Leaving in the morning to go to Havana was wondering about buying a car tag and bringing it back. Will I get in trouble at customs,
ratrod0, You'll get in trouble!!!! Having said that, my buddy at Big Rick's Hot Rod Diner in Winnipeg has one hanging on the wall. He's often traveled to Cuba but he didn't get it himself. A customer/friend smuggled it out for him. It came from Varidaro (spl.) . Customs are probably tighter in Havana. Just remember you're still a gringo. Enjoy your vacation, It's a beautiful place. DoUg
Can you but it there box it up and Fed Ex it to your home?? I am not sure Fed Ex is even down there but I do know people communicate via USPS back and forth. There has to be a way to ship it back and avoid having TSA find it in your luggage if they do a random search.
I just returned from a fishing trip in Cuba and traveled most of the island including Havana. I brought back numerous automotive items. Customs could care less about such items. They’re more interested about what’s coming into the country than going out and US Customs didn’t care about any automotive items I brought back. They were more concerned about how many cigars and bottles of rum. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
License plates, both original or custom (Viva Cuba”) etc, are for sale everywhere. One of my guides was a young guy who really knew his ins and outs. Since the average pay for a Cuban is $22.00 per month, if you want to get ahead he said there are three things you can do; You can start your own business (like tour guide), deal in the black market, or deal in contraband. Since Cubans can go to Russia whenever they want without a visa, he buys car parts and brings them back and sells them. I asked him is that what you consider the black market? He grinned and said, “I like to think of it as the ‘alternative’ market.” Lol It’s interesting to note, a home should a Cuban want to buy one, cost about $20,000 dollars. Think about that if you were making $22.00 a month. But to buy a 50s car in fair condition, you would pay $80,000. There are 50s American cars everywhere. It’s very rare to find one with an original engine. They use all diesel motors removed from Toyota’s, boats, many Russian tractor motors and my guide even told me how some friends stole an engine out of an ambulance while it was parked at the hospital. These guys can make anything fit anything. Since they can’t buy correct turbos they simply hand machine them to fit whatever there needed on. I truly admire their innovation and ability to improvise. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
all those cars over there are pretty used up, it would be very hard to find a good one, you sure wont find a nice original !!!!
This place is in the ocean. just think salt in the air. Most of the cars are so full of body filler that Ray Charles could spot. I have a friend who is a missionary who goes their several times a year. She is not a car person and can tell a Rube Goldberg job. But still several cars have been converted into sea going vessels and several have made it to the USA. A couple that did not were a 46 Mercury air port lemo and a 50 or so 1.5 ton truck. Both were sunk by the us navy. She carried so spark plugs to a farmer in cuba and he cried when she gave them to him. Gary I was told the Bass are giants as the have not been fished in 50 years other than for food.
Been to Cuba a bunch of times. Some very nice cars there some very beautifully restored ones, and some I have seen with cement over carpet used as body panels !!!! These guys can make anything work One guy I spoke with made a fuel pump diaphragm out of a piece of cow Hyde!! Last time I was there a absolutely mint 57 belair pulled up to the resort we were staying at so I went over to look at it and it was mint body and interior But the engine was "rattling " As the owner about it , tells me it's " all original " I laugh and tell him Chevy never made a diesel in the 50's Opens the hood and it had a Toyota diesel in it There is a website with Cuban luxury cars in it A gull wing Mercedes with a Toyota 4y engine in it An old rolls Royce with some large inline 6 marine engine in it Truly innovative what these guys can do with nothing
When a friend heard that I was going to Cuba on holiday, he emailed me this image as a suggestion for bringing another Chevy truck home to my place Had a great time there. As said, most of the 40's and 50's cars and trucks have had the motors swapped out; Gas is not cheap there, almost as expensive as in Europe, but without European wage rates. Hired this car and a driver for the day, to see some of the 'non tourist' life on the island. This one has a Hyundai turbo diesel motor. There are loads of cold war era east block vehicles which are also in daily use, there is a Lada or Polski Fiat in the background of this shot, saw lots of Russian Moskvich cars there too, all those which made it over to western Europe fell apart more than 30 years ago. This shot was taken in Varadero, which has very similar "Spanish Colonial" architecture to Havana.
That’s not entirely true. One of the most beautiful 57 Chevy Impalas I’ve ever seen was an amazing all original (including original gas V-8) while in Havana. Granted most are running engine swaps and many are rough but there are many very nice 50s cars in Havana. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Doh! I meant to say 59. While US manufactured stoped being imported prior to 59 there are still an occasional sighting there. I was blown away seeing one in Cuba that could in fact easily be seen in a car show here in the states. When I asked why they are So rare in Cuba I was told there not rare but the reason nobody there wants one is because of the wings and other lines of the body being difficult to perform body work on compared to cars without wings. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I be I bet if you looked it over good it wasn't as good as think it was, I'll keep my American found cars anyday, hard to say what was jerry-rigged on that car you saw !
Having owned a 59 myself and having judged many car shows over the years I have a very good idea of the condition of that car. I’ll post some photos of it as soon as I get over the flu. Possibly the nicest car I saw while in Cuba for a month. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
For a few weeks I’ve been giving the remarks about the cars of Cuba being “used up” and “Jerry-rigged” a lot of thought. Being a fisherman the first thought that came to mind is the old saying, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.” Sure, there’s many cars that have seen better days but isn’t that the case regardless where you go? I have owned very rare collectible cars and cars that in all reality were junk but to me they were all priceless. When I bought my last GT350R Model Shelby to restore so I could race it in La Carrera Panamericana, it was nothing short of “trash” but it not only performed flawlessly when I raced it but it went on to race in LeManns and 6 other major European races. The bottom line is to have seen so many 50’s cars in one place all performing their daily duties was overwhelming especially for me having grownup in an era when they were the norm. It was literally a step back in time. But more importantly, seeing the pride everyone in Cuba had for their cars was amazing no matter it super clean or even super rough. I was reminded of when I was 16 driving a piece of crap but to me, it was the coolest thing in town and I was filled with “just wait till you see what I’m going to do worth this baby.” Here are just a few nice cars I saw it drove while in Cuba. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
