Maybelater's Trip To Cuba (Exclusive Pictures)

by Ted Grant

Published: January 21st, 2012

maybelater s trip to cuba exclusive pictures

This Desoto has four wheel disc brakes and is the nicest Detroit iron I found...

(Some of the best stories in TTAC are told by the Best & Brightest, our readers. Many a TTAC career (mine included) started with a comment, then the odd story, and before you know it … Today’s story is from Ted Grant a.k.a. Maybelater. He sent in some pictures from a trip to Cuba. Maybelater is Canadian, he’s allowed to.

When asked for a few words, Ted said he’s not a writer. Then, he wrote the email that follows.

If you have a good story to tell, in words, pictures, or both, send it to me. It will be pro bono, but who knows, it could be the start of a glorious writing career. – BS)

I just returned from holidays in Cuba and snapped some shots of some vehicles in and around Santa Lucia. Most of the pre 1959 Detroit iron is heavily reworked and tired, but the fact that they are still in use is a testament to the original design engineers and the Cuban nationals’ ingenuity with limited resources. Our tour guide told us that even the ugliest POS vehicle that still runs commands big money and is a luxury for the locals. Some older cars have been handed down in families, but the majority of car owners have rich relatives in foreign countries that help them with the purchase. A typical 50’s Detroit ride runs 10 to 15 thousand so they are indeed a real luxury.

A 55 Shoebox on the fly...

I approached several owners of Detroit built vehicles hoping to get some insight on their conversions, but none of them were fluent in English. My Spanish isn’t any better but having the hoods open sure helped.

A russian four litre diesel propels this 55 Pontiac....

The owner of the 55 Pontiac was super friendly and described how he upgraded his car to modern running gear.His “Baby” 55 Poncho is now powered by a four liter Russian built truck motor. The rear axle is a truck semi floating type the same as the green 57 Buick two door sedan. The motors and rear axles are an easy swap but the front suspension and steering is a challenge. He kept pointing out parts he had changed and my nodding approvingly kept him motivated. It was evident he was very proud of his car and a family member will inherit it when his time comes. He is aware of other vehicles available outside of Cuba but has no desires for anything newer. I showed him some pictures I had taken and offered to send them to him but he gratefully declined.

A very tired Buick rag top

Any type of motorized transport is cherished in Cuba, and with wages being so low only a select few will own a car. I was told the average wage is 25 to 40 Cuban convertible pesos per month. Housing is free but that’s small comfort when used cars start at around ten thousand convertible pesos.

A common sight in Cuba

You will also see numerous home built horse drawn carts. The carts have a wide array of solid axles and wheels on them so finding wheels in a wrecking yard must be a challenge. Bicycles and pedal powered trikes are the most common methods of transport.

Your taxi is here!

One can always find people waiting at pick up points on roadways for any form of public transport.

This Model A has seen a few changes

In Cuba the government finds and places you in a job based on your education and skill set. You must serve two years in this position and after two years you can stay if you like it, or move on to another job by your own resources.

A well cared for 52...

The people serving the tourist trade seem to do fairly well and have better vehicles. I’ve wrecked better vehicles than what you will find on the roads in Cuba, but most people seem content with what they have even though they are aware of what they’re missing. The next time I hear someone complain of vehicle prices in Canada, I’ll be tempted to inform them that they haven’t traveled yet …

A russian four litre diesel propels this 55 Pontiac….

Your taxi is here!

A 55 Shoebox on the fly…

This Desoto has four wheel disc brakes and is the nicest Detroit iron I found…

A very tired Buick rag top

A tired but still running Dodge sedan

This Model A has seen a few changes

Someone found a Model A body…This diesel powered taxi was pretty fast…

A Renault with punch buggy tail lights and owner installed running boards, bumpers and door handles…

A well cared for 52…

A common Moskvich sedan. The Cuban nationals don’t like them but it beats walking. Even a POS like this costs around ten thousand Cuban convertible pesos. The owner stated it gets real scary driving over 80 KM/HR.

A common sight in Cuba

This Windsor is owned by a gentleman from Luxembourg. This one has the origional drivetrain and is very hard on gas…

I love 2 door post cars and this 57 Buick was my favorite.

#Cuba #Maybelater #TedGrant

Ted Grant

Certified gear head

More by Ted Grant

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6 of 82 comments

Ajla on Jan 21, 2012

A '57 Buick with a ZIL engine, truck axle, and busted grille is still better than the Encore.

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Skor on Jan 22, 2012

I wouldn't like living in present day Cuba, but if I were forced to choose between our "enemy" Cuba or our "friend" Saudi Arabia, I would pick Cuba without a second thought. At least in Cuba, I wouldn't get stoned to death by some lying hypocrite mullah for humping the cute chick that lives across the street.

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- Pch101 on Jan 22, 2012
  if I were forced to choose between our “enemy” Cuba or our “friend” Saudi Arabia The Economist compiles an annual democracy index. Cuba ends up in the bottom quadrant because it is a dictatorship, of course, but as far as dictatorships go, it ranks fairly high. It's above Iran, above China, definitely above North Korea (which is at the very bottom of the ranking), and as you would have guessed, above Saudi Arabia. These "gulag" comments above are a bit hyped. While it's obviously not a free country and there isn't much wealth, there is also a high rate of literacy and little crime, while it lacks the sort of grinding poverty that leads to the starvation that is evident in places such as North Korea. For the average person who is apolitical and not materially ambitious, it could be a lot worse.
  
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- Vww12 on Jan 22, 2012
  
  @Pch101 «and little crime» As reported by the official Communist dictatorship statistics, to be sure. Both my wife and I had our $10 baseball hats robbed in the Havana malecon at around 11am on a weekday, around 300 yards away from the former U.S. Embassy building, now called the "United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana" building. Regarding poverty, what could be more painful than the sight of the thousands of young women openly dedicated to the foreign sex trade in Cuba, a.k.a. "Jineteras"? Some comfort it must be for those people, and their parents, to know that at least they are not starving.
  
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- Pch101 on Jan 22, 2012
  
  @Pch101 Well, your $10 theft is certainly comparable to the Rwandan genocide. Perhaps you could form an international tribunal to investigate the matter. As for hookers, I don't need to travel to get those. We have plenty of them right here.
  
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- Skor on Jan 22, 2012
  
  @vww12 "Regarding poverty, what could be more painful than the sight of the thousands of young women openly dedicated to the foreign sex trade in Cuba, a.k.a. “Jineteras”? Some comfort it must be for those people, and their parents, to know that at least they are not starving." DUDE! Are you serious?! Did you ever walk through Times Square back in the 70's or 80's. Yes, there were "thousands of them".
  
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