In a country where importing cars is not easy, not cheap, and the world does not want you to - you just kinda have to take care of the cars that you have. And when you inherit your mom's or dad's car you better make sure you take good care of it or you will find yourself taking the bus.
It is not as tough as it sounds though because Cubans are very calm and courteous drivers. They drive these cars everyday as taxis and everyday commuting. They are not in a rush to go anywhere and wait patiently at intersections to allow people to cross and cars to pull out into the road. While visiting the Plaza de La revolution I was surprised that there is no cross walk to go to the other side. Nor is there any cross walk on the Malecon. Pedestrians including families and children just walk across with minimum stress. This certainly doesn't mean you should act a fool crossing the 6 lanes.
So its easy to keep your car in pristine conditions when everybody aint suffering from road rage and trying to run you off the road like they have pot pon fire as we would say in Jamaica. If you got a car in the sixties its you family car for life. There are new cars in Cuba though but mostly European cars; Peugeot, Lada, MG, VW etc.
Not all the classic cars are like the one in the picture - you do have about a 30% or so total rust buckets wobbling down, the road filling the air with exhaust smoke. And alot of them new korean engines but are still going strong with OG parts.
Pictured is a 1949-ish Ford something. I do not remember exactly what he said it was. They are all American cars. Since Cuba doesn't build cars. If you choose to go on a classic car tour make sure that the guide has a good handle of the english language before you set off.
I doubt most of these cars have original engines but in either case it is suprising what people can maintain when they have limit resources, tools and the will power. The thing with cars in Cuba is that they are all family cars passed down to children from parents so few of them are bought or sold. In which you had better take care of your car and its harder to pass off your problem child to someone else!
Drag racing, race gas and noise polution. NDRC Drag Challenge #3: Vernamfield, Clarendon, Jamaica. The sun was hot as ever and I keep forgetting to buy a hat so I can bring it along with me. I havent bought a hat in forever.
Thank heavens that they were not HID bulbs. A replacement halogen bulb was just $3 USD. DIY to the world! On my previous car I accidentally let the bulb fall into the head light - nightmare to get it out. Luckily with the advancement in technology that is impossible to re-occur.
Engine bays of cars nowadays have gotten smaller and smaller that I thought the task of getting into the space that houses the headlights might have required professional. Luckily with a little jiggling I got out the plastic part that blocked the cover for the light.
This little thing was in the way
Very tight space
3 bucks woohoo!
Secondary air intake right below the low bean cover.
Looks like the top cracked open releasing the gas that keeps the lamp working.
A day at the drag races, cars go vooorm vooorm, pop pop. bang, bang fashion killa. Sun was blazing on the concrete. The smell of race gas in the air. Vernam Field, Clarendon, Jamaica.
Euro type R civic. It kinda grows on you after a while.
