Cuba Part Dos: a couple Mopars

[ChrisBcritter]

And now for you Mopar buffs, how about a '58 Fury?

Engine, transmission and brake system are Hyundai (which is common; most old cars in Cuba have had newer drivetrains, many of them diesels), and obviously this one didn't start out as a convertible.

Finally one of the more grandiose (and confusing) deals this week.

It's listed as a 1955 Chrysler, but it's a hybrid of '56 Chrysler and '55 Imperial, with a Russian Chaika front bumper for good measure. Does it have a Hemi? No, it has a Hino. Plus Mercedes transmission, Chevy rear end, and four-wheel discs. And it's got power windows! The ladies love it!

Well, she likes it, anyway.

Many more here, including a nice '28 Ford Roadster, lots of Chevies and even a few Cadillacs:

http://www.revolico.com/autos/carros/search.html?q=&min_price=&max_price=&images=on

(And if you're not a Cuban citizen, you can't buy any of 'em.)

[Tom Geiger]

I've always enjoyed seeing the Cuban cars. Such resilience and imagination to keep things running. I get a kick out of those articles that there are millions of dollars worth of cars there. These cars are so worked over and so worn out that they wouldn't be worth much at all, except in a closed market like Cuba.

[Rob Hall]

Lots of ingenuity borne out of necessity to retrofit these cars w/ engines and transmissions etc from different makes..it is pretty amazing to see 50+yr old cars still in regular use.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Rob Hall

[ChrisBcritter]

Some cars are in way better shape than others, depending on the mechanic and the owner; what's surprising is how some cars, especially the tri-five Chevies, have "new parts brought from the USA". I imagine the owners have family connections here or possibly the repro parts come through Canada.

[1930fordpickup]

Is it me or does the strip of chrome on the Fury have an arch in it?