O T Old cars in Cuba.....

[BobT-47P15]

Here is a link to a group of pictures of all brands of old cars in Cuba.

Many have various modifications done over the years to keep them

on the road. Some are OK, some not too graceful, but it kept them

going.

Feel free to add any you have.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=25657,27955,28156&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=old+cars+in+cuba&cp=13&wrapid=tljp1294643605194020&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=prEqTZuXNsz1nAez2LC-AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQsAQwAQ&biw=1020&bih=567

[Robin (UK)]

Some nice ones there, Bob, including several pictures of P15s.

If you Google search 'Plymouth Cuba', you'll find even more.

Here's a shot I found on the web a few years ago.

[bamfordsgarage]

Our son had a destination wedding in Cuba two years ago. The wedding and weather and all that was fine, but what I really enjoyed was seeing all the old cars in their natural habitat. Blue house paint was a common theme, as were makeshift repairs. Keep 'em running...

Edited January 10, 2011 by bamfordsgarage

[55 Fargo]

Chris in the 4th pic, is that pickup truck, made from a 46-48 Chrysler, it sure has the front sheet metal, the doors too. Possibly a 4 door sedan chopped into a UTE..

[Niel Hoback]

Number 3 looks like a 57 Canadian "Plodge".

[Alshere59]

You have to admire their ingenuity.

http://www.fishingfury.com/20090907/aquatic-cars-from-cuba/

[bamfordsgarage]

Rockwood — you may be right about that truck. I wish I had another picture or two to see a bit more detail.

Another batch...

[BobT-47P15]

Here's a link to a pic of a pretty nice P15 in Cuba.

Couldn't lift the actual picture this time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41364765@N06/4596543664/

This 49 is in Santiago de Cuba......

Edited January 11, 2011 by BobT-47P15

[bamfordsgarage]

And a few more pictures. Blue house paint is definitely a popular item. The last three pictures go together — I wonder what's under the hood?

[PhilJohnson]

Very interesting what the Cuban's come up to keep their cars on the road. I'll admit I've done a few "Cuban" fixes to various cars over the years myself

[bamfordsgarage]

More Cubacars. Chevrolet and Ford were the most common oldies in Cuba by far, so I can't always include an old Mopar or two with each batch. The Caprice Classic is an interesting touch.

[bamfordsgarage]

More pictures. A few Mopars in this batch...

[bamfordsgarage]

And a few more. Getchyer Plymouth body work done here!!

[Young Ed]

Wow that 56 plodge looks really nice.

[PhilJohnson]

I've noticed it seems like quite a few of those Cuban cars ride on beam axles up front. Most of the cars seem to be raised up at least a few inches over stock. I myself like raised up cars since I usually find myself off the beaten path I've been mulling over raising up my two Mopars about three inches or so. The rear is easy but the front looks like it might be a challenge.

[bamfordsgarage]

More Cubacar pix. The green Chrysler was an unusual sight down there.

[bamfordsgarage]

And another five pix...

[1940plymouth]

Chris,

Thanks for sharing all these fantastic photos

[55 Fargo]

The nice thing about these pics, is the fact these old cars are being kept alive with very little resources.

I notice most of the cars are drivers, not big money restos, necessity is the mother of invention in that land.....

[PhilJohnson]

Cuba isn't the only place with old cars. Uraguay also has a lot of old vehicles running around still.

Edited January 13, 2011 by PhilJohnson
Mega Huge images

[T120]

The nice thing about these pics, is the fact these old cars are being kept alive with very little resources.

I notice most of the cars are drivers, not big money restos, necessity is the mother of invention in that land.....

Hey Fred,You don't have to travel to Cuba,come on over here to Alberta.I own a couple of examples myself

[55 Fargo]

Hey Fred,You don't have to travel to Cuba,come on over here to Alberta.I own a couple of examples myself

But the cars we have are just for our pleasure, these folks in Cuba, are probably very lucky if they can latch onto an old jalopy, which will be used for everyday use, not just a collector, or lover of old cars like us.

Ona cold winter day, we just hit the remote start,on our modern daily drivers, such as a nice new SUV, get in drive with ice free windows, and super warm interiors even a -25, windows are always frosted up not that long ago.....

[T120]

...Just kidding ,Fred..Although,I do remember having these old vehicles as daily drivers.Nice there's lots of survivors.

[bamfordsgarage]

Thanks for the Uruguay pictures Phil — looks like some of their iron is much older than in Cuba. We saw only one pre-war vehicle in Cuba, a 20's Model T ruck in a Havana restaurant.

Rockwood, I think you have hit the nail on the head with the appeal of these Cuba cars. For me anyway. Despite their age, they are still in daily service and probably have been since new. Think about it... when our P15-D24 cars were new, the average owner considered a five year old car to be very much used, and a 10 year old car to be basically worn out and worthless. These Cuba cars have been in use for 50-65 years now, five+ times their North American life expectancy. Remarkable!

[bamfordsgarage]

A couple orange oddballs in this batch...