I have family in Mexico and they say that old cars abound in that area.I may be able to find parts like I need there.What will I need to do to bring the car(tow) the car back to the good ole states?
Yes down on la frontera it is amazing to see so many old rust free cars and trucks. Mostly mid fifties Ford and Chev pickups. I came from the mid west originally with road salt and snow. So I'm always seein these nice bodies around. Don't see many prewar cars but this was always a poor part of the world and they got used up. It is worth checkin out the legalities of importing. Bringing parts into the US would be no problem but a whole vehicle might ring paperwork alarms, car theft is such a problem in Presidio/OJ and El Paso that the customs work would be hard.
My story: I was after a complete 49 Merc 2 door some years back that had been parked near my wife's grandparents house in an empty field in Victoria Mexico for decades, well after a year of finding it my wife and I deceided to go after it, it had been hauled off a month before we got there and hacked up with an ax (primitive but effective) and sold for s****. I was plannnig on keeping it at "gramps" house and bringing it over in pieces and brides. Anyhow, it didn't happen so we drove around to several junk yards near the area and found a bunch of 50's cars and trucks, some running even as "yard cars". I know you can drive one over then figure out how to register it here, that's how my father in law aquired his all original 36 Ford truck, this was 30 years ago, though, still has it, last year he got a 60's falcon (drove it over from Mexico City) from his bro he is waiting to get registered. Good luck
Thanks for the info.My father-n-law is intown from Veracruz Mexico.I was talking with him and other family members and they said I could find alot of abandoned cars and trucks mostly 40s&50s.THey said the people would want to get rid of them but we are perplexed on how to drag them to NC.I plan to seek more info on this.Maybe I could go and find a 30s model pickup body/ch***is.
I've taken a couple trips down south to go help out at a couple orphanages (you want a reality check, try that sometime, it'll make you cry) and one trip was through TJ. Man, the hillsides are covered with cars! I didn't get close enough to be able to see the actual cars, but my imagination was certainly running wild about '50's-'60's stuff by the drove. I know we saw some cars of interest parked here and there throughout town... I've been dreaming of making some trips down there for years, ever since that old Hot Rod magazine article of the collector cars they spotted down there during a hunt (Shelby 500 Mustang, split window Corvette, etc. etc.). I think last time I went I saw a 383 GTS Dart. I know, muscle car stuff, but I'm a car guy and I like that stuff too. I can only imagine what a weeklong hunting trip would yield. Well, it's always been a dream of mine until I recently learned that a fellow trad hot rodder/early Olds friend of mine also has wanted to go for years... and he SPEAKS ESPANOL!!! So who wants to take a weeklong trip this spring?????
[ QUOTE ] Yes down on la frontera it is amazing to see so many old rust free cars and trucks. Mostly mid fifties Ford and Chev pickups. I came from the mid west originally with road salt and snow. So I'm always seein these nice bodies around. Don't see many prewar cars but this was always a poor part of the world and they got used up. It is worth checkin out the legalities of importing. Bringing parts into the US would be no problem but a whole vehicle might ring paperwork alarms, car theft is such a problem in Presidio/OJ and El Paso that the customs work would be hard. [/ QUOTE ] true to that, I am from ELP and theft is bad, but you do see rust free cars.
Maybe I'm incorrect, but aren't cars sold in South America (and other countries) built to completely different specs (and when I say "different" I mean way lower)? The reason I say this is because I travel to auctions all over the country to sell cars, and typically cars that have been imported (even from Canada) always sell for much less due to the fact that other countries are not nearly as regulated & do not share the same rigid quality & safety standards that our government enforces. I have read where back in the 50's & 60s some of the big auto makers were selling leftover inventory to South American countries, and cars sold as new in the US in 1962 (for example) may have been sold as a "brand new" cars in South America 5 years later.
I know they produce cars in mexico.I have heard about the different standards also.I'm looking for a project anyway.
The easiest way I knowof to do it. Is if you have someplace to store it for a little down there, just bring the VIN # back get a ***le from one of those lost ***le places, there's abunch in AL. Go back down there with the new ***le haul it back, you have legal paperwork and there is no problem. I have a friend in Texas that has done this more than a few times. As for how to get it back here, as of next month I will have half interest in a car hauler for just such purposes. I'm down the road from ya and would be interested in maybe working a deal for a chance at something your in-laws might be able to locate, a car that is....
I wanted to bring back a Jeepney from the Phillippines back in the 70's but I would have had to go thru hell getting the car smog and safety inspected before they allowed it to be imported. Would have had to meet all the same safety and smog regs of a brand new Toyota. Even would have had to put those stupid huge import tail lights on it. Things are better now but I'd check with customs for both countries before I spent any money. I'd guess bring in car parts wouldn't be too hard but a whole car might be a problem.
I live about 1 hour from the Mexico border and know a couple of guys that work for the border patrol. I will check into it and see what needs to be done about bring cars back over. The one story that I do have about this topic, was a friend of mine heard about a 49 mecury 2 door just on the mexico side not even a mile away from the border. He bought the car and got it over here without any problems that I know of. I will talked to him as well and see what the deal was.
I don't know a THING about this, so take this for what it is, An IDEA... Some s**** certificates of weight from a local salvage yard may help a local get back across the border with some cars, by saying, "They're abandoned junk to be sold as s**** metal here in America where prices are good." You could put the value of the cars at less than s**** weight price, pay your duty tax and be gone? Could turn into a profitable importing business if you could store them once across until ***les come thru, then turn em on eBay or whatever.
HERE are some links that might help- http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG102803.html http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ http://www.cobleintl.com/importing-cars.htm
I have no interest in getting tied up in the legalities of bringing cars back over, but I think there is a goldmine of parts down there! Now, why do you guys ***ume that all those cars were made down there? That is simply not true! Many were taken across the border from the north when they were "used cars". That still goes on today. Where do you think Mexican trucking companies and firehouses get their trucks and fire engines? Hand-me-downs. Same deal with transportation cars.
Zman that is a idea I would be willing to look into.I'm all for helping people out.I have made friends with a nice cross section of people from there that have family and friends stretched out.I plan to have some people looking for what I want.Just let me know what you are looking for or would like.It will likely be a year or more before I can afford to go visit Veracruz in person but I could travel to the border much easier.
Blownolds speaks the truth. My dad has sold old semis to hard working Mexican Entrepeneurs for years to be taken south of the border.
Ok Guys whenever you want i can help you, i`ve exported cars to the States and Finland, Norway, Swesen etc, i know where are many cars from all the decades. Keep in touch REgards from Mex hcontla@yahoo.com
The Jalopy Journal
