Caguas, Puerto Rico, Other: Caguas, Puerto Rico Muffler Man (Gone)

The "Caguas Giant" was originally in front of a Texaco station very close to where it is today. It was known as the Texaco Giant or Rafy Ramirez's Giant. For some time it held a Texaco shield between the floor and its lower hand. After its original owner, Mr. Rafy Ramirez, sold the station in the early 1980s, he moved the giant to its current location, where it has been moved several times. Children of the late 1960s to the early 1980s clearly remember its original location and have fond memories of the Giant.

Thought I would follow up on the 13 year old tip about a muffler man in Puerto Rico while I was down here on business. Sure enough, I found him across from the Jr High School in Caguas, just as the 1999 tip said, but he is down an alleyway off the road, and you have to drive down that in order to find him.. He's standing up with a small iron fence around him, behind an auto body shop.

The locals know him as the Carolina Giant, and he came here in the early '60s. His owner was named Rafael Ramirez Aponte, and he visited the US in the early '60s and saw International Fiberglass at a business trade show, I believe. He purchased the service man model and shipped him back to Puerto Rico. The muffler man stood at Rafael's Texaco station in Caguas for many years, and was finally taken down in the early '90's. He was moved to Rafael's Auto Body shop and laid on his back behind the shop till about 2001 when he was set up and secured with support lines.

They say during his Texaco days in the '60s he held a wrench that was big enough that both hands supported it. He is in rough shape with a lot of pealing paint and dark water stains from years of being rained on.

So yes, there is a Muffler Man in Puerto Rico and I was assured by the workers there that he is the only one in the country.