Importing 80 series or 105 to USA? Anyone done it? (1 Viewer)

Has anybody imported an 80 series from Venezuela or a 105 from South America or Australia? I heard that it may be possible and that there might be people in Florida that can help, they armor vehicles in the USA and then ship them of to their destination abroad. Anyone know? I know that you can purchase a 105 w/ 1FZ-Fe in Peru or a brand new Autana (80 series in Venezuela) I would imagine that it would be expensive, the question is how expensive?

My brother lives in Costa Rica and drives a 100 series. They are available, but as expensive as they are here. I have investigated this for 2 years and have come up with no legal, relatively cheap way to bring one in. The guys that bring them in for armoring will not sell one without their work done and that becomes really expensive. Here are a couple of ways I have seen personally work:

1- find someone in the armed forces that will buy one where they are stationed and have them bring it home. They are allowed to do this, I think only once.
2- find someone living in a country that has the model you want and have them buy it and bring it with them when they come over here to visit. Then they could either wreck it, or take a chance and leave it here unwrecked. Wrecking it would be the thing. Not bad, maybe just show that they blew the motor and transmission. That way their government is satisfied and our government is satisfied. I am not sure how bad it would have to be. I am also not sure of their country's rules on bringing it back.
I say this because I have a friend that came over from Switzerland with his cool 6x6 motorhome and motorcycle on a 1 year vaction. He and the vehicles never left. He got his green card. He still drives the vehicles.
It will work, but registration issues are up to you.

I've been wondering about the following: Buy a 70 series in Japan or Central America. Drive it or have it shipped to Mexico. Sell it to a good friend of ours who lives there. Title and license it in Mexico. Lease it from her, and drive it across the border with all the appropriate papers showing ownership, registration, and leasing. Does anybody know if this would be possible?

Funny thing is I thought about the same thing. You go to Nicaragua closest country to USA where you can buy a brand new 70 series. Start by getting a P.O. Box in Tijuana or buying a small piece of property to establish residency, depending if this can be done, then buy the cruiser and get it registered in Mexico and drive accross the border. You'll have your vehicle registered in Mexico and if you live in CA like myself you can go back and forth. As far as any laws regarding this I have no clue. Just dreaming!!

Some guy a few years ago imegrated from Belgium and brought his 1HDT80 with him. Then he sold it to some LUCKY bastard in so Cal.


So, it is possible, but man who knows.


TB

I think that any vehicle brought into the US permanently, must be EPA/DOT legal, lease or not. If you have a friend in Mexico, just have her drive it across the border and find someone over here that will handle the registration. They are out there.

I can help with a Costa Rica purchase. Shipping to Mexico would be touchy at best. Pay someone to drive it. Hell, if the moneys right, my brother would probably do it.

What? You think I'd let your brother have all the fun?

there is a dealer in florida who claimed he can get a venezuelan 80 legally into the us a couple of years ago but the cost was fairly ridiculous. The local venezuelan currency has since tanked so it might be more possible now. Do a search on "venezuela" in the 80/100 forum back maybe 8 months.