Frozen Car: Peter Helfer Thaws 'Carsicle' After Daylong Effort

With the help of a hammer, screwdriver and blowtorch, the "carsicle" is no more.

A car parked on a street in Manhattan's East Village on Friday night became encased in ice over the weekend as a nearby leaking water pipe combined with freezing temperatures. And passing cars splashed more icy water onto the car all weekend long.

That left Peter Helfer's car frozen under six inches of ice. It was so obscured, you couldn't even tell what kind of car it was.

Seth Wenig, AP

Peter Helfer's car was frozen under a sheet of ice after a nearby water pipe broke in New York on Monday.

He found the ice-sculpture-on-wheels Sunday night as he came home from watching his football team, which had just lost a chance for a Super Bowl bid.

"It was really adding insult to injury, because I found it after the Jets game," Helfer, 32, told the New York Post.

Helfer was back on the street Monday morning and realized his car would be an all-day project.

"I shot off a note to my office ... and told them why I couldn't make it, and they thought I was kidding," Helfer, who works for a marketing firm, told the Post.

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He worked on the station wagon with a hammer and other tools, but they were no match for the ice, CBS New York reported. Municipal workers trying to fix the pipe helped out with a steam-blasting blowtorch used for frozen pipes, the Post said.

Meanwhile, the car became something of an attraction, with commuters braving the 19-degree weather to stop to take photos of the "carsicle," WPIX reported.

When it was finally thawed out, it was revealed as a 2008 Audi. Despite a broken rear window and scratched paint, Helfer rejoiced.

"Woo-hoo! I'm glad it's over!" Helfer told the Post as he drove off to a dealership for repairs Monday afternoon.