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old cars ?

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alki
  1/19/2015 20:37 EST

I have been restoring/repairing/customizing cars from the 30s to the 70s , I was wondering if they are around in Nica ? Are there car clubs ?

majicjack
  1/20/2015 07:37 EST

When a NIca finishes with a car there is nothing left to restore. LOL
I haven't seen that many American cars down here.

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timwood202000
  1/20/2015 08:16 EST

I too am a street rodder. The only hot rod I have seen here was a 60's Stingray and it is owned by the millionaire major league pitcher who lives in Chinandega. The roads you could drive on are also very limited......sorry.

KeyWestPirate
  1/20/2015 11:45 EST

When a NIca finishes with a car there is nothing left to restore. LOL I

And, ---still has the original oil that came from the factory.

alki
  1/20/2015 13:26 EST

Sounds a lot like here in Puerto Rico, run the suspension until it falls off and run the engine until it loses more than one cylinder. I really dont need drive train or suspension or interior etc etc I really just need a body even if the floor boards are missing, farm truck ? and they don't have to be american, just thinking along the 30 to 50s style . I built a Challenger once that started out as a grease spot and a bent rim lol

Neniwa
  1/21/2015 01:13 EST

My wife and I are soon to be relocating to Nicaragua, and we're bringing our 1965 Plymouth Fury sedan with us.

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timwood202000
  1/21/2015 08:50 EST

You better make sure that you can bring a car that old into the country if you plan on keeping it here permanently and not just here on vacation.

mapper55
  1/21/2015 11:24 EST

I believe that you can import Classical or Historical cars that are older than 10 years old, but I don't know what the Nicaraguan Government classifies as Classical or Historical. This link displays the law about importing vehicles (in Spanish), but I would check very carefully before you import or drive your vehicle to Nicaragua.

http://www.dga.gob.ni/preguntadetalle.cfm?recordID=75

Nicaman
  1/25/2015 16:41 EST

Glad to know you are moving to Esteli its a good city i have been living in Esteli for about 4 years let me know when you will be here so we can meet.
I have wanted to start restoring some cars for some time know.

alki
  1/26/2015 14:21 EST

I have found a few interesting cars and trucks to look into when I get there but since I am bringing my dogs and clothes only it may take a while to get a few tools and a garage lined up.

richardsteebird
  1/26/2015 16:30 EST

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but when we checked about bringing in a vehicle to Nicaragua it could not be over 7 years old. We could not bring our 2000 GMC pickup that had low miles and was in fantastic shape we ended up selling it. We moved here this past December 2013 and still do not have a vehicle. The pickup paid for our airline tickets and that was about it. We use the local taxis to get where we need to go in Jinotepe and it's only 10 cordobas each for a ride into town to the bank and market. So basically 40 cordobas round trip for two that is less than $2.00.

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richardsteebird
  1/26/2015 16:36 EST

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but when we checked about bringing in a vehicle to Nicaragua it could not be over 7 years old. We could not bring our 2000 GMC pickup that had low miles and was in fantastic shape we ended up selling it. We moved here this past December 2013 and still do not have a vehicle. The pickup paid for our airline tickets and that was about it. We use the local taxis to get where we need to go in Jinotepe and it's only 10 cordobas each for a ride into town to the bank and market. So basically 40 cordobas round trip for two that is less than $2.00. We have a manufactured home in Deland, FL and when it sells we will be able to transport our belongings from storage to here. We are pensionados and recently got our cedulas. We came to Jinotepe to open our Crossroads Fellowship Bible Institute and got the school open in September with 4 students now we have 10. We will be happy to help answer any questions that we can. God bless, Rev. Lillie Richards, [email protected]. We have a vonage number if you would like to email us I will give it to you.

Jocubes2
  1/26/2015 16:53 EST

I have been told many times that the 7 year law does not apply to pick up trucks though.

KeyWestPirate
  1/26/2015 17:05 EST

Time limit is actually 10 years for automobiles, and there is no limit for trucks (as far as I know).

I bought in a 1992 Ford 250 4WD diesel last January. Total cost of import, taxes and custom agent was right at $1000.

