Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: pj on December 17, 2014, 18:38:53
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If it turns out that President Obama's initiative to improve relations between Cuba and the U.S.A. really works, do you think we'll see a bunch of rust-free Pagodas come out from various hiding places there?
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Considering that Castro's rise to power occurred before the first Pagoda was produced the chances are quite slim that there are many in Cuba; even less chance that any are rust free.
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... But it would allow Pagoda-ites like me to visit Cuba using a short flight from Key West (which is actually closer to Havanna than it is to Miami) where, currently, I'd have to first fly out to another country like Mexico before then being able to fly on to Cuba. Just sayin'!
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I am sure collectors of 50's vintage ford's and chevy's will be on the first flights there, if that day ever comes:-).
john
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And the last unrestored 300sl sleeping in cuba may finally be restored...
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I don't know about that, John.
After 50+ years of actual, hard use, with no parts to speak of available, I think most of Cuba's "auto collection" looks like the Wal-Mart auto show...
http://youtu.be/9QgIHzmLIJA
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I don't know about that, John.
After 50+ years of actual, hard use, with no parts to speak of available, I think most of Cuba's "auto collection" looks like the Wal-Mart auto show...
http://youtu.be/9QgIHzmLIJA
After see some of these Pagoda "hulks" on our forum lately and the price they fetch, I imagine a Cuban '57 2 door HT Chevy Bel Air or a '56 Ford Vickie would still be worth a few Pesos, Great video BTW
John
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If you wish to have a "Cuban barn find" the most likely outcome will be a car with vintage body and Lada engine...
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Michael
great video. I love your wit.
Happy Holidays
Urban
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According to Cuban legislation, vehicles of 50's era are considered national heritage and cannot be exported. ???
300SL in Cuba: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/abandoned-mercedes-benz-300-sl-found-in-cuba-2014-12-18
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https://autos.yahoo.com/news/myth-classic-american-cars-cuba-173048208.html
You want a 195X Chevy? They made something like 4.5 million of the "tri-fives". They'll never be rare. They'll always be available and one doesn't need to go to Cuba to find one!
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Plus those in Cuba would be held together with bubblegum and painted with tar. I agree with Michael...Cuba is not the place to hunt for a vintage car. Californie is the place you ought to be.
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Plus those in Cuba would be held together with bubblegum...
Methinks bubble gum was even in short supply...
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Well, I guess I was looking for an excuse to go to Cuba. You guys have set me straight. :-\
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Peter, you have a Canadian passport? You can get flights from Toronto. It's us Americans that couldn't [legally] go. Nobody hates Canadians.
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Two years ago at the Amelia Concours, the curator of the Cuban National Automobile Museum was in attendance. (It took the intervention of Congressman Campbell, a car collector in California, to get him here.) I interviewed him. He said there is a strong love of cars and there are families who make a second car a family hobby. Of course, some of the museum's collection looks like barn finds but the interest is there and the population expresses their creativity in the ways they keep these things running.
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I wonder how much " BONDO" on those National Heritage vehicles?
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I wonder how much " BONDO" on those National Heritage vehicles?
Just a guess, Ron--but probably less than hand-hammered galvanized sheet metal or other sheet metal including scrap. I would think Bondo and or other polyester or epoxy fillers would be either unavailable or quite costly if they were.
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a car friend went to Cuba last spring and checked into exporting a couple cars while he was there and he said that the problem he ran into was that nobody he talked to had actual ownership of the car. Somehow they just ran them and never got ownership along the way. Lots are 4 door vehicles so really not exciting here. The 55 chev he was really interested in looked good on the outside but once he got to looking at it closely, realized that there was not much of the original car underneath. He said that there was wonderful welding done to make parts from one car fit another and even side to side there were different parts fabbed to keep the car rolling. He said that as long as your were prepared to replace everything you would be ok. Definately not worth it when you can buy projects closer for less money that haven't been butchered. Local Craigslist - a 52 Ford Pickup / almost running for $1,200, 1940 Buick Super 8 - mostly there - $1,500 56 Buick Special running - $3,000, 57 landrover 107 P/U - running and insured with a parts car - $4,000, etc.
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Is this one enough of an "opportunity" ? ;)
But is the owner still alive and ready to sell? ???
http://www.emercedesbenz.com/autos/mercedes-benz/classic/mercedes-300sl-found-abandoned-in-cuba/