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  11. David C. Murray
    Flood cars, cars that have been totaled, and other nightmares are a real risk. And they're readily available here. CarFax can answer some of those questions and I wouldn't buy a used car of North American origin here in Costa Rica without checking it (CarFax, that is, as well as the car). For that you'll need the car's Vehicle Identification Number. CarFax can also tell you if the odometer has been turned back which is a common practice here. That VIN should match on all the body parts like fenders, doors, etc, too. If they do not, it's likely the car was in an accident and seriously damaged. It is for this reason that, if time were not an issue, I'd shop the much larger market in the U.S. for a used car, check it via CarFax, and import it through one of the local importers (Mike Rappaport or Charlie Zeller) who know all the local ropes. The cost to import a vehicle is the same regardless who imports it. The only difference is that if you buy a used car here, you'll be paying the importer's overhead costs and profit. He's doing this to feed his kids. As for obtaining parts, it's increasingly a nightmare. Again, the key is the Vehicle Identification Number. With many brands assembled in a number of countries, it's important to know if your (say) Toyota was assembled in the U.S. or in Japan or maybe elsewhere. Its assembly point will dictate exactly which part(s) you may need. While power train components may be universal for a given make, model and year, things like suspension and brake parts, alternators and air conditioning system components, etc may be locally sourced in the country where the vehicle was assembled and may very well not be interchangeable across all versions of the same vehicle. This is a common problem even in the U.S. where we bought a 1992 Toyota Camry that had been assembled in Japan. It needed different McPherson struts than those installed on U.S.-assembled cars.
  12. drareg
    I forgot about all the car lots along the Autopista selling Korean vans. . . My big concern purchasing a car from the USA - flood cars. Insurance write-offs tend to make their way down to Latin America. However, bringing your own car down is quite different. I did that - drove my Hyundai from Vancouver to San Jose. Would not advice anyone to do that though. Once in Heredia I got behind a Hyundai Santa Fe purchased from the same dealership I bought my car from in Calgary Alberta. Such a small world. . .
  13. Epicatt2
    Great example, David. And for Martha, who is considering importing an SUV from the US: It has long been known that certain automobile brands/models from the US are different from those same brands/models marketed in LatinAmerica. These latter are built for the the LAmer market and are different than those for the US. This is not necessarily a good or a bad thing, but whoever is considering importing a car from the US to CR should at least take into consideration the possibility that the local versions of the parts may not be compatable with the US model and whether the US parts can be readily/easily gotten in timely fashion. Obtaining those parts can take a considerable amount of time to arrive and there have been reported instances where the wrong part was sent and then re-ordering the part is necessary. Meanwhile that US model car may be undrivable for an extended period of time while awaiting the needed part or parts. OK — HTH Paul M. ==
  14. David C. Murray
    Well, there are those who bring new vehicles directly from Japan and Korea. Each vehicle brand (Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, and more) has a sole importer of their cars to Costa Rica. That's true for European brands, too. Mercedes, Maserati, Porsche, Ferrari, etc are all available here. (Can you imagine the annual marchamo on a quarter million dollar Ferrari?) And you can buy brands here (Renault, Peugeot, Mahindra, Great Wall and Tiger Trucks) that are not available in the U.S. (Whether any of those is a good idea is another matter.) The same import duties apply whether the vehicles come from Asia, Europe or North America. I've been told by a couple of reliable sources that cars imported to Costa Rica from Asia weigh 200 to 300 pounds less than their brandmate U.S. models. Since they look the same inside and out, one wonders what's missing. Friends bought a new Kia sedan here in Costa Rica in 2012. It looked exactly like the U.S. version, but while the U.S. model had six or seven air bags, the Costa Rican one had two. For me, that's a strong argument in favor of bringing a vehicle from the States.
  15. drareg
    I have not heard of anyone that brings cars in from Japan? Why? Although I realize right hand drive cars are prohibited in Costa Rica, there are many European left hand drive cars in Japan. The used car market is huge there, and many of these cars are brought to Canada (15 years or older) and the USA (25 years or older). The benefit of these cars - low mileage, and rust free. Some of the undercarriages of 15 year old cars look new. I don't think Costa Rica has an age limit, in fact, they seem to want only newer cars imported based on their import tax rates. I will probably buy a used Mercedes E320 wagon from Japan as my car to have in Canada on my next trip up there. Velocity Cars in Burnaby BC has many Japanese cars, but is a retailer. You can bring your own car in for less money. From my research, one of the more honest importers is Brave Auto International. They import/ship worldwide. And no, I have no connection to this company. I'm just aware of them because of my interest of bringing a car into Canada. Because I would have to finance, bringing a car from Japan to Costa Rica is not possible for me. But for others. . .
  16. Epicatt2
    Hi Martha, There's a expat gringo who has an auto service & repair buisness who also does vehicle sales and re-sales, mostly from other US gringos. His business is Auto Shop Santa Ana and his name is Allen Dickinson. He might have just what you need as his inventory is always changing. Here is the contact info for you: AUTO SHOP SANTA ANA Allen, 8502-6305 (English) Joaquin, 8815-7668 (Spanish) Email = < allendickinson70 @ yahoo.com > I have no financial or other interest in this business but have met Allen and he is afriendly, honest fellow. OK — HTH Paul M. ==
  17. David C. Murray
    If you really want something that will meet all those criteria, consider buying a vehicle in the U.S. and having it shipped here. Unlike vehicles here, U.S. vehicles have safety and recall records, they meet U.S. safety and emission standards, and the mileage will be accurate. None of those apply to a vehicle bought here which may be a flood car, something that has been totaled in the U.S., or which has had the odometer turned back many thousands of miles. The cost to import a car to Costa Rica is the same whether a used car dealer or you import it.
  18. MarthaU started following Buying a used car
  19. MarthaU
    I want to by a good used SUV no older than 2015, low milage, great condition, no accidents, marthausztan@comcast.net. Liberia, Guanacaste
  20. TicoGrande started following Forums Upgraded today
  21. TicoGrande

