Thought this might be of interest.

http://georgemarks.com/Cars%20of%20Cuba/index.html

Enjoy,

stetzie

 

2 problems with Cuban cars, 1) 8 out of 10 are more doors and 2) they have been cobbled and recobbled together over all these years.

 

Perhaps Cuba is not so much a resource as a possible place to send parts. I guess they would have to have money first.

I would adopt a cobbled rustfree 4-dr from cuba with all its weirdness, and relish having such a bit of history.

 

The January issue of Car Collector Chronicles did an article on Cuba/Normalization of Relations/Classic Cars. It may be found/read here -

 

The reality is that the second that it is legally possible to buy those cars and ship them out of Cuba, people with waaaaay more money than anyone here will already have them. Expect to start seeing "island finds" at BJ in a couple of years.

 

A couple of near-by clubs go down every winter and take needed parts and donated tools for those Cuban cars.

 

I watched a UK tv show about cars in Cuba a few years ago. Plenty of Lada 1.5 liter engines pushing '50s American cars around, that must be one of the lowest power to weight ratios ever!.
Also it seems every car was once owned by Fidel Castro or Che Guevara, a wonder they got anything else done.

On the other hand, hats off to the Cubans who came up with the skills and ingenuity to keep these cars running at all.
Home made brake fluid from a concoction of rum, shampoo and sugar was one of the ways round a problem. Apparently brown sugar worked best in American brake systems, white sugar for Soviet Union machines.

Roger.

 

I'm sure a 57 Chevy that has three rows of seats, has been patched a hundred times with VW hoods, a Lada four cylinder engine and axles from a Russian tractor is going to be quite the bargain.

There are some real gems in Cuba, but the vast majority of old cars there have been Frankensteinized to an extreme extent.

 

What are the exact ingredients of the home made break fluid they use? Sounds like a great cocktail!

 

I don't know the exact recipe, feel free to experiment!. (Disclaimer, I am NOT suggesting anyone should drink this!).

Roger.

 

The Castro Collection

 

"Cuban Chrome" show... taxicab '53 Olds... with a Diesel boat engine [4cyl] which in episode #2 the machaninc asserts is a "two ton boat engine" which resulted in the demise of the steering. Has disk brakes. He's gonna fix it up. They started out fixing the steering column, then by the end of the show he is procuring a U-joint to fix... the steering? Looks like a driveshaft part to me.

2nd episode- 57 Olds 98...

Not much connection to reality except the Frankenstein effect.

 

So, pretty much just like every other "reality" show...

 

Dont forget the secret compartments where they hide the drugs.

 

Two parts grapefruit juice, three parts bacon grease, and a half part shredded coconut. Mix thoroughly. Pour the liquid off the top and use. Save the solids for dessert.

 

They are now attempting to fit "a beast" of an engine into the '53 Olds, after an original-ish motor deal fell thru. It appears to be some sort of DOHC Japanese engine, though they don't give any specifics. Half the show was agonizing over procuring oil and a battery and then getting the oil pan welded because they dropped the motor and broke it.

What became of the battery the car had before?
How can oil be that hard to procure? Every engine needs it.

Days of agony to get oil and "a" battery... and $1500 life savings to buy the "racing" engine [it does have a turbo] which is evidently mated to a FWD trans.... yet they totally gloss over the part where later it is seen with a RWD trans affixed to the engine... by means of WELDING ALL AROUND THE BELLHOUSE... so getting that trans aligned and placed properly and welded up is no problem, but getting a gallon of oil and "a" battery is endless agony. OK.

The entire front of the frame has to be "fixed." The man brings a plate of flat steel. "Used to be a water pipe" but it's flat. OK. They proceed to clean the "rusty" [slightest skin of rust] frame donor metal by means of heating it red hot then dousing it with water. Also known as hardening or warping. Jeeeeez. The frame man is "welding" with no goggles or gloves or whatnot... oh my. Well, actually he is shown removing old sins to the frame with a cutting torch, which is by no means "welding."

Meanwhile, they "clean" suspension parts and coil springs with a putty knife and hours of hand labor. Surprised they don't heat the springs red hot.

The old Chevy engine is torn down to find it "needs pistons and a crankshaft". They start the process of finding the guy to "add metal to the crankshaft". ???
It's a SBC motor. Even Cuba has got to have some of those for spares.

 

What they really need is American Standard toilet seats and plumbing parts. The whole place looks like 1950 Miami that hasn't been maintained.

 

I had the very same reaction. They took a batt out of the Oldsmoboat, so they should have had it readily available?