the drop-off allowing for the cars to stay hidden.

                 

But still, the front end of that Camaro looks pretty straight for a car that hit the water with any real speed IMHO.  

Water is brutally hard once the impact speed gets above the first few MPH.  And that Camaro's front end is as aerodynamically bad as a '68 Charger.  I would think going fast enough to travel a couple of car-lengths in the water would have forcibly ripped the hood upwards at the very least.      

Take a look at the pic I posted earlier Mike.  I don't think the Camaro went in frontwards, but backwards instead. The trunk lid looks like it's peeled back quite a bit.

[mrsskip68]

I WANT THAT CAMARO GRILL!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( yep, sorry guys im still a camaro chick! But I have tons of love for mopars too!)

[djcarguy]

  grill wont fit 67-or-68  as fur as i no only hood an truck lid will fit first yr camaros. most all of 69 was 1 yr only camaro stuff. SORRY      :eek2:besides it haunted now

[mrsskip68]

Doesnt matter! I WANT IT!   & yes you are correct that it wont fit 67-68's, but I still want that grill!

[TUFCAT]

Take a look at the pic I posted earlier Mike.  I don't think the Camaro went in frontwards, but backwards instead. The trunk lid looks like it's peeled back quite a bit.

From these pictures the rear end doesn't have any damage.  

Probably when it was pulled from the mucky bottom, they attached to the rear body (not the frame) causing the body to twist and bend from years of rust and fatigue.  

Note: the Decklid is still there...and the rear body section wasn't "ripped apart" as shown in later photos.

Pictures with the hood, roof, and decklid removed obviously came later while investigators worked on removing the victims.

[mrsskip68]

Oooih I want that rear bumper too!

[JB400]

Jump on your bicycle and go get it.  

[mrsskip68]

Jump on your bicycle and go get it.  

Go "stroke" yourself! Lol ! 60's Camaros make me happy. Sad that this situation happened for those kids.

[TUFCAT]

Now I'm starting to think this was a Camaro Convertible (but with the top up).  I can't see much of a rear roofline or back window in any of these pictures, and that would explain why the rear body twisted so easily - no roof support.

Check out this photo, the top appears to be white. 

[TUFCAT]

Arrow "A" appears like the convertible roof material has fallen down into the rear.

Arrow "B" shows a large roof gap at the quarter window. A metal roof would not create this gap unless the roof was entirely caved in (or flipped over).

Arrow "B" also shows a convertible body line at the quarter (no c-pillar) with more white convertible roof material.

[JB400]

I hate to debunk your investigation, but it's not a convertible.  Leading evidence, no windshield molding.


I suggested a bicycle because I figured it was too early to ride a broom

[JB400]

Here's your roof gap Tuffy.  On Camaros, there was a strip that was left body color between the windows and the top.

[TUFCAT]

I hate to debunk your investigation, but it's not a convertible.  Leading evidence, no windshield molding.

....and you can make that assumption from the pictures I posted?  

[JB400]

Not just the ones you posted, but what everyone has posted.  There isn't hardly any roof structure on these cars to begin with.  Considering the deterioration of the rest of the car, I say the inner roof structure gave way and allowed the roof to collapse.  The only reason the windshield stayed up was because of the a pillar structure and the glass alone which is also being supported by the firewall.  On the rear of the car, there is very little structure there to support the weight of the roof.  Just look above the wheel arches of the quarters, they collapsed.