The import process took two days to complete (then you do mechanical inspection, pay road taxes, buy insurance ($55 year, and stand in line for your temporary registration). It's tough the first time, but there are people out there who will do it for you.

It's my second F250 diesel brought to Nicaragua.

If you go on the The Real Nicaragua, there are some recent posts that cite directly from the Aduana website re the time limit.

I have a standing offer to drive a vehicle down, I go back and forth, this trip end of this month will be my 7th (one way) trip from the US to Nicaragua.

All I ask is payment for the tolls and gas, and the small cost of car permits in Guatemala and Honduras, >>>>>> and use of the cargo space in the vehicle. A LOT cheaper than a container and dealing with customs in Managua.

You need a clean title, current registration, and I need your power of attorney, translated into Spanish.

If you want to import, I'll meet you at El Espino and guide you through the process. If you are just bringing it in on a tourist permit, I can help you with that too.

I've been driving a 2007 Highlander in Nicaragua for two years now on a tourist permit(s). It's been back to the US twice now, but otherwise I extend the permit in Managua once, and either run it down to CR, or up to Honduras (I'm very close to the border) to get another 30 days (which I can extend in Managua for 30 days).

One extension in Managua only :)

McKean
  1/28/2015 10:32 EST

Wonder why our attorney tells us less then $25,000 and no older then 7 years old for our 2014 2500 Chevrolet Silverado. Wonder how much I will pay? In addition this Law was written years ago in 1999 I believe with no auto inflation compensation. Not easy buying a new car under those $$$ terms.

Jocubes2
  1/28/2015 10:50 EST

Coincidentally, I just received my 2003 Silverado 2500 from Customs yesterday. However, I had it shipped in November 2014(took 2 monts to get out of Nica Customs) and my wife tells me that our broker says the law changed December 2014 and we would not have been permitted to bring it as of December. I guess you need to verify. This is all the info I have.

KeyWestPirate
  1/28/2015 11:34 EST

Did the Silverado have a camper shell?

There are some weird Gotchas! you have to watch out for. Anything that looks like an automobile or SUV will be treated like one.

I've heard many horror stories about Managua aduana, everyone seems to have items stolen.....

If you miss noting something on the itemized list, it will just disappear. Food packages broken open and partial contents missing . . .

Just out of curiosity, what did you pay to ship your Silverado by container? And what was the total import cost after it got there?

A vehicle that gets 20 MPG will cost just under $900 to get into Nicaragua, with gas, tolls in Mexico, and car permits for Guatemala and Honduras.

If anyone wants to see my registration for the 1992 Ford F250 4WD diesel I imported last January, just PM me with an email and I'll send you a copy of the registration, and a pic of the truck loaded. The truck was loaded above the cab, with one of those hitch carriers behind, also loaded.
The total import cost of my goods was less than $200.

The two processes happen simultaneously: Customs decides what is taxable (clothes, food, personal articles, books,, come in free).

They make two piles, dutiable and non-dutiable, and then make a list of your declared values for the taxable pile.

There is a caja there, so you pay right on the spot, no need to find a bank.

If they need more than a day to complete the paperwork, they will give you back the non-dutiable portion, and they have a secure fenced in area where you will stash your dutiable portion. If you stuff is not in bins (the only way to go), then you will need to remember a tarp to cover it all.

While the goods are being assessed, the customs agent is gathering and verifying info about your vehicle. The chassis number is a biggie, sometimes hard to find. Once he finds that info, he accesses the Aduana server, inputs the info, and waits for the paperwork with a unique identifying number assigned. The day I was there the server was taking two hours to return the documents. It varies.



Import took 2 days at El Espino, taxes were $700 and change, I remember $125 for the customs agent,, and various other fees put it right at $1000 total. If we had started VERY early in the morning, we MIGHT have made it in one day -but probably not.

The total fees, with insurance, to get it registered were about $100. The process is simple, but time consuming, with a lot of stops.

You only need the vehicle present at one point, the mechanical inspection, the VIN is verified there.

There are people who will do it for $100 or less, you see them standing in line at Transito carrying over-the-shoulder bags for the (numerous) documents.

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