    Forums Upgraded today

    TicoGrande posted a topic in The ARCR Forums Notices

    Contact me here if issues found. TG
  22. Greg Haselmann Greg Haselmann changed their profile photo
  23. Epicatt2

    Want to leave the forums?

    Epicatt2 replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    Which, David, is why we encourage the members to familiarize themselves with the Forums' posting Guidelines. Saves a everyone lot of grief! Paul M. – Forums Moderator ==
  24. einar
    For very long term/permanent. 2 BR, 2 full baths. Furnished. Thanks in advance.
  25. David C. Murray

    Want to leave the forums?

    David C. Murray replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    Even a "tangential reference" (in the eyes of some (one, actually)) can get you booted.
  26. jamesofomaha

    Want to leave the forums?

    jamesofomaha replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    What? Smoking marijuana? (THIS WAS A JOKE! I know what activity you mean...)
  27. Derrick102

    Want to leave the forums?

    Derrick102 replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    The easiest way to quit this forum, is to praise the activity that is considered to be " not illegal, but not legal". Works every time.
  28. drareg
    So, many people are getting rather complacent about going into San Jose on the day their plate prohibits them from doing so. Enforcement has been almost non-existent for quite a few months, until last week. There was a line of over 10 cars on Segunda Avendia, with every available Transito officer writing tickets. They couldn't get everyone, they were so busy. I tend to obey traffic laws, although at times I 'do it the Tico way'. Other times, I've just forgotten it's Tuesday, until I'm in the middle of San Jose. Also, never park in the yellow zones - you may get away with it for a long time, but, as another current thread indicates, eventually, your number comes up (and removed from your car).
  29. TicoGrande

    Want to leave the forums?

