'80s Mexican Beetles, enlighten me.

I'm looking for any info about '80s mexican built VW bugs, namely 25+ years old. This may turn into a fly-n-drive eventually, or I may just have my mexican co-worker pick it up on one of his several trips per year back south of the boarder.

I'm interested in this as well.

I thought they weren't legal in the States? Or, would this be a "parts car" for your "current" Beetle?

jimbob_racing wrote: I'm interested in this as well.

Ditto.

-Rob

If they're 25 years old or more, they can be brought in to the US.

You can import a car more than 25 years old....but why a beetle? Having lived in Texas in the mid '80s I've seen 1 or 2 of these beetles from the '80s. They are all that "regular" model that VW was producing up until they introduced Super Beetles. I don't believe they have catalytic converters on them, or fuel injection, which the last of the "old" beetles had. They had the small taillights that '60s beetles had, but did have 1 difference that VW could have incorporated on U.S. beetles, but never did....front turn signals that were in the front bumper instead of on top of the front fenders.

I understand they are slightly less devastating on the fruit crop then the Japanese Beetles, but are still known to cause a havoc.

Step 1: drive rotten old barely running US beetle over border.

Step 2: buy newest beetle possible

Step 3: switch VIN plates

Step 4: drive home!

Joey

What's the price difference between a Mex Beetle vs a US-spec version?

Older US versions are out there, you just have to look and be prepared to pay for quality or restoration. My neighbor just found and bought a nice '74 a few weeks ago for 3-3500 bucks. She had a paint job thrown on it so I don't know the "real" price. It looks good and the exhaust flutter always lets me know she's going or coming.

joey48442 wrote: Step 1: drive rotten old barely running US beetle over border. Step 2: buy newest beetle possible Step 3: switch VIN plates Step 4: drive home! Step 5: Get busted at border for Federal Felony! Joey

Fixed that for you.

No point in VIN-swapping when any 25 year old one is 100% legal anyways.

Javelin wrote:

joey48442 wrote: Step 1: drive rotten old barely running US beetle over border. Step 2: buy newest beetle possible Step 3: switch VIN plates Step 4: drive home! Step 5: Get busted at border for Federal Felony! Joey

Fixed that for you. No point in VIN-swapping when any 25 year old one is 100% legal anyways.

Details, details. Once they realize you don't have a trunk full if illegals/cocaine, you will be treated as kings!

Joey

For a fly and drive I too would recommend a visit to www.thesamba.com and look through the classifieds. For $5k you can get a real nice runner that likely has most of the parts replaced since the '80 making it as good (or possibly better) than a 25 yr old Mexican daily driver.

A guy I knew my freshmen year had a 2000 aircooled VW Beetle. I don't know how he managed it. I vote the VIN swapping idea. No one will ever know.

actually.. find a nice beetle here in the states with minimal rot.. but has the floor pans gone due to a leaking battery.. drive to mexico and pay somebody a couple hundred to swap the pans.. and drive home

Are you interested in the Mexican only Beetles for what might be stashed in all of it's nooks and crannies?

The last mexican beetle i saw (in san antonio) was WAY more modern than any other old beetle ive ever seen and it was probably one of the first to ever make me want a beetle. Id like to have one. Id convert it to electric, though.

Hmm does Mexico have it's own ebay? That could be fun to browse.

Didn't the mexican Beetles also have A/C added on as an option as well?