Considering importing from Nicaragua- open to advice or sharing a container

[DEADSALT]

6k to import a glossy 7.5k SA 40...

wow,
maybe start an ‘over-landing’ company that only goes north

if the truck makes it, spray the entire chassis gloss black, have a hipster take picks when it’s wet... etc.

are you asking questions rhetorically as a flipper/flopper
or do you at least have a genuine interest or own a land cruiser?

 

[Paul Hinman]

That scares me. Anyone who knows a little about 40's is ALWAYS wary of imports and restores unless done through someone reputable. They are abused, "restored" with gobs of Bondo, cheap paint, and crappy mechanical work, and then sold to unknowing buyers that get screwed out of a "restored" vehicle that will rust out in the next 6 months. I don't know how many of those I have seen at work, often with a 1/2" plus of filler on just about every visible surface, and the poor customer spent 30K-70K on a POS.

I would be very wary of trying to find or trust people that say they have a "restored" vehicle for sale.

I am not looking for restored vehicles, but well preserved ones. Because we have family there to oversee multiple inspections and any work that we might source there, I see an advantage. There are lots of cheap ones, and that may be what attracts buyers who then end up with a lump.

P.S. I love that infographic that "dangernoodle" comes from LOL.

 

[Paul Hinman]

That is a pretty good deal in my opinion. Colombian vehicles are running 2 to 4 times that in Mercadolibre.com.co.

In my experience; are the vehicles used for work? Yes, absolutely expect them to be. Where they maintained? Somewhat, yeah, they needed to get to the market with their loads so they made sure they ran. Repairs done poorly? Assume so, and that way you are not surprised, but also some were done very well. I have seen horrible jobs in the US too, it is always a bit of a risk we take when buying old metal.

Like any transaction, many unknowns and negatives, but you balance that with the cost and keep some in the bank for the "crazy" things you may need to fix. It surely its not for everyone, but can be very rewarding if you have the skill and ability to work on the trucks to minimize the cost of future repairs or "to put it right".

They are used for work, but they are also used as limos for the wealthy. The top, bottom, and in-between of the market (at least in Nicaragua) is peppered with Land Cruisers. My biz partner's father lives there and has had the same Cruiser for 30 years and always maintained it with the same mechanic. His doesn't haul livestock or dirt etc., it's just the family car. No, he won't sell us his......

 

[Paul Hinman]

6k to import a glossy 7.5k SA 40...

wow,
maybe start an ‘over-landing’ company that only goes north

if the truck makes it, spray the entire chassis gloss black, have a hipster take picks when it’s wet... etc.

are you asking questions rhetorically as a flipper/flopper
or do you at least have a genuine interest or own a land cruiser?

Not rhetorical at all. The shipping container is arranged, import broker secured, storage found. It costs less to ship 2 in one 40' container, and that is $1500 each. The rest is taxes at both ends, customs, customs broker, etc. and that is a safety number. I want to get upmarket examples around $10k each so they have less worries. If you go to SA and get the cheapest one around, you get major headaches. We want turn-key registered vehicles with real value.

I bought my '87 back in 2016 and sold it on BaT this year for more then 4x what I paid (less then 2x what I invested though).

 

[3_puppies]

I am not looking for restored vehicles, but well preserved ones. Because we have family there to oversee multiple inspections and any work that we might source there, I see an advantage. There are lots of cheap ones, and that may be what attracts buyers who then end up with a lump.

seems like you had your mind made up before even posting this thread.
if that is the case, then just buy some and bring them into the states and see how you make out.

 

[Paul Hinman]

I watch BAT pretty closely, and have to disagree with you here. The ones with a stock engine / drive train command the higher prices UNLESS it's something near the quality of an ICON build.

Now I'm not talking about safety upgrades like dual chamber master cylinder, disk brakes, and the like. Those add value it seems.

I know what you mean. Only the very, very nice ones with V8 swaps get the $50k++ bids. There are many examples down there that are extremely well preserved that might be candidates to 'go big'. We do not have the capacity to get near ICON level work, of course. Adding disc brakes, heater, OME, and maybe AC on a perfectly decent BJ40 seem to be the way to go. But the oddball 45s, 75s, etc. seem even safer bets.

This is a company we are building. Maybe 2 trucks a month with end to end supervision and established relationships in both countries. Through restoring my FJ60 for 5 years I was exposed to what is doable, and what is not worth it. We want SOLID trucks to start with.

 

[Paul Hinman]

For your information.


View attachment 2781028View attachment 2781029

I asked about the low result on the green one in the BaT comments. They didn't like the bedliner and lack of heater. Noted. The photography is vastly different as well. I paid for the pro photos when I sold mine and it is easily worth a dime for every penny.

 

[Paul Hinman]

Larger than stock are very expensive and require much more maintenance

And then the silicone goes bad after 6 years of manhandling and then you have go back under the knife....

 

[Paul Hinman]

seems like you had your mind made up before even posting this thread.
if that is the case, then just buy some and bring them into the states and see how you make out.

We are very close to pulling the trigger on the first container of 2 trucks. Making it all work will take all the community advise I can get! Especially during sourcing and inspection. Obviously rust and bondo and on the no-fly list, along with giant mud tires and chicken feathers (not kidding).
If you could get any non-USDM model what would it be? Pretty much everything down there is diesel, manual, ambulance doors. The 2 door variants don't get that much interest in the US it seems. I'd like one.

 

[Paul Hinman]

Just at a glance, it looks like it has the typical pitfalls of a SA 40.

