O T Old cars in Cuba.....

[aero3113]

Do you think most of them are still using the original drive train? It looks like some of them are "upgraded"?

[55 Fargo]

Keith, I have heard of some instances where vintage 50s American built cars had LADA diesel engines for drivetrains.

I would imagine, whatever is available would be used, and pocket book resources would be the determining factors.

This scenario may be like 1930s and war time North America, when most folks were hard up, and cars and trucks would be used as long as possible with whatever parts it took to keep them running.

We really are a priviledged society, living in a time with so much available to us..... PS lots of Canucks from my area have been to Cuba for winter vacations for many years, they have public transportation meant for Cubans in Havana, that are nothing more than a semi trailer truck, with people riding in the trailer on seats, they were called Camels.

I have a friend on Vacation in South east Asia, in Cambodia, they drive all over in scooters, motorcycles and whatever, the fine for Drunken driving was around $10 US, I would not chance that kind of thing in a place like that......

Edited January 14, 2011 by Rockwood

[bamfordsgarage]

More Cubacar pix. That Plymouth engine should be safe. Aero, it's hard to get a handle on how many of these cars still had their original drivetrain. For example, that Cadillac in the last photo had a stickshift that was very likely bolted to something other than an OHV V8.

[bamfordsgarage]

One more batch today, not many left now. It was fun to meet and visit with the Chevy guy — he had very little English but his son had a bit more and was able to help us communicate. He was so very proud of his car and all the work he had done on it. Note the custom patch panels, extra trunk lock, lighting, etc. This one still had the original 6-cyl engine or one very much like it.

[Niel Hoback]

The windshield they have grafted in there looks to be from a about a 52 Chevy or Pontiac. Its curved glass and most likely a one-piece unit. Those people can keep a car on the road for $0. Kind of like we did in high school.

[B-Watson]

Number 3 looks like a 57 Canadian "Plodge".

It's a Plodge, but not Canadian as Chrysler Canada did not export cars to Cuba. It is an Detroit-built Dodge Kingsway, as is the blue car on the right in the last photo.

[B-Watson]

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.

That 1947-48 Ford had a beam axle from the factory along with the transverse front spring. Ford Motor Company was the last US company to switch to IFS - in 1949.

The lower Uruguay photo shows a Dodge truck with a Hillman Minx parked in front. It had front suicide doors as you can tell by the two dark patches on the pillar where the hinges were attached. Know a few Rootes fans who would be drooling over that car, missing door or not.

One of the Cuba photos shows the rear of a tan 1949 Plymouth (can tell by the small rear window) and without the factory fender taillights and the brake light on the trunk, it looks remarkably like a 1947-48 Kaiser.

[bamfordsgarage]

More pictures. The Alfa was an unexpected sighting.

[Niel Hoback]

Thanks for the info, Bill. I didn't know Plodges were also built in Detroit! It does make sense that Canada wouldn't export to Cuba.

[bamfordsgarage]

Last ones for today, tomorrow will finish them up. This late model Chev was the only American car we saw newer than the embargo and was doubtless highly prized by the owner. Would be interesting to hear the story of how it ended up in Cuba. Last car in the set had had an engine transplant — there was a stick shift poking up through a crudely cut hole.

[Don Coatney]

The Corvair sure looks like it has a differential in the rear.

[JerseyHarold]

The Corvair sure looks like it has a differential in the rear.

And the grille between the headlights may mean there is an engine up front.

[B-Watson]

And the grille between the headlights may mean there is an engine up front.

Corvairs did have a differential in the rear, with the transmission and engine behind that.

[bamfordsgarage]

The first two pictures today go with the last one from yesterday (oops). And we're done.

[PhilJohnson]

Nice pics Bamford

[Greenbomb]

All these pictures have been great! Thanks. Talk about keeping the on the road for $0, I remember reading an article in Motor Trend (I think) a long time ago about Brock Yates going to Cuba to report on all the old cars. It took some finagaling (sp) to get him there and then to go see where they worked on the cars was a real "cloak and dagger" ordeal, as it was all illegal and underground at that time. The story that stood out for me was some guys needed a new pinion gear for a rear end, so they got a chunk of steel from somewhere and they worked in shifts with a file to make one!!! Now, that's hard core low bucks! They would also try to "get" engines out of old military trucks as they were basically "metricized" Mopar flathead sixes. I think the Russkies bought the old tooling from Chrysler. There were alot of Plymouth taxis in Cuba. Anyway, it appears things have loosened up some.

[Frank Elder]

I don't know if Uncle Joe bought the tooling or not but the commies had plenty of examples to reverse engineer courtesy of the Lend Lease Program.

[brentembry]

Great old cars, cigars, rum, etc?? Hell, I need to get down to Cuba. Isn't that travel ban for Americans gone now?

[plymouthcranbrook]

Great thread,  Saw a PBS show about this subject a few years ago. Opened my eyes to how many of these cars are still around and how much effort is being put into them.

[Don Jordan]

Two things I notice: one there is very little visible rust. I'm sure it's there. Cuba is an island - lots of salt water. The other thing I noticed was the definite lack of hub caps. We keep our cars running out of love. They do it out of necessity. I think the Cuban embargo is senseless, counter productive. There is more to it but I think it's silly.

[TJM]

 A friend had the opportunity to visit Cuba a while back, told me ..their headlights are by and large for decoration only. When they were driving around at night, it required a passenger with a head out of the window in addition to the headlights on the rental car. One man told him he hasn't has working headlights in over a decade. Another guy uses shampoo for brake fluid. The oldest car he saw running around was a 1930-ish Model A. Painted canary yellow with a brush.

 

It was quite the adventure.

[BobT-47P15]

 Yep........here's a link to a page with pics of many old cars of all kinds in Uraguay.............

http://www.google.com/search?q=old+cars+in+uruguay&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADRA_enUS393&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=mNgyUbrHNIKsywGUjoFY&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=537

 

Mixed old and newer in India................

http://www.google.com/search?q=old+cars+in+uruguay&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADRA_enUS393&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=mNgyUbrHNIKsywGUjoFY&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=537

 

 

There's a guy on the HAMB ('sled' is his handle) who has been living in Mexico the past several years.

By being there full time, he has been able to find many old car stashes in back alleys and courtyards

but not all prove to be for sale.  Some are in pretty decent condition, some not so good.  Some pretty

rare stuff.  He has bought some as he could get them, and has sold some to people from this

country.  Evidently it's not very difficult to take a car from Mexico to the U.S. 

Edited March 3, 2013 by BobT-47P15