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Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:13 am

Have a chance to purchase 2 of the 2 door Things. One is in Mazatlan, and the other in Cozumel. Was told if I tried to trailer the Mazatlan one home, most likely we would be robbed of it on the way. And the Coumel one is on an island. I like the Cozumel one better. Any one have luck doing this type of thing?

Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:39 am

I just drove that stretch from Mazatlan to Mexicali over the holidays. I did it both ways and didn´t have any problems. Just drive during daylight hours and stay on the toll roads. For the Cancun Safari you might look into shipping it to Texas.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:05 pm

The State Department has issued a warning that recommends Americans not go to Mazatlan. I think you are taking a risk doing it.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:15 pm

I spent the night in Mazatlan both ways and lived thru it. If you are not a drug buyer/seller/user and don´t hang out with narcos its really pretty safe. Now getting off on the wrong exits in parts of L.A. thats another story.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:07 pm

I agree with GuppySoup. I lived in LA (Manhatten beach). Bought a new TV over in Watts for almost nothing back in the 70's.
I'm going to try to get the Safari in Cozumel as have a home in Sugarland as well as CA.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:33 pm

Cecil, you live in the Sugar land area? So do I. I haven't seen you Thing as of yet, would love to though. I am currently looking to buy one, cant wait!

Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:39 pm

I,m going to pick up a thing in Culiacan which is just 2 hours from mazatlan this weekend. Will traviler the thing back to Ensenada where I live.

Paid 1,000 usd for a solid no rust 1973 thing.

Maybe 400 dollars to go back and forwrd total 1,500 +\-

Juan

Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:18 am

Am I reading this wrong or something. You said you have a chance to buy "2 of the 2 door Things" ? I thought all Things/Safari's were 4 doors. For a second I thought you might be talking about the Country Buggies but those are not Thing's.

I did a google search for things and Safari's and all I could trun up was custom made 2 doors. I did see one white/yellow Acapulco but could not confirm if it was original or custom. Could someone please elaborate this for me.

Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:29 am

When and where are you planning to cross the border back into the states? Give me good details and keep me well abreast, and I will set up an ambush as soon as your get across. :lol:

Have wanted a two door ever since I first saw one. Didn't know that there were more than one to two out there. If you know where another can be had PM me and I will let your cross the border in peace this time. :lol:

Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:37 pm

The two door Things (Safari) were made for a couple Mexican resorts back in the 70's. You can usually see the white one in Cozumel parked along the strand on the west side, There are a lot of crazy cars, VW based that I've seen in Mexico. Ie. the Taxies in Mazatlan. I want one of those, too.
When in Sugar Land (Damon) I scoot around in a '48 Maroon Dodge. Actually my sons car.

Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:31 pm

I am breathing new life into a 71 that i bought from a guy who drove it from Mexico is 2003. He had to jump through lots of hoops to get it here. I am glad I don't have to go through all that.

Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:21 am

@ Cecil......... I am actually traveling to Mazatlan in the end of April. Let me know if you need me to snap some pics for you or try and get you some more information. As long as you don't get me shot/kidnapped/ drugged/ ect then I don't mind.

Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:07 pm

I've lived in Mexico for almost 8-years, full time.

Stay on the toll roads (cutas), drive from one hour after sunup and stop at a motel/hotel that has secured parting at least 90-minutes before sunset.

Get about 5-7 $200 peso bills (about US$18.75). Keep them separate from any other $$ and put your USD$ under the seat carrying only US$50 in your wallet.

Staying on the toll roads makes you pretty safe. If a cop stops you and gives you an indication he wants mordida (bribe), give him a $200 peso note. Often this won't happen with Federal Cops.

Don't drive like a race driver.

If an unmakred car with a single red light car tries to stop you, keep going to the next toll booth and stop.

Follow the above and you will probably be OK.

Repeat: Stay on the toll roads and only drive during sunlight hours.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:35 am

Talosian wrote: Stay on the toll roads (cutas), drive from one hour after sunup and stop at a motel/hotel that has secured parting at least 90-minutes before sunset.
People read this and assume you do these things for safety from banditos. Not true.
You drive during the day because the majority of Mexican ranchers have crappy fences and the livestock get up on the highways at night. Hit one and you might not live. It is very common to see dead livestock on the side of the roads.

