alberto cantillo own this is 1954 chevy bell air. it can be described as nothing short of cherry. cantillo paid $3,500 for the car. money he saved from tips working among foreigners at the resort of valladero playa. cantillo says every part is stock from the factory. >> there's still a lot of factory parts here that still exist. what we can't find we send for from the united states from relatives or friends. >> reporter: but not every cuban car owner has connections in the u.s. to supply factory parts. so people do what they can to keep their cars running. perhaps they modify a carburetor off a russian jeep. or turn a jar into a fuel filter. mario arencibia has a 49 chrysler. his has many parts that are not original factory equipment, he says sometimes you just have to find someone to make them. >> the machinists and the mechanics keep these things running because all these things are repaired by the machinests and the majority of the parts are made by the machinists. >> reporter: in the 1980s, the government tried to cap on the market. it offered to give any cuban a brand new rus