Inliners International Forums General Discussion Bench racing Cuban Chebbies

Last night on a local PBS staion from Philly I watched a 2002 documentary on Chevys in Cuba,mostly in Havana.I have to give credit to the owners and mechanics who keep their cars,mostly inline, running and in most cases pretty decent body wise.Because of the embargo lots of ingenuity was used. A lot of Russian Volga car parts were adapted to the venerable six.One man had a beautiful Buick straight 8 and another had an equally nice Hudson Hornet. Despite the poverty they said they wouldn't sell to foreign business men or US visitors because it was such a status symbol and an investment for their family.The mechanics make so much of there own parts,even chrome pieces.One guy was using chunks of chain link fence as welding rod,another made his own brake pads from stolen asbestos.They said they get around the government by fixing local politicos cars for free.Sometimes even the Cuban police.If you want to sell or buy a car in Cuba, Fidel personally must sign the papers.Wow!The title is "Yank Tanks" on a program called VOCES.Hope you can catch it one day.

I caught that show a couple of years ago and I too was amazed at what lengths they will go to in order to keep the cars running. If you watch the evening news you will often see they use old cars and trucks as ferry boats to get to Florida. Most of them never get that far before they are intercepted and repatriated and their sea going land barges are set on fire and sunk.

I saw it too, a long time back. Like Mike said, "It's amazing".

It's the same in many "latin" Countrys. Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, there almost the same. If the USA didn't support them in some way or another, there be civil war every other decade.

It's really a shame.

By "support", do you mean assasinate or overthrow elected officials, terrorize civilians, and repress revolutionaries fighting corrupt dictators for human rights in the interest of US corporations? For things like drinking water?
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/Bolivia_WaterWarVictory.html