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How do I buy a car in Brazil and drive it back to the US?!? - Page 2

post #16 of 22
11/3/09 at 1:19am
you could buy an awesome vintage 21 window for the price of federalizing that car
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post #17 of 22
11/3/09 at 4:31am
Oh, I would do it. While I haven't been as far afield as Sherwood, I've made some lengthy road trips around the US.

And screw federalization. While I cannot quite advocate this, it is possible to remove the VW logos, screw a plate from a junkyard wreck (that you have title to) onto it, and... tellthe DMV that it is a custom or kit car. Laws vary by state, so you might want to forum shop for one with lenient registration laws. I'm sure that if you don't mind a road trip from Brazil, you won't mind poking around the US a little. You ought to be able to find a Head-Fi'er in your chosen state to perhaps lend an address for the registration.

Not that I am recommending circumventing the laws of the United States.

Also, any chance you could pick one up in Mexico? It'd make the journey a little simpler, though it would cut down on the adventure factor.

If you do go through with it, I'd recommend taking a partner and at least one of you should be fluent in Spanish and accustomed to cultural conventions. The people down there are kind-hearted for the vast majority. I'd worry most about La Mordida and bureaucratic snafus.

But I'd recommend it. It'd be an adventure of a lifetime and you'llhave an armload of incredible stories when you get back. One of my fantasies is to get an old, battered car, thoroughly sort the mechanicals, brush up my rusty Spanish, and drive it all the way down to Tierra del Fuego. Then I'd give someone a good deal on the car and wing it back.
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post #18 of 22
11/3/09 at 5:33pm
Driving all the way from Brazil to the US should take at least three months, if you place the vehicle on a ship in Caracas and skip Central America. First you'll have to drive south into Argentina, then up through Chile, then through Peru, Equador, Colombia, and Venezuela, where you'd cross the Gulf of Mexico from, and finally arrive in, say, Florida. There's some dangerous territory across Colombia, because of guerrilla warfare. Of course, you could also drive north through Brazil, crossing the states of Pará and Roraima, and then into Venezuela, but the roads up there are much worse, although probably much safer than driving thru Colombia.

The Brazilian Kombi is a very old project. It is an updated version of a 1957 design. You can see one in "Little Miss Sunshine", though probably an older German-built model. It is not a very safe vehicle. It is rear engine and head on collisions are often fatal, as the driver is not well protected.

Getting visas to drive through so many countries should also prove to be a bit of a headache. I wonder how easy it is for an US citizen to get a visa into Venezuela these days.

Anyways, if I were you I wouldn't take this trip alone. It would be too risky. You should take at least one or two friends along. You could also start a blog to keep everyone posted on how your adventure progresses.
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post #19 of 22
11/3/09 at 6:56pm
So you're telling me you're going to ride a van through several countries with the hottest women in the world?
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post #20 of 22
11/3/09 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by XxATOLxX View Post
So you're telling me you're going to ride a van through several countries with the hottest women in the world?
If you are going to put it that way...count me in.
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post #21 of 22
11/4/09 at 10:40am
Way too dangerous to drive through columbia, I have considered starting in chile and working my way through to the u.s. overland but columbia is what halted that plan.
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post #22 of 22
11/4/09 at 12:58pm
Colombia is a country with troubles, sure, but there aren't men waiting at the border with knives. Of course, if you'd rather not take the risk, you can go around it.

A friend of mine hitched down to Colombia and took a job as a park ranger for about 7 months, then hitched back. Came back fine, as I would have expected.

The key here is to be smart, be prepared, and be amenable to change along the way, because you will hit literal and figurative roadblocks. I would also say that some decent knowledge of at least Spanish, if not Spanish and Portugese, is advisable. The info Alex gave above was intelligent, accurate, and encouraging. If you can budget the money and time, and get a friend or two to do the same, you could have an excellent trip.

I do hope you go, and tell us about it.
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