I guess stupid arrogant jabbering people are everywhere.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary McCormick" <svgkm@halley.ca.essd.northgrum.com>
To: "Datsun Roadster List" <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 10:18 AM
Subject: [OT] Early Datsuns (and other cars) in Central America
> This didn't go through y'day when I first posted it, bu the List seemed to
be a bit
> off-song, plus I had just re-subscribed after coming back from vacation,
so here it goes
> again. My apologies if this is a repeat:
>
> I thought that I'd offer up some observations I made during my recent trip
to El Salvador
> and Guatemala:
>
> Datsun stuff (this is a Datsun Roadster list, after all... ):
>
> I saw 3, count 'em, 3, PL 320 pickups in El Salvador - more than I have
seen in as long as
>
> I can remember here in California. This surprised me mostly due to the
climate there - not
>
> terribly hot (usually) but humid. Not Florida-in-July humid, but much
higher humidity than
>
> California, that's for damn sure. Cars there take a beating from the poor
condition of the
>
> roads and streets (though it's getting better since the war) and the
climate. They rattle,
>
> creak and shake after just a couple of years, and seem to start rusting
even sooner. One
> of the 3 PL 320s which I saw was obviously a well-loved and looked-after
little truck - it
>
> had a fresh red paint job and alloy wheels. The two others were a bit
rough, but overall
> in fair shape - and they were all running and in use, not just sitting in
a field
> somewhere! I also saw a 510 2-door, and a 411 wagon which was in very good
condition!
>
> No Roadsters were in evidence, and I would have heard of it if anyone had
ever seen one
> down there - some of my wife's family and friends there are very much into
cars, and they
> know about my Roadster. One cousin has a Caterham 7, but he doesn't take
it out very often
>
> because of the poor condition of the roads.
>
> Other stuff:
>
> A major difference in the vehicle presence on the roads in C.A. as opposed
to the US is
> the plethora of models and manufacturers that aren't seen here. Renault
and Alfa models
> are sold there, and some dinky little Daewoo vans, funky little Daihatsus
(I think that's
> what they were) that are widely used as taxis in Guatemala City, plus
4-door, dual-cab,
> shortbed small pickups from Toyota and Nissan that I've never seen here
and lots of just
> slightly different models from familiar manufacturers. Another major
difference - I saw
> only one Miata, and one PT Cruiser on the roads while I was there!
>
> Small to mid-sized SUVs are much in evidence, but not too many of the
bigger ones. The
> import duty is stiff on personally-imported vehicles, so the couple of
Yukons and
> Explorers which I saw were being driven by people with healthy bank
accounts.
>
> Speaking of Yukons, I saw something that made me a little homesick for the
states: A big
> ol' Yukon being delicately maneuvered into a parking space in a grocery
store parking lot
> - backing in and lining up perfectly centered (after 2 or 3 tries)... on
the white line
> between two spaces - taking up two parking spaces and hanging 3 feet out
of the end of the
>
> space into the aisle! Predictably enough, a well-dressed woman stepped out
of the vehicle,
>
> talking on her cell phone (which she had been doing throughout the parking
maneuver).
>
> Gary McCormick
> San Jose, CA
> '70 2000 SRL311-13291
>
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