Take the toll roads, not because the free roads are unsafe or full of banditos, but because it takes FOREVER to get anywhere on the free roads. They're usually in poorer shape, much twistyer, slow through every little village. There's no cost savings on the free roads. You'll spend an extra night in a motel using the free roads vs the toll roads. That extra night costs more than the tolls.

If you get pulled over by a cop, don't get out of your car. You are not obligated to do so. You can try the "I don't speak Spanish" ploy if they try to get a bribe from you. You can stall them until they give up. Don't give them more than $10. Only dumb tourists give out the big bux. Don't try to bribe a Federale. They aren't corrupt, and they won't ask for a bribe.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:46 am

I wouldn't worry all that much about driving at night in Mexican roads these days, especially if you are driving the toll roads. In the old days not only was there a lot of livestock on the roads, way more than today, but the truckers would just park for the night in the middle of the road and they often didn't have as much as a single reflector on their rigs, let alone a taillight. If they were being considerate, they would roll a boulder out into the road fifty feet of so behind their truck to give you a second's warning you were going to die, Today the greatest danger you are going to face on the Mexican roads day or night are people driving way too fast and coming at you in your lane. When you see a truck coming towards you on a grade, you might as well assume that someone is going to be passing him using your lane as you get close. Of course your own passing of a doble remolque on a twisty road may be what gets you killed.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:08 am

Bruce wrote: [quote=
You drive during the day because the majority of Mexican ranchers have crappy fences and the livestock get up on the highways at night. Hit one and you might not live. It is very common to see dead livestock on the side of the roads.

Bruce is pretty well on point, but it's not to say there are no problems with banditos, because they do happen, but much less on the toll roads.

Also, the toll roads are fairly blocked from "stray" and wandering cows.

Yes, I feel the vast majority of the federal police are straight when it comes to bribes (they probably get paid better than the local cops).

Lastly, you may not have to legally get out of your car when pulled over, but I would hesitate to push the issue against a man with a uniform and gun in his country, where I am a guest.

Lastly, I also wouldn't be too worried about traveling the toll roads all the way; you will find though, depending on how far you are going (I live in the Guadalajara area), you will be paying a hefty amount for the tolls.

Hope to read/see your finds when you get them back.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:11 pm

I think this entire thread is hilarious. You are asking for advice about this from people on the internet you never met when the US State Department has said you should not go there. I just read a story in the Washington Post that said Matzalan had few non-Mexicans and Americans should stay away.

I went to Matzalan about six years ago and that was enough for me with Army checkpoints on the roads and Police patrolling the beach with machine guns.

This was in addition to people trying tp pass you pre-devaluation Pesos.

Good Luck!

Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:29 pm

He´s probably never met anyone from the state dept. :roll: I´m pretty sure the state dept. is run by the same incompetent people that run our country. :( For international advice I would stick with Samba members. :)

Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:32 pm

NOVA Airhead wrote: I think this entire thread is hilarious. You are asking for advice about this from people on the internet you never met when the US State Department has said you should not go there. I just read a story in the Washington Post that said Matzalan had few non-Mexicans and Americans should stay away.

I went to Matzalan about six years ago and that was enough for me with Army checkpoints on the roads and Police patrolling the beach with machine guns.

This was in addition to people trying tp pass you pre-devaluation Pesos.

Good Luck!

I suspect the border towns are still the most dangerous areas you will be in. Find out before hand from someone with experience using your chosen border crossing where you will need to go to get your visas and other papers. Sometimes it is right at the border sometimes it is 20 kilometers to the south. There is always a check point 20 kilometers in. There may be no signs at the border telling you where the custom and immigration offices are and if you drive around aimlessly you may end up being in an area where you shouldn't be, so having advanced info is good.

I would try and cross the border heading south in the morning and get well to the south before night fall, and as someone else mentioned find a hotel with secure parking for the night. I definitely prefer the old downtown hotels to the cheap motels on the edges of town. You will be stopped at check points when you head back north. They will ask you where your are coming from and maybe where your are heading, usually nothing more. I have learned to tell them the name of the first large city to the south, while its slightly deceitful if you have been through the city it is also technically true. If you don't speak Spanish you might have someone write you out a statement about why you are towing around and old car and of course have the ownership papers ready.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:36 pm

Any pics of the Things in question(going back to OP).....

I've seen the 6-door edition, from the Trim Shop days...

Are these 2-drs like a pickup style, with the back doors closed sealed up?