What would be your list of weak points on SA 40s? I hate that NONE of them have stock wheels. The grill emblems apparently all grow legs too.

 

[Paul Hinman]

Soo you’re buying that for $13.5k essentially. Thats about double or triple what it should be

Locally or from SA?

 

[3_puppies]

What would be your list of weak points on SA 40s?

lack of heat and defrost
no dash pad
no lower dash pads
no rollbar
bench seats
3 speeds
no smog
direct drive fans
70 series turn signals
3 point seat belts
drum brakes
etc

it's not like this is the first thread on this subject

 

[brian]

man!!! that sounds like a fantastic idea. those things are low mileage, hardly driven rust free examples down there...you'll make all kinds of folding money doing this.

 

[bikersmurf]

I’d only consider a 43, 45 troopy… or the crown jewel…

Actually a 43 would be high on my list. Unrestored rigs with a decent body would be higher on my list than shiny rig. Unless there was an album full of photos showing exactly what had been done.

 

[cruisermatt]

Do 43’s have 45 rear springs? Because every 43 I've driven has rode horrible. And also had broken frame behind the motor mounts

 

[bikersmurf]

Do 43’s have 45 rear springs? Because every 43 I've driven has rode horrible. And also had broken frame behind the motor mounts

I know the rear axle is about 5” back and the tub is roughly a foot longer. Unfortunately I’ve never seen one in person and don’t have exact details… I don’t see why they’d ride worse, but that would tip the scales more towards a 45.

In reality, I’ll just keep building my 40. Perhaps one day, I’ll stretch it into a 43. However, once the kids move out, the Benifits of a 43 vanish. Well almost

 

[cruisermatt]

Ive worked on about a dozen 43’s. They have huge spring packs like a 45 but don’t weigh much more then a 40 so they just ride awful. They have also all been bondo-d up junk

 

[izzyandsue]

I’d only consider a 43, 45 troopy… or the crown jewel…
View attachment 2783724

Actually a 43 would be high on my list. Unrestored rigs with a decent body would be higher on my list than shiny rig. Unless there was an album full of photos showing exactly what had been done.

I have a 43, from Colombia, like the proportions and how it sits. I had to replace all the steering tubes and links, brake lines and hoses, calipers and pads, rewire tail lights, repair headlights switch, new carburetor, clutch kit and sleeve (was broken), shocks, add horn, clean/resoldered wiper motor, new valve seals and adjust valves, and a few cosmetic items and other small stuff. Now rides, steers, brakes perfectly. Its not concours as I use it for 4WD training and driving around town. To me it rides like any 4 corner leaf sprung truck. BILSTEIN shocks made a huge difference. Doesnt have rear seats as I carry a lot of gear. I would buy another one if needed, for the right price no sweat.

Spending time, about 40 years ago, in Central America with uncle sam, for all I know I might have come across my 43 back then and had no idea what I was looking at. Toyotas and Suzukis were all over the place and we drove them hard, 6 guys with full gear on a Suzuki bouncing fast down a mountain would break the frame in 2, lived through it. Toyotas faired better. Still, they were work vehicles, not limos.

 

[SNLC]

I brought four Cruisers in from Nica. I didn’t make money on any of them. I lived there and selected the Cruisers myself.

You are going to have a hard time finding Cruisers that will meet US standards and what folks consider a “good” Cruiser. Cruisers also hold their value in Nica and trade hands for $5-15k+ depending on condition. The few I came across that had potential were snatched up fast local and these were not 40-series these were 70-series.

I lost money on them because they are not $2500 in Nica to buy, export/import is expensive from there and they all needed $5k+ in work to be suitable for sale in the USA. They also really like silicone in Nica.

Anything pre-1990 has survived one if not two civil wars.

Rust is real in Nica, so is heaps of bondo. Subpar work as well.

If you want to make a few bucks at it, go for 45’s and 75-series Troopies and pickups. Forget all the rest unless you stumble upon a very rare bird. You will be able to sell decent to good 45’s and 75’s. The occasional 80-series as well if it is an HDJ80 not an HZJ80. Good 80’s are probably easiest to find. 43’s are extremely rare in Nica, I saw one BJ43 in many months in the country. Good 45’s are plentiful but extremely hard to find in good condition since they are old and have been used for work for decades. 75-series Troopies and pickups are fairly plentiful too but also have been used as work trucks.

I know some true craftsman in Nica but what they have to work with is so much lower than what folks up here even understand. Examples; torque wrenches are not used. When I showed some Cruiser mechanics my bearings and seal driver kit they had no idea what it was. FSM used? Forget that!! Fabrication is all stick welding, you can’t even really get mig gas in Nica. Things like die grinders for body work? Forget it.

I know some wonderful people in Nica. Really solid friends who are my boots on the ground there. I got it all in place down there too, lawyer, shop to inspect and hold them, inland transport to port, ect ect.

Nica is the second poorest country in all of Latin America so that should give some insight as well. Doesn’t mean good Cruisers are cheap there.

If you got a few in the pipe, I would get them out ASAP. October/November/December is going to get real nasty in Nica. It is election time in November and their dictator does not want to give up power. In fact the political strife there is why I left and canned any plans to import more on top of it being a money losing venture. To export you got to deal with the government and I refuse to deal with a government that murders its citizens.

Good luck, very few people who import Cruisers are honest and successful at it.

Cheers

 

[Slapshot]

Good luck with California registration and smog. Diesel might get you around the smog part.