Cuban cars

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i've read that most of those old cars there are pieced together clapped out rust buckets. i'm sure there are exceptions and probably some parts that could be useful though..
 
The Chinese always could sell there so some Cubans vehicles have as many or more reproduction parts on them today than we've ever needed.
 
I can go to Cuba as an Italian citizen. The cost of getting a car back here must be astronomical.
 
90 mi. get a few Cubans to build a raft, charge them "fare' to sail car and themselves....... bring some over Cubans nice things with them, couiple hundred pounds of cubas cigars, etc.... just a thought?????? LOL

maybe the tri five chevys aren't worth what they used to be?? either???
 
Why would you want to? Rusty junk, mostly on their last legs. That's what everyone who has visited there recently says.
 
As I read, most of the old cars have been retrofitted with small four cylinder engines. There's no way a Cuban could afford gas for an eight cylinder.
 
difference between our stuff and their " rust junk".... our stuff is rusty mopar and their stuff is " rusty chevy junk"!!?? LOL
 
pacuda59 said:
As I read, most of the old cars have been retrofitted with small four cylinder engines. There's no way a Cuban could afford gas for an eight cylinder.
Click to expand...

that is not why, mostly

they can't get original parts so they junked out russian vehicles and adapted them. some of those cars are a body riding on a russian truck chassis
 
Irregardless of what kind of parts they are using, or where they came from, you have to admire the "do-it-yourself" and "home engineering" aspect of it. The trim and chrome on those old cars sure as hell didn't come from any Russian or Chinese vehicles, so they must've had to use what they had and done what they could to get them looking as good as they do.

They are good craftsman with excellent workmanship.
 
During my last visit to Havana, one Cuban told me he had 4 spare engines in storage for a very rare car (forget the make and model). Obviously, they have had a black market due to the embargo and are very ingenious and economically conservative. All nations have been welcomed as visitors and tourists for many years now, even US citizens who fly in from neighboring countries. They are very clever at genuine restoring, not just replacing 90% of the car with new, NOS, and reproduction parts like we do. Our "restorations" are many times "rebuilds" more than anything else. Their wages over there amount to about $25 a month, but a taxi drivers can take advantage of visitors. One charged me $5 and the next charged me $30 for the same ride. Entrance to a semi-professional baseball playoff game costs one cuban peso (about a nickel US) and in place of hot dogs the vendors at the stadium sell ham and cheese sandwiches. One thing they have in common with us at the ball games are some beautiful women.
 
There was a pbs special on the classic cars there several years ago that show how much they are in to their cars and the lengths they go and craftsmanship they put in to them.
I believe this is the video. About 37 minutes in it shows what length they are going through to put a saratoga back on the road
http://watch.wliw.org/video/1317690969/
 
the news shot there tonight , for the few seconds it was on, showed several 40's. 50's going by, yea 20-20 but NO gapping rust holes, looked pretty darn good....
politically, not sure where all this is going. (follow the $$ trail?).... guess we will s ee???
 
Any body want to take odds on the "Cash for Clunkers" administration placing a special duty on non-EPA regulated vehicles being brought into the US from Cuba, Or perhaps even a special requirement that they be able to meet certain cafe standards ( which in itself would render many of those those cars worthless beyond body parts)?
Probably something like a hefty import fee, or annual renewal fee ( read penalty).

I doubt the Federal government will freely allow these well bastardized vehicles to be imported with out the federal government, and perhaps even state government's getting "their fair share", and perhaps even placing some cafe requirements on them.

JUST MY OPINION.
 
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