Are older Toyota trucks popular in Mexico?

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I make frequent drives from Sacramento to San Diego area and have noticed something at least twice now on I5 going to LA area. A pair of the older, pre-Tacoma Toyota trucks traveling together, each towing another Toyota truck; beds filled with spare engines, radiators, etc. On the tailgate of each towed truck is a large " IN TOW" made with red tape. When I saw them the first time, I figured that they were headed to LA for a Toyota Swap meet or something. When I saw them again the next year, I thought a little more about it. I figure that these still useful trucks may be smog failures here in CA, and destined for resale (at a decent profit) in Mexico. It used to be difficult to import legally a US vehicle down there; maybe NAFTA has loosened things up? These little trucks would be perfect for the poor roads down there; they probably had an easy life up here. I figure they drive these down on the weekend, sell 3 of them, and drive the one left back to Fresno or wherever. Any one else have a different possibility?
 
That seems like a good idea. No idea though. I love toyota trucks...kinda want another...now I am on craigslist again....my wife is gone be [censored], thanks
 
I see them doing that to all kinds of cars and trucks here. I'm sure a lot maybe sold in Mexico and Central America. A friend of mine who works at a used car dealership in Brownsville claims they tow vehicles down they buy at auction and Repair them in Mexico and get them running for cheap labor and then bring them back and sell them at local used car places lol or so I heard anyway
 
Yeah I see them all the time here, have for years. Loaded up with junk towing one another with In-Tow painted on the back.
 
Lots of stolen VINs with Baja California plates going around. They ought to VIN check cars coming across the border and seize the ones that were stolen from the USA.
 
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Lots of stolen VINs with Baja California plates going around. They ought to VIN check cars coming across the border and seize the ones that were stolen from the USA.


Who? The Mexican Customs Officer?

I am going to hazard a guess you have not spent much time in Latin America.
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A car salesman told me years ago that a vehicle from the USA that's over 10 years old pays little or nothing to be imported into Mexico. This explains the older stuff going down there.
 
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I see them here in St Louis all the time. The 'boss' bids for cars on-line, some of them are taken as far as Central America. They get parts to fix the cars from local junk yards, then in a convoy, head on the road.
 
There was a scam back a while where Tacomas were scraped up off the Third world roads and brought back to the US for a frame and body recall that forced Toyota to literally rebuild the structure of the vehicle.
Don't know if this applies any more.
 
I think most older vehicles are of interest in Mexico. Not sure if still done, but the charity organizations requesting donated junkers used to sell them for maybe double salvage value to outfits that sent them to mexico to be fixed up and used again.
 
Not just old running vehicles. Newer collision total end up oversea / down south to be repaired and sold again. US labor to do massive work is just too expensive, 3rd world has cheap labor but wants good price, so you know...
 
I spent a couple of weeks in a non beach town in Mexico a few years ago. There was (apparently) a body shop a few doors down from our rental. I say apparently because there wsn't much evidence of what might be considered a business. But out on the street a VW Bug in really tough shape was transformed over a week or so into a really nice looking vehicle.

My impression was that workers there used elbow grease and native skills and could do a lot with very little. I was impressed.

I expect those clapped out Toyota trucks will be refurbished and have their Toyota reliability restored. That's not a bad strategy when you think about it.
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
I spent a couple of weeks in a non beach town in Mexico a few years ago. There was (apparently) a body shop a few doors down from our rental. I say apparently because there wsn't much evidence of what might be considered a business. But out on the street a VW Bug in really tough shape was transformed over a week or so into a really nice looking vehicle.

My impression was that workers there used elbow grease and native skills and could do a lot with very little. I was impressed.

I expect those clapped out Toyota trucks will be refurbished and have their Toyota reliability restored. That's not a bad strategy when you think about it.




Exactly and especially when one considers many of the road conditions down there. The old Toyos have been going that direction for 20+ years in just the method described above--one towed behind another in a convoy.

Used to break my heart to see them go since I had 4 over the years and they were bombproof with that little 22R & 22R-E engine. Perfect for narrow mountain track and light weight for the beach and were 10 times better than the JD Gator for utility around the farm.

Ofcourse Latin America has long been familiar with the Toyota brand with FJ/BJ series.
 
2 thoughts: OLD Wall St. Journal article, car ads say "bring wife and title, KY buyers are waiting" meant trade in your vehicle, not economic to repair at new car dealership, KY buyers took to Pineville? where the whole town was based on radiator, frame, body, transmission shops, fixed cheap, sold to used car dealers because many in mountains KY / TN / WVA are used cars price range people only, relatively fewer new car sales, like Mexico? AND ex GF, before 1st gulf war, dated a Syrian who owned a car carrier, he had white driver w/prison record who had trouble getting steady work, and loved GMC, FORD, etc. vans from all over took to FLA, paint tan, fix AC, general repair, ship to Kuwait for "bargain" sales.Probably didn't last long, but long enough for purpose.
 
No getting the paperwork to sell a US vehicle (legally) in Mexico is a major undertaking. How do I know? first I live in Mexico City and work for a company that imports and exports products on a daily basis. First you must have a Mexican customs broker do the importation and pay the correct taxes based on ACV (actual cash value) . The vehicle will then get a "tax stamp" that allows it to be replated in the correct state. There are rules for which vehicles can be imported and they must be at least 10 years old. The vehicle must have a current emissions test (no more than 6 mos old). That only gets the vehicle into mexico, then you must get the vehicle plates in which ever state you live in which you also have to pay taxes and registration fees. The SAT (irs) has been really cracking down on this lately and people have been getting their cars seized on the spot and lose everything. The folks you see pulling those trailers are either paying of border guards or paying huge amounts of taxes. This is the main reason why my 05 GTO still has Texas plates with a temporary 180 day importation permit.
 
Originally Posted By: Gimpy1
No getting the paperwork to sell a US vehicle (legally) in Mexico is a major undertaking. How do I know? first I live in Mexico City and work for a company that imports and exports products on a daily basis. First you must have a Mexican customs broker do the importation and pay the correct taxes based on ACV (actual cash value) . The vehicle will then get a "tax stamp" that allows it to be replated in the correct state. There are rules for which vehicles can be imported and they must be at least 10 years old. The vehicle must have a current emissions test (no more than 6 mos old). That only gets the vehicle into mexico, then you must get the vehicle plates in which ever state you live in which you also have to pay taxes and registration fees. The SAT (irs) has been really cracking down on this lately and people have been getting their cars seized on the spot and lose everything. The folks you see pulling those trailers are either paying of border guards or paying huge amounts of taxes. This is the main reason why my 05 GTO still has Texas plates with a temporary 180 day importation permit.


Mexico has always been such a stckler for following the rules & regulations.

Definitely not a country where officials would bend the rules for a few pesos.

La Mordida?
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I've seen the "IN-TOW" vehicles all over the Southeast. Seems like any older light truck, SUV, or minivan is game; not so many cars.

As stated by others, labor is cheap in Mexico, and the demand for cheap, durable vehicles is high. I have heard of people in the US, especially Texas, taking cars there to have body work done for far less than it would cost in the US. It also seems a lot of people from Mexico have auto body repair skills...not sure which came first, the chicken or the egg, but it seems like a popular cottage industry of sorts there with many small shops repairing many severely damaged vehicles that were not worth it in the US. Some of my regular customers are shop owners/car lot owners who immigrated from Mexico. They are not phased by major crash damage and buy all kinds of out of the ordinary things.
 
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