First, for awhile 30% of the total export revenue in Georgia was from refurbished cars. So even in our small city of Khashuri where I spent our training, most of the cars here are VERY NICE. I mean nice mid sized Mercedes, Nissans, Fiats, and my neighbor has an AlphaRomeo. It isn't that way in Koda or Tbilisi, but Khashuri must have special auto skills.
Secondly, they have gas tanks of course but some don't use them. Many cars run on propane gas! Yep, so when we go to the gas station, everyone has to get out of their car, and the attendant opens the trunk and puts the propane in a big cylindrical tank in the trunk. And FYI, here is the difference in gas mileage.
(So you geeks will want to check my calculations (and you know who you are) but here is what I figured:
103 km = 7 GEL. 15 km = 1 GEL 1 GEL = $.57 . 1km = .6 miles So they get 16 miles/dollar. So I don't know what gas is in the US, but this it pretty good, eh?
My host "brother" bought a little Golf. It looked in good shape. But oh my, what they did to it when they brought it home. They said they were going to clean it and fix it up. Well first came the blackened window. Then they 'cleaned it. Here it is before they stripped it completely, (is that what they do in the Bronx) cleaned the entire floor, and put everything back in. They even re-sewed the fabric on the seats after they cleaned it. It was amazing to watch.
And here is the final product, with proud Dad, Gocha, with son, Tornike with his 'new' car.
