How much is it to buy a volkswagon beetle in Mexico and Import it into America?

Question 1
How much is it to buy a volkswagon beetle in Mexico and Import it into America?...  Im 17 and i wanna buy my first car. I want an old vw beetle pre 73 model. I need to know all the info i'll need so when i go down there next year on my graduation trip, i can bring me a VW Beetle :) i dont wanna hear anything about them being bad cars or what so ever. just tell me what i need to do and how much it will cost, thanks

Answers
1)   You would need to have the vehicle brought up to the US specifications for Safety and possibly Emissions; also, don't know if you have heard, but you need a Passport to enter/leave MX nowadays + the crime with the drug smugglers (and just the crime in general) has risen lately. Look online in the States and you should be able to find what you are looking for ;] - not 2 B fooled

2)   Well, you'd better do it fast, because they are going to stop making them. - Nissan Skyline GT-R R35 Spec-V

3)   wait.. you want a vw bug made before 73 from Mexico??? why not just buy one here in the us? You'll find the bugs in America are in much better shape and there are many more here in the US. and for an answer about the cost... its more than its worth. the only bugs even remotely worth importing from Mexico is a newer models of the classic bug that were made up till 2004. I believe the plant that still made them burned down in 2004. There are very few people that own bugs from Mexico, mostly the only hardcore vw enthusiast will go to the expense. - Jack D

4)   You should also consider that such a car may be expensive to insure. Check your insurance rates before buying one, for example here - carquotes.fateback.com - Tom

5)   If you go to Mexico and buy a bug, drive it home. Make sure you have the title and a bill of sale so you can drive it across the border. Next, go to the DMV with your paperwork and register it in your name. I don't understand why you would want to buy a bug from Mexico when you can buy one that is already here without the hassle. I travel to Baja CA 3 or so times a year and I do see a lot of 70's style bugs and 9 out of 10 of them are beat up.
Bugs start at $50 and go up to $20,000. What you buy depends on what you are looking for. I like pre 1966 bugs for street cars once the engine is swapped out for a larger one, and they are converted to 12V. - Rod Knocker

6)   I am going to assume that, because you ask the question, you have already looked around and been unable to find a bug i your price range.

Ok.. they will be cheaper in Mexico, but their maint. level will also be less (trust me.. I have driven mexican vw bugs..they get the bare minimum and show it).

next.. if you buy one there you can simply drive it across the border if you can show that you have the legal papers AND the insurance (set that up before you cross the border back into the US)

next.. once you have the car here, you will need to deal with the emissions issues and the US mandated safety items that were not required of Mexican bugs. California had emissions standards even then and the US had mandated some things like bumpers and collapsible steering posts that you may have to show to the dmv to get it registered.

Lastly.. do some basic research on the bug you want

In general, the last years of the bug production (72 on) were not the best choice for a beetle.. They had drainage problems and, therefore, rust issues on the body (especially near the rear windows) which were virtually impossible to fix on a long-term basis for daily drivers.

Prior to 66 the bugs had 6v systems.. Nothing wrong with that except that 6v parts and supplies are harder to find, and you can not plug in todays 12v stuff with out a converter.

Like I said.. do some research before you toss your money into a car.

good luck on your hunt.

. - ca_surveyor


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Question 2
2003 golf r32 any good?...  Anyone know much about this car? Is it fast? A lot to maintain?

Answers
1)   These are really nice cars - very fast, a little hard on gas but not too bad. The thing with VW and 2003 is the quality ratings VW received in those years. It was probably the worst year for the "car of the people" manufacturer.

The problem vehicles are hit and miss and often very difficult to identify - if you can get past service records and it seems like a lot of stuff has been changed on the vehicle - walk away, it's a lemon.

VW's can get very expensive to repair, some parts are only available through the dealer and therefore you may sometimes be forced to get your parts from the over priced dealer. If you are looking for something that is cheaper to maintain or parts are easier to get then look for a more generic car. - Big L

2)   Ya what he said.

if the r32 was hit but still clean title, make sure you bring it to a professional to check it out before you buy it.

