O/T..You have to give these Cubans credit...

Since Cuba is full of old American cars from the pre-Fidal Castro days, if you want off the island these cars seem to be the vehicles of choice for an escape across the 90 miles of ocean between Cuba and Florida...check out these REAL cars/trucks Cubans used to make their escape...

 

I seen the news coverage on the 48 Merc Taxi. Did you know the U.S. Coast guard took the pasangers off and sank it? I just about Crapped. The news showed it going down, what a waste.
The Wizzard

 

All three vehicles were sunk. I would of pulled them to shore, and put them on ebay! I agree, a waste to sink them. Dean

 

If I had that gun they use I'd freking shoot the shit out every one of them.

 

what the hell are you talking about?

 

They use a large machine gun / cannon to sink them.

Not shooting Cubans. I got no beef with that country..........yet

 

I think Leadsledolds is talking about shooting back!!!!

 

I've always thought we should trade some of the morons we've already got in this country for these resourceful Cubans. I mean these guys want to be in the US so bad that they build these crazy carboats and risk their lives. Let 'em in. I'm sure we could find some people to volunteer to move to Cuba in trade.

 

I agree !!!! What are you talking about ? Save the cars !!!

 

The taxi and the green truck were the same guy. He was sent back last time and I assume the same happened this time. I say let him stay. He's probably a better person than the politicians who send him back to Cuba.

 

the pickup guy and i think 4 others went overland to guatemala and up the south america route and crossed into texas, and are now livign with relatives in florida, there was a news story about it, took them 3 months longer, but they got in ,

 

they need parts.

i need cigars.

why is this a problem?

 

LSO I'm shocked! Shocked! You'd sacrifice a good 59 Buick flattop to a minigun?

I'd have at least scrounged all the trim off of it first.

 

These people are brave people. Anybody willing to risk their life in one of these things in 90 miles of open ocean has some "cojones". The Coast Guard should let them stay here; however, the LAW and the politicans says that if they are caught in the open ocean, they go back to Cuba and Castro's punishment. If they make it to the beach in the USofA, then they get to stay here. I say anybody willing to die to get here deserves the opportunity to stay here. Eventually, Castro will die (hopefully sooner rather than later) and the Cubans will be able to throw off Communism like the rest of the world. Then people won't have to die to come here. They also won't have a reason to leave that place that Castro has caused to live in poverty while the rest of the world has moved ahead.

That guy is better than most of the politicians who wrote the law that sends them back to Cuba. When he does get here (and he will eventually) we should get him here on the H.A.M.B. to teach us a few things about building cars.

I'll get off my soap box and stop being political.

Phil, aka AZAV8

 

Oops, you're right. The Buick and the Merc were the same guy.

 

Actually, I think he's staying. He and his wife, along with their two kids won some sort of lottery for legal documents to come here. I'm not 100% sure of this but I think they are the only four of the 14 in the car to stay.

 

Hahaha, when capitalism comes to Cuba, they're going to be two steps ahead. They don't recognize the US Patent system, they have all kinds of stuff they "stole" from "us" - particularly pharmaceuticals. Take a look at sales from US drug makers into south and central America - they're almost non-existent. Cuba is filling that void. Not that the average citizen sees the impact of that revenue...

Anyways, the Buick is cool, sink the rest of that shit. Can you imagine being on the open ocean with seawater up to the door sills in a 50yr old CAR? What about pirates? (yes they still exist) Frankly the benevolent US Coast Guard is the least of their worries.

 

Ever notice how Bob Vila and Fidal Castro look more alike every day???

 

And your polititions gave Iran a hard time for having a porus border with Afganastan.........

 

Here's a capitalist idea:
Somebody film the buildup, testing, and the escape. Put it on Discovery Channel and sell a million t-shirts. Then they can bribe their way in. Just don't let Castro see .
Cu-ban. Cu-ban Gar-age.

 

I would totally watch that. Do it really documentary style, showing their plans for escape and the buildup of the boat/vehicle that they would be using. I know you were joking but seriously that would be a fantastic documentary to watch.

 

Fraz Im more of a hardtop guy I can live without another flattop. Hell once you put that thing in the ocean I dont think they are gonna last very much longer. I've seen what living near the ocean can do to a car I cant imagine if you drove it in the ocean.

The Buick the only one that was worth saving anyway. What's with the save a four door foundation.

 

I wonder how cheap you can buy whole cars over in Cuba for......

 

I've thought a lot lately about how there should be a program to help the Cuban guys get parts for their old cars. I read an AutoWeek article about a group of reporters that went down there to check out the car scene. You can get there if you fly from Canada. (The rest of the world doesn't have a gripe with Cuba, just the US. When are we gonna get over this?) One of the reporters took a handful of old spark plugs. He gave them to one of the Cubans. The guy acted like he won the lottery. They had a little blurb about 2 or 3 guys who needed certain parts for their 50s cars and where you could send them if you wanted to donate. These guys improvise the crap out things, and use a lot of oddball stuff like Russian car parts, etc.

Parts for Cigars sounds a lot better than Arms for Hostages or whatever.

The FBI is probably reading this thread.

 

Geraldo Rivera and Fidel Castro are starting to look a lot alike too.

 

well theyre definatly reading it now...cigars, Fidel Castro AND Geraldo? all in one post? sheesh...haha

 

The parts thing has happened on small scale.

A guy I know went over there with a bunch of Harleys to film a TV show about the bike scene in Cuba. He left a lot of parts with his new found friends and vowed to fill the whole suitcase the next time he goes back.

He told the tale of some old mechanic welding with a feed off the powerline outside, a bucket of water and a stick welder lead!

These people will tear that country up when Fidel dies. The tourism industry is already aligning for the day when the borders are once again open. The Hiltons arent all dumb blondes

And yes, the guy that built all three of those cars got to stay here with his family. He won travel visas in the govt lottery down there so technically he was free to leave Cuba, all he had to do was ask for asylum once he got here. The time frame on the documents was running out, they had to make the trip ASAP!

Thats balls folks.

 

National Geographic did a story a while back about how bad things are in Cuba. You can get a prostitute for a bar of soap. Not really sure if I'd want a woman that would prostitute herself for hygiene products. Anyway, if a woman will do that, I am sure that you could buy a whole car for pretty cheap.

 

I'd just build a submarine..... Surely one of them have though about that....

 

Those pics are great I live in FL> and didnt even see that! My brother and law is Cuban I dont think he would have thought of that shit! Just great stuff!

Jah