CC reader Maarten sent me this link to cubisima.com, Cuba’s on-line marketplace for cars, among other things. Now that the rules on buying and selling cars are being relaxed, there’s an incredible assortment of Curbisde Classics for sale. There’s over a thousand Chevrolets alone, like this 1950 sedan. It’s got a Mercedes OM 615 engine (200D or 220D), Lada five-speed gearbox, and a Chevrolet rear axle. Price: 12,000 CUC (Convertible Peso = $1.00 US). Not enough power (55hp)? How about a ’55 Chevy with a five-cylinder Mercedes diesel under the hood?
This ’55 not only has a five cylinder Benz, but also Aire acondicionado, automatic, xenon headlights, tinted windows and a host of other amenities to bring it into the 21st century. This one’s a bit pricier, at 26,000 CUC. If you’re tired of craigslist trolling, head on over to cubisima.com for some fresh MM fodder. The only question is how to get it out of the country. Like this?
This is unreal. 48 ads for DeSotos? When was the last time that happened?
My high school Spanish was a long time ago, but it appears four and five cylinder Mercedes diesel engine swaps are the most common with Perkins diesels coming in close behind, at least based upon what I saw.
Some of these cars are in surprisingly original condition and not modified, such as this: http://cubisima.com/carros/fotos-de-carros/cadillac-sedan-deville-del-59!3152!4313.htm Another is a ’57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser advertised as all original – and it looked it.
Others are simply rare, such as a ’56 Cadillac limo that has been given a four-cylinder Perkins diesel.
One could spend way too much time looking at these. It does appear a little like craigslist in that the same car may be advertised multiple times.
They want big coin for those dont they export shouldnt be a problem ships call on Cuba quite a lot its an island nation, of course Americans arent allowed to trade with Cuba but the rest of the world isnt so anal
Some of the vintage cars running around Cuba have some pretty amazing backyard engineering. Small diesel engines are quite common in ’50s cars, and modifications and adaptations of every description are commonplace. The people who own them are usually happy to talk about them and most are very aware of what they have. If solid original is what you want you will be disappointed though.
A lot of guys there run taxi services with the old bombs and you can get an interesting afternoon tour for a very reasonable price. Later model cars are far more common, mostly from Japan and Germany, and there are still some Russian vehicles around as well. Anyone with a vehicle of any sort is far better off than most Cubans and they will do almost anything to keep them on the road. It’s an interesting diversion but there is an ugly reality behind all these 60 year old “collector” cars. Most of the folks who drive them would take a 10 year old Accord or Camry in a heartbeat!
$50,000 for a RAV4?
http://cubisima.com/carros/autos-y-camionetas/toyota!21224.htm
$43,000 for a Yaris???
http://cubisima.com/carros/autos-y-camionetas/toyota-yaris!23305.htm
Um, pass.
and I though CL had some crazy asking prices lol
Considering the average Cuban makes $20 a month, I don’t understand who’ll be buying these, but Cuba has got to be Mecca for CC enthusiasts
That’s the average wage for those working for the state. But there’s a huge influx of money from friends and relatives in the US, and Cubans are allowed to own and run certain types of businesses. There are many Cubans living at higher income levels than that.
Also, any Cubans working in the tourist trade get tips. The tips are in CUC, and if a bartender serves a hundred drinks a day, he might get 50 CUC or more. It adds up quite quickly. When you’re at an all-inclusive resort, tipping a Peso a drink really isn’t a problem.
I know that a few years ago, it was not legal to export these old cars out of Cuba, I don’t know if those rules still apply.
Another thing to consider, if you’re trading US Dollars for Convertible Pesos, there is an 8% fee, so 1CUC is actually equal to US$1.08. That fee doesn’t apply to other currencies.
The Corvair converted to Lada front engine power is freakish:
http://cubisima.com/carros/autos-y-camionetas/chevrolet-corvair-del-60!2169.htm
Makes you wonder what happened to the car that was the drivetrain donor; how badly was it wrecked, rusted or whatever that it made more sense to swap the drivetrain into a Corvair than fix up the original Lada.
We covered that one here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/1960-corvairs-still-hard-at-work-in-cuba-with-lada-engines-in-front/
Been to Cuba, and although the cars are great to look at I don’t think I’d want one. 60 years of continuous use means they’re generally pretty beat, and heavily modified. Besides where are you going to get parts for the 20 year old Russian diesel in your Hillman?
Last time I checked there wasn’t a shortage of old cars in the US, so besides the Cuban angle there isn’t really much to get excited about.
Although I applaud the overall ingenuity applied to keep them running, I wouldn’t touch one of these with a 100ft pole. The only interest I would have is purely to see how they adapted bits to keep them running.
And the spelling and grammar of those ads is dismal.
@tiredoldmechanic, spot on mate. Many of them would also defect at the first chance. I heard plenty of stories about Cuban doctors defecting back in my country
Virtually none of those cars would pass compliance here especially the modified ones all that has to be certed here gone are the days when you could any motor into any car and get it passed, and I already have a 54yr old fossil in my carport.
What, you don’t have engineers in Kiwiland?
Yeah we have plenty of engineering know how out here and plenty of regulations to go with them,
The engineers here are the ones that approve the swap/modification so the car can be registered. I asked because I don’t know how you guys do it over there.
Similar system you modify/rebuild they inspect and pass/fail your efforts.
Some of these cars don’t just have a different engine, but even a transmission from a third car and other parts from different donors (Example: http://cubisima.com/carros/autos-y-camionetas/volga!15909.htm). Makes you wonder how they managed to combine these.
I also like this Opel/Lada hybrid: http://cubisima.com/carros/autos-y-camionetas/opel!18642.htm
Here’s a Soviet era limo I saw driving around Havana.
‘can only imagine the people that have ridden in it when it was still in government service.
interesting.i see some 60s and 50s American cars(some german cars too)running on Toyota’s 20R,22R or Nissan L20 engines here in TEHRAN.
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I’ve so far never been to Cuba but admire their decades old American cars and the fact they are still kept operating in most cases without the original engine and drivetrain components. They certainly have determination and ingenuity.