FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Just spent a couple of weeks in the communist hell-hole known as Cuba*, thought people here might appreciate a few** snaps of the exotic and varied local transport. * = Not actually a hell-hole, actually pretty frickin' awesome. ** = OK so I took 2000 pictures and a lot of them were of cars Anyway, I can confirm there are at least 7 Land Rovers in the entire country made up of at least 3 entire Land Rovers' worth of parts and gawd knows what else (you'll see what I mean), so have some pics! Also, basically anything that moves in Cuba is a taxi - horses, bicycles, cars, trucks. Almost nothing has the original engine, drivetrain, factory-issued number of wheel nuts, etc. There's one or maybe two guys in Havana who have American cars with actual V8's in them but those could easily have come from a Zil truck. Most other stuff has some sort of diesel lump of varying quality and health. Yes the rest of the car was attached to this tail-fin. Think it's probably a URAL, there's a lot about. I love these vans, I really want one. Both these things are taxis. It said "Willys" on the bonnet, but that could just be where they got the bonnet from. Will continue in more posts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Answers on a postcard Bling Lada - chrome bonnet vents. Now do I take the Cadillac or the Moskvich? Possibly some bits of Willys Jeep are involved here, but there could be more in the Chevrolet than the 4x4... Traffic. Taxi Also a taxi No matter how ratty, it WILL have a magnificent bonnet ornament in Cuba. Convertible bus / bus-recovery-bus or something... Bitsa - check Different wheels & tyres front-to-back - check Hood ornament - check I think I may have just found a 404 on the internet Some tourists Perhaps not 100% original... Digging the 1970's Soviet aesthetic - brown velour trousers show true dedication Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 This also says "Willys" on the bonnet. Outside the museum of the Revolucion, home of Che Guevara's trousers and other exhibits Of course they got some of these too. For those wondering: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 In the words of Pete Tong, "We continue!" Bet your school bus wasn't a RACING one! Had Monster Energy and Valentino Rossi stickers on the back too. Moskvich (sp?) abandoned on a busy junction, I assume the owner has gone in search of a tyre or something... I am digging this Lada a bit too much. Yeah they got a few random Fiats too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 The 3-wheelers are "BiciTaxi", my favourite one had an old fire extinguisher powering its air-horn. I believe this is a Volga More Soviet goodness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 And there's more... A bit more patina to this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Well it's about time I showed you a Land Rover, so here's one with original revolutionary bullet-holes: The explanation: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 While we're at the museum... Home-made tank Delivery van used in a revolutionary attack... ...which did not end well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 I liked this because of the Xtreme sticker and the traction-bars bolted to the rear leafs - must be the most powerful Moskvich ever built to need them Didn't this guy release a record in the 80's? Car plus Fidel plus Che plus Revolutionary Yacht mural - no, really, one end of Cuba is named after the yacht, as is the baseball team & a national newspaper! This is a sort-of bus. This may not be completely original Harley Davidson, I'm no expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Must be time for another Land Rover: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 And on we go! Every local tipper-truck-taxi-bus should have a mural of Jeebus adoring a lamb on the side. Trinidad is not Trinidad And Tobago. It is pretty cool though. This is in the museum of the Revolution in Trinidad. No explanation. Perhaps they just like it. I do. Bitsa - check Chrome hubcaps - check Excellent bonnet ornament - check! But he has competition... This guy wins all the tractors - flaming skull mural, stars and stripes, chrome rims, air horns, bonnet ornament... just needs to fix the cigarette lighter. No idea what this is. Not sure which one is cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 This is in a restaurant, hasn't moved for a while. I frickin' love these little vans. The fact you can buy one brand-new in Russia right now just makes it worse. No idea what this is but the rear track is about a foot wider than the front so there's a fair bet the running gear is not original. Just when you thought it couldn't get weirder - SURPRISE OLD SAAB! Local ingenuity doesn't always pan out as you'd hope... this thing, um, well... Nope, that's not gone well. Local main-dealer / repair shop. You don't want to look closely at the repair job on the left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 If you have worked your way up from pedalling a BiciTaxi you graduate to these... things. It's a Tuk-Tuk but infinitely more ridiculous and less dignified for all concerned. Another old Saab lurking Told you they all have excellent bonnet ornamentation. That buffed right out, you'd never know... Another car which was obviously not on its original running gear. Another Ural Apparently Snoop Dogg has a brother who drives a taxi in Havana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Time for another Land Rover! It's a Defen...Series... something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 I don't know what this was but it was cool as hell That's less cool. More than one vehicle may have been involved in this creation. Pretty sure no Ferraris were involved in this despite the badge Oh look, an old Mercedes! ...or possibly not, possibly a new Chinese homage to an old Mercedes? Pretty sure Vin Diesel raced past here in the latest F+F movie - just to the left leads to the square where they start the road-race (I watched it on the plane, it was a long flight) So what are the rules on child seats in the back of tipper trucks? One of them, for those as like that sort of thing. How many different bits from different cars can we identify in this creation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Oh hey, it's another Land Rover - and a Series 1 no less! Well, maybe some bits might be non-original but... OK, several non-original bits, but... Well, um... Rear lights off one of the Uaz bread vans, he's got style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Classy Ural AND THE FINAL PICTURE FOR NOW! Lens flare because I'm a tart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 That's been great viewing and super photo captions. Thanks! Looks like a super trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Those boys have definitely got skills. Design ability not so much but skill yes in spades. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Awesome photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 great motors, some good skills at keeping ancient vehicle on the road when there are next to no spares or newer vehicles to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I remember seeing someone in Cuba making a new brake wheel cylinder seal from an old drill, a sausage of rubber, and a blunt chisel. THAT was craftsmanship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Yeah it's easy to forget just how far behind they are / how embargoed they are as they make do amazingly well, but little details can give it away. One morning over breakfast the guy who owned the Casa Particulaire (sort of a mini-B&B in UK speak) sat on the front porch and was hammering nails straight to re-use them. He'd obviously stripped a pallet or something and collected all the nails up. Of course after that I noticed that you never see discarded pallets, oil drums, etc. as I guess the materials get snapped up and re-used. The photo of the dude who looks like Snoop Dogg, that car was as clean and straight as any show-car you'd find in the USA but still had that "diesel land cruiser" sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=jon= Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 On 25/11/2017 at 10:34 PM, FridgeFreezer said: Time for another Land Rover! It's a Defen...Series... something! Isn't that Urban Truck's latest model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 3 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said: still had that "diesel land cruiser" sound. I think a lot of the engines are diesel lada variants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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