    TicoGrande replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    No
  30. induna
    I haven't given up, Eleanor, I've just been really busy lately. I'm more than happy to discuss/share about the issues of the day here. Let's give it a go in another thread or two. I think what Carlos et al have been trying to do is really interesting, and important. Oh and I could give a rat's culo where to eat in Chepe, but that's just me.
  31. eleanor2
    Well, I wrote a long and erudite answer (haha) to your reply but then decided "Why the hell am I bothering." and didn't post it. I've learned a lot of things from this forum over the years but if there is so little interest in discussions about "all things Costa Rican" or how things elsewhere in the world affect us in Costa Rica, then I'm out. I can take only so many, as you say, repetitive questions about how to acquire residency and where to live and how much does it cost to live. And where's a good place to eat in San Jose. 🙋‍♀️
  32. David C. Murray

    Want to leave the forums?

    David C. Murray replied to TicoGrande's topic in Registration Issues? Other Questions?

    But there is a way for the Administrator or Moderator to cancel your membership in the forum, right?
  33. induna
    It's not lack of interest, just lack of time and energy at the moment. And yes, this forum probably needs to evolve a bit, but I think there may be a more fundamental problem. It seems to me that there are many N Americans that really don't want to know anything about Costa Rica other than how to get by. These folks mostly just want to talk to other folks like themselves. These conversations often turn into semi paranoid complaint fests that are beyond tedious, and generally end up violating the rules of the forums. The other large group are the generally well asimilated who speak Spanish, have Tico friends, and who don't care much any more about other gringos per se and their self inflicted problems. And then we have the newbies who come here for information, and some for "like minds", who can jump into either group, or give up and go back. The first group is tedious, at best. The second are all busy living their lives. So, only the newbies are generating any new posts, and these are often repetitive. The way forward is to get group 2 more active, but I'm not sure how you do that.
  34. eleanor2
    Well, with the lack of interest in this forum in all things Costa Rican, I have to wonder just why I check here every day. No one has any interest in any of the 10 topics concerning Costa Rica that I posted? That's just unfortunate.
  35. Epicatt2
    Because at the time, Eleanor, it appeared that no messages were getting thru to the Forums and that none had been for about a week. And that, simply put, was the reason for that post: To hopefully atrract some posts to see whether any of them were getting thru. (Terry's did.) And that as the story goes is the News From Lake Wobe . . . . Cheers! Paul M. ==
  36. eleanor2
    Paul, if you are "anxious to make a post" then why not start a discussion about some of the things swirling around Costa Rica and inside Costa Rica? 1. World Cup 2. Keylor Navas - Costa Rica team and Real Madrid 3. Situation in Nicaragua and how it affects Costa Rica 4. Is there more tourism this June? 5. Hurricane forecasts for 2018 and effect on Costa Rica 6. Costa Rica relationship with US 7. Costa Rican boy found alone in the Arizona desert 8. Will prices go up in Costa Rica now that so many trucks are stuck in Nicaragua? 9. What will happen with my gasoline-powered car now that Costa Rica is heading towards not using fossil fuels? 10. What do our forum members think is the biggest headline about Costa Rica in the past week? Come on, people. There's more to life than acquiring or renewing residency and questions about the Caja. 😁 Bonus question: Any good wildlife sightings this past week? (Yes, including snakes....)
  37. TicoGrande
    Too bad. You can't! The forums are like the Hotel California. You can check in but you can never leave. Now for all of you living in the USA and who have lost your sense of humor or are so goofy with political correctness etc: That was a JOKE!! Sort of. In the often unexplained world of programmers, those good folks failed to give you a way to leave the forums. We almost never get requests to leave but we do get questions how to stop the notifications. So... here is how! In order to remove all subscriptions, do the following once signed in as them. Account setting>notification settings - Uncheck the top 3 items This is the one people usually miss. Go to "manage followed content", select all items, and delete. That's it. You will never hear from us! TG
  38. Mora Con Leche
    My first post. To see if it goes through. MCL ==
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