Cuba Field Trip!



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Faulkner
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Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

Now that the walls are coming down... Let's go! I figure we can all stay at Dick's house, and charter a short flight to Havana! What do you say, Dick?
cuba-1.jpg
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Dick Koch
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Dick Koch »

Sounds like a plan to me!! If we run out of beds you'all can sleep in cars or my Costco Garage Spray Booth.
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big m
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by big m »

On a similar note, This political cartoon was in our local paper today-Pretty good cartoon likeness of a '59!

59Plycartoon001_zps3db71457.jpg
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Faulkner
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

I love it, John! And for those who can't get enough of Cuban cars - there's plenty of MoPars to be seen here:

http://www.danheller.com/cuba-cars.html

Dan
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Denver 59 Fin Convert
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Denver 59 Fin Convert »

We had the same cartoon in our Denver paper. The artist must like 59's Plymouths as he drew all the correct details (other then the cinder blocks the car is on)

I think we need a barge to bring back all those 50's cars from Cuba!

John Q.
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Nighthawk »

Well guys, i think you'd all be pretty disappointed! I was in Cuba in March and found that pretty much every one of the so called classic cars there and have all been rebuilt with a lot of homemade parts, and are retrofitted with Japanese, Korean, and it some cases Soviet era diesel engines and transmissions!
Pretty much every one of them has tuck and roll upholstery as well. We stayed in Varadero and took a day trip to Havana, and while there i was talking to a guy with a 56 Chev Bel Air sedan (Pretty much all the old cars are used as taxis for the tourists) and he told me, "Senor, the only thing about this car that is from the 50's is the body and the dashboard, everything else has been rebuilt or remanufactured to keep them going!" This one had a Nissan diesel engine and manual transmission, but was rigged up so the column shift could be used, Those of who have me on Facebook, check my photo album entutled 'Cuba Trip, March 20 to 27'

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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

Nighthawk wrote:Well guys, i think you'd all be pretty disappointed!
I don't know that disappointed is the right word - perhaps the purist would be disappointed. But what a trip, to see so much old stock rolling around. I, for one, am putting it on my bucket list!

Dan
1005CubanCar11.jpg
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Nighthawk »

Well, i would say go for the culture, the people, the sights,the beautiful beaches and of course the weather, but don't go just because of the cars!!
And in case you don't know, there's nothing stopping any of you who are U.S. citizens from going there now! All you have to do is make arrangements through a Canadian travel agency, then come to Toronto and go there from here!

Bob
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

Nighthawk wrote:All you have to do is make arrangements through a Canadian travel agency, then come to Toronto and go there from here!
This just in!
Cuba.JPG
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Steve Storey
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Steve Storey »

I'll bet I could develop a taste for a Cuban cigar as well. Its certainly time we kissed and made up.
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Faulkner
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

Dick Koch passed on this note. What wonderful pix - thanks Dick!
A Vermont Automobile Enthusiasts Car Club member wrote:Two years ago we went to Cuba because I wanted to see it before it changed, due to Castro dying or improved US relations. My timing was good. Most of the cars there are really junkers, some are good, but only a very few are collector worthy. The best one I saw was an Edsel convertible of which there were only 2 in the whole country. I thought you might enjoy seeing what is there.

http://georgemarks.com/Cars%20of%20Cuba/index.html
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Faulkner
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

I sent this message to a car club in Cuba:
Dan wrote: From: Morton, Dan
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 2:03 PM
Subject: 1959 Plymouth

Greetings from Philadelphia in the United States.

I run a website for 1959 Plymouths, http://www.59plymouth.net. I recently learned of the auto in the attached photo. Is there any way for me to contact the owner? I would very much like to invite him to join, and to send more photos. Membership is free, and we have members from all over the world. We help each other find parts and keep our cars in top running condition.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Many thanks
Dan
And received this reply:
Alex wrote: From: Alex Cruz Rangel
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: 1959 Plymouth

Hi Dan, is a pleasure to hear from you !! Well, I must tell you that it will be very difficult to find this person only with this photo. You have more information related? Where you took the photo?

Otherwise, access to internet is almost impossible from Cuba so I cannot see clear that this person, if it appears, can access your website. Good website BTW.

Best,
Alex
Matthew, you've got eagle eyes! This picture has been copied many times - do you know where it originated on the web, so I can try to track down where in Cuba the photo was taken?

Thanks
Dan
1005CubanCar11.jpg
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Nighthawk »

Hi Dan, here's googles image search results of that pic

https://www.google.ca/search?tbs=sbi:AM ... A-HZoY7wQy
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Faulkner
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Re: Cuba Field Trip!

Post by Faulkner »

Thanks, Bob! Jill Richardson purports to have taken the picture. Now, to find an email address for her...

http://www.jillovertheground.com/2010/0 ... -cars.html
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Faulkner
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I'm Goin'!

Post by Faulkner »

The California Auto Club has organized a trip to Cuba, and plans to meet with members of Los Amigos del Fangio Auto Club at Parque La Piragua on October 10th. I'm arranging my own trip as a "journalist" for www.59plymouth.net (you may have heard of them) that same weekend. As such, I can fly directly to Havana from Miami. My flight is booked, and I've made arrangements to stay in an apartment overlooking the Malecon, where I'm told there is a constant parade of old cars late into the night:

Malecon.JPG



It was very expensive to rent ($39 an night), but I figure it's worth it. (!)

Mary Kay won't be joining me, she gets a trip to Iceland in March out of this. I'll be a shutterbug all weekend!

Dan
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