All Those Old Cars in Cuba

[tony barnhill]

On another thread, we started talking about the time warp bevy of old cars in Cuba just waiting for one of us to buy 'em up & bring 'em home....

Well, all I know is I want to be on the first plane that lands when its legal to travel between the 2 countries...with lots of cash & an 18-wheel car hauler following me on a boat from Florida...I want to buy as many of those old cars as I can grab...& not just British either!

Ya mean like one of these 'cee-gar' smokin' oldies? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/winner1.gif

It's amazing what the Cuban people have to go through to keep those things going. It's not like they can go down to Napa and pick up some repair parts. I few years back I knew of guy in Cuba with an MG and he needed a manifold. He wound up casting it himself. Goes to show you if you have a need an a desire, you'll find a way to get things done. Wish I kne what site that was from. I'd like to read up on the details of it again and make sure I'm correct.

My web site occassionally gets hits from Cuba & they invariably end up on my Garage page or my "Shade Tree Tech" page...guess they're looking for tips to keep 'em on the road!

Now, lets talk about the wealth of old cars just waiting...

Could they do a job on the market value of our cars? Could they produce some exciting new additions to our collections (me, I'd be looking for a Y-Type Saloon, YB of course)?

 

[NutmegCT]

Tony - they sure could be a real "island find".

But I'm not holding my breath. It'll be quite a while before that island is "open to the public".

Tom

 

[rick_ingram]

Tony - they sure could be a real "island find".

But I'm not holding my breath. It'll be quite a while before that island is "open to the public".

Tom

Well...it is "open" to the public.

Just not to Americans.

Bab-a-loo.

 

[Banjo]

My concern would be how badly mutilated they are, mechanically. Like you said, they can't just run to NAPA and get parts, so things have to be "created" to work.
You think you've seen some DPO nightmares before? Just wait till you get hold of a "Cuban Custom"

 

[aeronca65t]

Many of these cars maybe "hacked", but that will be part of the charm. I've seen classic sports cars worth mega-bucks just because they have the "racing provenance" as a result of a DNF in the 24 Hours of LeMans. To me, the "provenance" of running around Cuban streets for the last 50 years is far cooler.

By the way, one of my UK cousins was in Cuba last year and told me they're even cooler in person.

Here's what <u>National Geographic</u> magazine said about these old cars about 10 years ago:
"The streets of Cuba are at times a living classic car show, lined with pre-Castro relics of the 1940s and 50s. Some have their original engines, others make do with Russian-made replacements. Virtually all are lovingly maintained, perhaps with an eye on the day when open commerce will make them valuable on the open market."

And quoting another website:
Also it should be noted that Cubans are increasingly aware of the value of these cars, particularly when visiting Americans like myself become nostalgic about them. One company, <u>Grancar</u>, is making a business out of renting these cars to tourists, "Rentar una fantasia." For those with memories of 1957 Chevys when they were new, this company slogan is right on target.

A Cuban Bugeye!

American car in Cuba with a Muskovitch (Russian) engine

Nice!

 

[Twosheds]

I heard somewhere that, due to unavailable engine parts, many of the cars now have Russian diesel engines.

 

[14dna]

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

Hey guys, Canada has an open passage to Cuba. Now all we have to do is figure out how I can get there and bring these cars home before the rush.

Lots of my friends have been there and the cars are always one of the topics of conversation when they speak of their trip. I guess I'll have to go and take a look. Of course, a PR trip to see Tinster will happen at the same time. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/yesnod.gif

Dave

 

[tony barnhill]

Nial - that website has some pretty neat photos of old Cuban cars! Just not many British.

https://www.jewishcuba.org/autos

 

[anthony7777]

tony, if you can find/rent a film called "yank tank" its about old American cars in Cuba, there is also a good discovery channel i believe documentary that airs occationaly showing how these guys hand reproduce just about every thing on these cars by hand with minimal tools, my grandfather born in Madrid Spain married my grandmother born in Cuba in the late thirty's, my grandmother's father had a "lock" on the appliance business any appliances i.e. refrigerators, t.v.'s, radio's, washing machines etc. kinda had to go through him so they were well off, my grandfathers sister also migrated to Cuba later and was a nurse she helped Castro in the beginning with medical help for him and his troops bringing them food medical supplies, firearms etc. into the mountains when they were hiding and worked closely with "che" she began realizing what was truly going on and had to sneak out of Cuba if any of the others knew she was even thinking about splitting they literally would have slit her throat, my grandmother had a nephew an electrical engineer still living in west palm beach Florida who escaped by designing a 55 gal drum that he hid in and somehow got put on a boat in guantanamo bay and brought to the states in the 60's, amongst the cash, gems, gold, and silver he stashed in Cuba he also dug a pit and buried his cherished tr-3. see anyone that was permitted to leave Cuba "legaly" could only do so with just the cloths on their back literally, such stories are endless.

 

[tony barnhill]

Do you happen to know the title of the Discovery Channel documentary?

And is this a "yank tank" (hehehe)?

 

[vping]

The guy I was talking about earlier is on the MGA Guru website but apparently there has not been any contact with the guy in some time.

 

[DrEntropy]

PBS did a program on 'em. Most are so far from original it'd be a fortune to "recitivise" 'em. Better to vend PARTS to THEM!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

PBS did a program on 'em. Most are so far from original it'd be a fortune to "recitivise" 'em. Better to vend PARTS to THEM!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

Well, if I could ever figure out who the guy from Cuba who goes to my web site is, maybe I'd make him my first international dealer...hehehehe!

 

[BIBBER]

Okiedokie

 

[Mickey Richaud]

C'mon, folks - the other thread got shut down. Let's not go there, OK?

 

[DrEntropy]

Bad, BAD BIBBER!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

C'mon, folks - the other thread got shut down. Let's not go there, OK?

I'm with you, Mickey...I wanted to talk about old cars on this thread - no politics!

"The Pub is: Forum to generally shoot the breeze. It is NOT: a debate forum (NO Politics, religion, or controversial topics.) Keep it clean, fun and lite! "

 

[Tinster]

Cuidado, Bibber!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonono.gif

 

[anthony7777]

Do you happen to know the title of the Discovery Channel documentary?

And is this a "yank tank" (hehehe)?

been googling for that documentery but havnt yet found it ill let you know if i do. and yes i think thats a yank tank. tony i think this is the name of the show "classic american cars of cuba".