Cars of Cuba...Picture Heavy

[66FAIRLANE]

Just back from Cuba. Thought you might like to see some pics.

[66FAIRLANE]

[hendrixhc]

Some cool old cars there!

[.:4:.]

The Cubans were sort of forced to be resourceful with cars after the US banned trade with them way back when. Nothing can't be re purposed.

[baboon]

Nice pictures. With the exception of the horse and cart, there doesn't look like many cars running with a less then 60 profile tyre, or greater then a 16" wheel? I guess the roads are pretty rough there... cant see many 20" rims surviving...

[Pedro]

Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that 59 Mercury Montclair ... so rare. Never even seen one at an American car show.

[MethodX]

Some very nice classics...
Of all kinds, pity many don't have original drivetrains and the like.

[damo6]

A 59 chev convertable with 4 doors! Gotta be a roof chop for sure,looks neat too.love the 55 chev taxl.

[DBourne]

Thanks for sharing!

I would love to visit Cuba.. Did you feel safe while over there?

Honestly looks like you basically go in a time warp when you visit there.

[Vesper Martini]

love that chevy wagon taxi, 57? packed full of people!

Did notice a few newer cars in the background.

Hope they do what they can to keep some of those old cars on the roads surely it creates good tourism

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by DBourne

I would love to visit Cuba..

Do it sooner rather than later, before there's a Starbucks on every corner.

[snowcone]

Looks like only the privileged get to have 2 wipers!
Great photos.
Thanks for posting

[08G63T]

Originally Posted by DBourne

Thanks for sharing!

I would love to visit Cuba.. Did you feel safe while over there?

Honestly looks like you basically go in a time warp when you visit there.

I spent 2 and a bit weeks early this year.

It's a fantastic place and I'd definitely recommend people going there.

It isn't unsafe, but as a tourist, expect to be ripped off. There's a lot of hustlers. Also, There's 2 currencies there, CUC (used by tourists/hotels etc.) & CUP (used by locals).


Most of the country is still quite backwards, but not so much stuck in time.
People there still have smart phones (albeit chinese copies), but the internet is expesive, ~$3 AUD per hour and is only available in a few places around the cities.

[last fairlane]

Would you be allowed to import a car from Cuba to Australia
I know they dont trade with the US
and were the any cars for sale over there and if so what prices

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by last fairlane

Would you be allowed to import a car from Cuba to Australia
I know they dont trade with the US
and were the any cars for sale over there and if so what prices

Despite their looks I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/03/antiq...lding-off.html

[PCT302]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Despite their looks I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/03/antiq...lding-off.html

Im with Bevsta007 there is a show on fox called Cuban Chrome airing at the moment I watched it before and what they do to keep cars going OH BOY!!!

[Bossxr8]

They would be total bitsa's. Kept running with whatever they can scrounge. And from memory a lot of them have the original engines removed and replaced with cruddy Russian diesels?

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that 59 Mercury Montclair ... so rare. Never even seen one at an American car show.

I saw this 1956 Mercury Montclair just over a month ago in the tiny town of Hagerman, Idaho. Just parked in a car park. It was as if I had just gone back in time to one year after lightning struck the clocktower!
https://flic.kr/s/aHskYD8zhW

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by chevypower

I saw this 1956 Mercury Montclair just over a month ago in the tiny town of Hagerman, Idaho. Just parked in a car park. It was as if I had just gone back in time to one year after lightning struck the clocktower!
https://flic.kr/s/aHskYD8zhW

Thanks for posting up that 56 ... Wow what a beautiful car.
I've seen a couple of those at "Back to the Fifties" show in MN.

I've owned two Mercurys - a museum quality 66 Park Lane powered by a 410 with C6 ...


And a 66 Cyclone GT vert powered by a 390 with 4 sp Toploader ...

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by 08G63T

I spent 2 and a bit weeks early this year.

It's a fantastic place and I'd definitely recommend people going there.

It isn't unsafe, but as a tourist, expect to be ripped off. There's a lot of hustlers. Also, There's 2 currencies there, CUC (used by tourists/hotels etc.) & CUP (used by locals).


Most of the country is still quite backwards, but not so much stuck in time.
People there still have smart phones (albeit chinese copies), but the internet is expesive, ~$3 AUD per hour and is only available in a few places around the cities.

I don't get it - if you can use a smart phone in Cuba, then why not just use the data from that for your internet? Do they have 3G or are they still stuck on 2G?

[Express]

Thanks for the great photos.

It's mixed emotions seeing so many cool oldies getting around knowing the bulk of them are rubbish not worth owning.


.

[GT2]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Do it sooner rather than later, before there's a Starbucks on every corner.

Agree 100%. Went to the Rolling Stones concert whilst I was there. Absolutely phenomenal and never felt unsafe.

[66FAIRLANE]

Safety was a bit of a concern initially, not dissimilar to a lot of odd places, but we soon got over that. Like anywhere you have to be sensible.

The nicest ones you see there are still 20 footers, then there's the 40 footers, the 60 footers and the ones that look ok from space. Very rare is an original engine. Most are diesels with various weird and not so wonderful powertrains & underpinnings. The 58 Buick we rode in for example sounded like it could fall apart at any moment and had no window glass......it was a 30 footer. That's it in the last & 3rd last photo. You have to give them credit though for keeping them going. They hand make so much. The guys that use them as taxis are probably some of the better off people in the country.

[tranquilized]

How good is Cuba!!

Was there a few years back, absolutely loved it. Was surprised how safe it was actually. Arriving in Havana Centro on day one, at night, dropped off in a dark back street with all our stuff definitely felt unsafe, but we quickly realised there was no problem. There is virtually no violent crime in Cuba, at least back then that we were aware of.

Not to hijack the thread but here's one I started on the same topic on my return, few more pics to check out;

https://fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11436307

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by MrZ

I don't get it - if you can use a smart phone in Cuba, then why not just use the data from that for your internet? Do they have 3G or are they still stuck on 2G?

I assume he means data is expensive

[tranquilized]

Things are changing so fast in Cuba I couldn't say what the current situation is, but when I was there late 2014 there was no data for anyone. Internet was very difficult to access - for the population the only option was to line up in government owned phone offices where they'd wait in line to pay high prices for slow internet and not have access to most US based sites such as Facebook and Google anyway.

[08G63T]

Originally Posted by MrZ

I don't get it - if you can use a smart phone in Cuba, then why not just use the data from that for your internet? Do they have 3G or are they still stuck on 2G?

I believe the only internet they have is satellite internet. Due to the embargo placed by the US in '61, i don't think they have any submarine cables connecting them to the rest of the world.

Using satellite internet is very expensive, ~$4 AUD or so per hour and it's highly regulated.