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"QUANTUM SHOT" #144(rev)
Link - article by Avi Abrams
      
      

      Blues Brothers, take note: these cars are truly un-killable

      The sheer logistics required to make these cars marginally road-worthy
      boggle the mind. Driving them is similar to boarding abandoned
      roller-coaster, as you never know if there is a terrible crash just
      waiting to happen at the next turn.

      

      Ghost Cars of Venezuela

      Seeing these ghostly apparitions still plying the highways and country
      roads of the (mostly) developing countries, makes us better appreciate
      what we have (even though we complain about high maintenance, repair and
      gas bills). Thanks to Tony Pearson, who sent in these photos, we now have
      a better idea of what driving in Venezuela looks like:

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

      All-wheel steering? -

      

      Not. Safe. -

      

      More un-killable vehicles: this one is from the "Barn" -

      
      
      

      Printing the license plate number on the glass is a good idea: the trunk
      area needs some work -

      

      Cover for a rainy day -

      
      

      Taxis are not in any better shape:

      
      
      
      

      Cuban Buses

      Not even mentioning the condition of other cars in Cuba (almost all of
      them would throw US safety expert in for a loop)... There are cars that
      never cease to amaze US vintage car collectors, how such ancient models
      can still drive around. But even disregarding cars, take a look now at the
      public transit buses in Havana:

      
      

      Very strange:

      
      (image credit:
        Simon Ward)

      More ghastly vehicles!

      Most are from the former Communist Block countries (so called
      "Borat-mobiles")

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      (originals unknown)

      The last image seems to be common practice in India: this is how the
      vehicles are driven from one factory to the other, while being only
      half-built. Aggressive ghosts:

      
      

      Still working Russian truck, lovingly propped up by wood:

      
      (image
        via)

      Some cars get a new life as graffiti displays:

      
      (image
        via)

      ...or as a rebel force headquarters (here is a Serbian partisan's van):

      
      (image
        via)

      Still hauling containers!... plus enjoying a nice cooling system:

      
      (image
        via)

      This car advertisers repairs of all sorts... except car repairs, I guess:

      
      (image via)

      Volga car lives again:

      
      (image
        via)

      Convertible "wishful thinking":

      
      
      (bottom image
        via)

      Probably the utmost in "wishful thinking" (this vehicles also has
      frightening stickers: "Belongs to Mafia" and "Elected Governor of the
      Road") -

      

      But there is something scarier than old cars road hazard:

      

      Vehicles in Iraq:

      ...deserve their own category. Some of them refuse to die even after being
      "freshly squeezed" by your friendly neighborhood tank:

      

      No way this thing still moves! -

      
      (original unknown)

      CONTINUE TO THE REST OF "CRAZY LOGISTICS" SERIES! ->




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YOUR COMMENTS::

13 Comments:

Anonymous Tom said...

Great article Avi - check out the grin on the soldier's face in the last photo :)

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The two last pictures: definitely not the same car!

The bottom one has a black(ish) plastic front bumper whereas the top one doesn't seem to have one at all. There really IS no way the car in the top photo is ever moving under its own power again.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KnsAEkQFn1o/TnkkC77_IbI/AAAAAAABiB0/sCwy-Jlom60/s720/z32.jpg is not a ghost car. It is a piece of art, dating back to the early/mid 90's called "Ghetto Blaster". You can see contemporary American cars in the background.

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Anonymous Kurt said...

Non-First World people and their dilapidated cars are hilarious!

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

About that half-built truck in India: in India one can buy an unfinished "chasis", as shown in the picture, and then build it into a truck or bus as one likes. So, essentially that is how your new truck or bus will look like. And you have to take it to the builders yourself. There are special drivers available for these vehicles.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can tell that BMW tractor is fake because the Rondel has the colors backwards.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Blue van in Serbia belong to fan of Partizan. Every second sport club in serbia have a name Partizan and have nothig with rebel force headquarters. :) Nice fotos, thank you.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

more on that half built truck,never mind seeing it in india, i saw them all the time as a kid in england in the midlands around nottingham when they were goung between factorys, they had a kind of tiny cab on them to protect the driver, must of banned them now,thats heath and safty.

___  
Anonymous vencanice said...

This is great. Your collection of funny cars and scary road is amazing. I love your blog, keep going.

P.S.
Partizan Srbija is the best vehicle.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Behold the wonders of socialism!

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

The first vehicle in the "Boratmobile" section is a sort of smallholders tractor (called a motocultivador in Portugal). The rear half can be removed and a variety of implements, such as rotovator or crop-cutting attachments can be fitted to the pto in its place. In this configuration it's pedestrian controlled.
I too remember seeing truck and bus chassis being driven to the coachbuilders in the UK. The drivers had no protection from the elements at all, except for gauntlets, goggles and thick coats.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

but these pictures show that all the world loves autonomous mobility.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

The truck with cabin propped up by a wooden plank might very well have been "fixed up" in Russia, but it is a Japanese make: the steering wheel is on the right.

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