I shoulda done that on my 2005 gli 1.8t, the turbo was super loud, it sounded like a huge freightliner truck which was sick! I just thought that the turbo was boosted, turns out my intercooler was cracked but i fixed before any problems occured.



i'd say uprage to a 2004 r32. clean, fast, decent gas mileage and all wheel drive. throw some snow tires on it in the winter and your good. - Darius

3)   they only made the R32 in 2004 in the MK4 body style anyway yes they are great cars if you want an even rarer car get the Tornado Red R32 only 10% of about 2500 made were red.. - veedub514

4)   I take it you are referring to the 2004 as they only made 5000 of them at a time. So far, they have produced 5,000 of them in 2004, and another batch of new and improved 32's in 2008. Anywho, the R32 is an amazing auto. Not sure if you are aware of the stats, but when you add it all up, it really is a powerful vehicle. It is propelled by a 240 horsepower V6. All wheel drive. The only downside for some is that it only came in manual version. This is great for me, but for those who can't drive a stick, you can't get it in an automatic.

The 2008 model comes with DSG or as they call it Dual Sequential Gearbox meaning it is an automatic but uses two different clutch packs to make lightning fast shifts between gears, but I digress.

I myself own a 2005 GTI. It really depends on what U want out of a vehicle. In the snow, with a good set of winter low profiles, I can go anywhere I NEED to go. The R32 is the same way. If you are looking at things from a performance standpoint, the GTI is cheaper. You can take the extra money you would have left over and can easily make a gti out perform an R32, but you will be doing so without the off the line traction as the R has.

It is really up to you. If you are made of money, an R32 has tremendous potential. Check out a video of HPA's video on you tube showcasing their 550 hp R32.

Secondly when it comes to maintenance costs, they hold up pretty well. No big problems to worry about other than a faulty brake pedal switch that may get stuck from time to time. Other than that, hopefully you make a great decision. Good luck! - kevin


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Question 3
Need to find answers on rear suspension problem on a manx bug?...  Having problems need some advise

Answers
1)   Well a good place to star would be with a description of your problem. The manx is just a dune buggy built on a VW chassis so the year would help as there is 2 different types of axles you could have. - uthockey32

2)   Swing axle or IRS rear end? Kind of need to know to help.
Post more info and I am sure I can help you out. I have owned 3 manx style cars, numerous dune buggies, 2 Things, 3 squarebacks, VW Trike, 61 split window bus, and many many bugs. - Rod Knocker

3)   what's the problem ???? - KAM


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Question 4
How Much Did A VW Beetle Cost In 1950?...  

Answers
1)   Not too much.
Check the forums on thesamba.com - Rod Knocker

2)   Can't help with 1950, but I do have the 1961 motor show edition of Motor, and at that time the basic saloon was £656, with deluxe models going up to £809. 17/8d.

The convertibles were £1024. 19/9d. - Jon S

3)   As I recall about $600 which was a lot of money then for a 'foreign' car. - ca_surveyor


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Question 5
Vollkwagen Cabrio 2001 coolant?...  I took my Volkwagen Cabrio 2001 several times to the dealership for repair and they have done a terrible job with the repairs. It usualy comes back worse than it came in. The new thing is that part of my motor broke and coolant dripped out. I have been reading on the internet about it I think it is because the coolant is wrong, I am supose to have a pink colant I think???? Anyways they added blue coolant to a already green universal coolant and I think they ruined my car. They claimed to have flushed out the green stuff but you can see it is clearly green and blue mixed. They have lied on several occassion and they said that the blue is the right coolant? What should I do? I am thinking about contacting the BBB or the federal trades comision, I have already spent $3000

Answers
1)   I'm sorry to hear about your bad dealer expierience. I would take it to another dealer or import repair shop. Ask them to flush the coolant system and only use the correct coolant. VW's use G12,(that should be printed on your coolant resevoir) which is VW and Audi specific. The VW part # is G-012-A8F-A4. It comes in a gallon only and costs about $20.00. I would contact VW customer care with any problems or comments about this particular dealership. - VWpartsman

2)   The usual pink coolant is G12, which came with the car.

The new coolant, which is blue-purple is G12+, which is compatible with G12 (pink). - cant_think_of_1

3)   YOU CAN NOT MIX GREEN UNIVERSAL COOLANT WITH ANYYYYYY OTHER COOLANT. PERIOD!. green plus green ok thats fine. g12 with g12. thats fine. pink with blue g12. thats great. green plus g12 = disaster! it corrodes and creates a VERY corrosive liquid that eats away at parts. - Ryan M


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