Mexico VW Bus
R.A.N.
I heard a RUMOR. That Mexico makes new replica buses and vans and
they are illegal to import into the US. Is there any truth to this, or is
it just a rumor.
Daniel J. Blanchat
R.A.N. (n7...@hopi.dtcc.edu) wrote:
It's not a rumor, and they're not replicas. VW makes the transporter and
the beetle in mexico for use in mexico. They don't meet us dot specs,
so are illegal to import...
--
Daniel Blanchat | Never react by instinct alone, for in so doing,
d...@vnet.net | you become as the demons that wish to become
d...@mars.gtcc.cc.nc.us| as you are.
--finger me for my pgp key...--
er...@schunta.etc.tu-bs.de
Daniel J. Blanchat (d...@katie.vnet.net) wrote:
: R.A.N. (n7...@hopi.dtcc.edu) wrote:
: > I heard a RUMOR. That Mexico makes new replica buses and vans and
: > they are illegal to import into the US. Is there any truth to this, or is
: > it just a rumor.
: It's not a rumor, and they're not replicas. VW makes the transporter and
: the beetle in mexico for use in mexico. They don't meet us dot specs,
: so are illegal to import...
Excuse me, but which of your specs don't they meet? I'm from Germany, and
they're sold here legally. Especially the beetles are quite a common sight
(well, one a week...), but there are definitely transporters here too.
These are very expensive, close to 40,000 Marks. The beetles are quite
cheap, something like 15,000 to 18,000 depending on equipment. They both
come with catalytic converters, the transporters have a watercooled 1800cc
Golf engine :-(, but the beetles have the old 1600cc aircooled boxer, with
electronic fuel injection.
Mail me for details... I've seen both cars. Might be a while till I answer,
though; I'm not on the 'net on a regular basis yet.
Yours,
Erik.
Carles Perello Garcia
Hi,
I heard very bad news from Mexico, the Bug production will finnish by
the end of this year. I dont know if Brazil will finnish also the Bus
production.
This is for sure the worst news a VW bug fan can hear. I dunno you guys
in USA, but here in Europe *must* of the spares we buy came from Mexico.
Anyone can confirm this news? And if they are true..you think that
is possible that a spare market will still exist?
sigh..
Carles
1200 '79
R.A.N.
There have been mixed messages about the Mexico made VW Bus. Can anyone
clear this up. I just want some information on the bus. Is it legal to
import into the U.S.? How much do they cost in U.S. dollars? And where
can I find one of these buses.
Thanks
Still unclear Ryan
Neb79
of course! Well, not to be rude, but I try to avoid VW parts from
mexico....I would rather buy a reproduced item from someplace else, or
even german if i had the money, or just from brazil.
I am pretty sure that most of the 'spare' parts today in the US are
already here (parted out cars, junkyards, fields, collectors). Anyway,
there are a lot of companies today that reproduce bug parts.
/ben
cant think straight
'69 beetle
'56 beetle
bend...@yo.mamas.net
Surfer Bob
R.A.N. wrote:
> There have been mixed messages about the Mexico made VW Bus.
So I wrote:
They still make buses that look a lot like '70's buses in Mexico
(and Brazil?). Some call them "Frankenstein Buses" because of their odd
mix of features found over a number of models and years in American made
buses. Basically, they look like a '70's bus though. I was recently in
Mexico and saw some that are aircooled and some that are watercooled,
with a black radiator grill on the front. Folks say those have 1800
watercooled Jetta engines in 'em. They look great. I want one too.
Many gringos would love to buy them and import them to the good old US
of A, but we run afoul of DOT standards. I used to think it was the smog
standards that kept 'em out and that may be true, but folks say there
are standards for window and doors (like crash strength and shatter
resistance standards) that are also not met. SO they are distinctly
illegal to import to America. Major bummer, but supposedly for your own
good by the people in charge of keeping you safe on the streets. For
better or worse, it's the law.
In theory you could buy one and undertake major engineering improvements
to the car, have it inspected by some US agency capable of granting you
a waiver (whoever that might be -DOT?), and then bring it in, but most
conclude that it would be A LOT cheaper and A LOT less hassle to just
fix up an old US one, like we all do. I've never heard of anyone
actually doing what I just described.
I have heard the occasional recommendation that you could cut the panels
with serial numbers off of a US bus and weld them very inconspicuously
into a Mexican bus and pass it off as the old vehicle to register it,
but if you were caught you would be severely busted. Again- probably not
worth the risk, expense, worries. Again, I've never heard of anyone
actually doing this.
SO bottom line is, they exist, but they are forbidden fruit to American
VW afficionados. I recommend you vacation in Mexico and rent one, enjoy
it while you're there, then come home and put the idea of importing one
out of your mind.
Sorry to break it to you, but there it is. Good luck shopping for an
American bus.
Drive safely,
Surfer Bob
PS- You know what would be really cool? Get a clean American body for a
pre-'72 American bus. Put one of the Mexican watercooled engines in it
and have a watercooled classic. The purists would not did maiming an old
bus like that, but it might be OK legally if you handled it right. I
think if you did it to an old enough US bus you could get that past the
smog regs. Maybe someone can advise us about the practicality of this?
CARNIEHP
What about possibly buying a mexican bus, buying an old u.s. bus that is
basically gutted, taking ALL of the parts off the mexican bus (except for
the bottom and the body) and putting it all on the old u.s. bus? while
this would be extremely labor intensive, this would basically give you the
mexcan bus, and I believe legally, because the mexican bus was merely a
"parts car" (an expensive one) but at least then you could say that you
have a "new" bus, with what ever improvements have been made over the
years(?)
John
RON SALMON
In article <Pine.D-G.3.95.961008...@hopi.dtcc.edu> R.A.N.
wrote:
> I heard a RUMOR. That Mexico makes new replica buses and vans and
>they are illegal to import into the US. Is there any truth to this, or is
>it just a rumor.
They still make the Bus body style in Mexico. It is watercooled, with a
small radiator grill up front, and is illegal to import to the US.
-Ron Salmon
David Goldberg
The mexican busses have the inline 4 that were available on Rabbits. As
far as any interior modifications that have been made over the years,
one could do themselves, and save the expense of travelling to Mexico.
If you are so determined to have a "new" VW then spend the money that
would be used to travel to Mexico, purchase the new vehicle, and do all
of the conversion, and spend it on purchasing the parts, having them
shipped to your house, and installing them yourself. In the long run it
would be a better deal. Unless of course you are determined to take a
trip to Mexico, and want to spend time working on a vehicle instead of
enjoying the time off.
David
--
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David Goldberg Tandem Computers
74 Thing gold...@mpd.tandem.com
79 Westy
The best defense is a strong offense...
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USS Enterprise
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