TheSamba.com :: View topic - Brazilian Kombi going away / Last Bus made in Brazil

Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:27 pm

Hondaslayer wrote: Wildthings wrote: blackjackatx wrote: So what is the possiblity of buying one of these new Brazilian Kombi and shipping it back to the U.S.

No real problem, you just will not be able to license and drive if for 25 years, but it will be a cool first vehicle for your grandkids.

Or you could get a letter of conformity from VWoA. The DOT will allow importation of vehicles that are of "substantial similarity" to US spec vehicles if the manufacturer provides a letter of conformity (IE the Brazilian bay has the same or better crash worthiness as a 1978 model)

we used to go thru this stuff back in the 70's and 80's with the foreign car club on imported sports cars. I imagine it is similar now. They give you a waiver for X number of months like 18 or 24. When the time is up the car has to leave. You sell it to a buyer in a foreign country, they stick it in an export broker's warehouse, a new US buyer steps up and imports it for another 18 - 24 months. The cat and mouse game goes on until someone realizes the car hasn't really left then they threaten to impound it if it happens again. Every once in awhile someone gets a waiver cause it meets DOT regulations with tail light lens changes etc.

Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:04 pm

Just accept the fact that you can't do it legally. The rules are there for a reason, appreciate it.

Or be a sneak somehow and do it.. And hope you never need your insurance coverage since it probably would be denied. It also might not go great in a wreck to have the law discover you were driving an illegally licensed and registered vehicle.

Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:25 pm

In my humble opinion, we should lobby someone in the government to allow import of those vehicles, with one caveat, that is; "the owner must own an earlier model of the same car!"

For instance, we all have Bays! We want to buy a much newer model from Brazil (which would still be much safer than the 40+ year old vehicles we're driving)

IF the person importing the vehicle has a similar already registered; "why not????"

Anyone know a congressman or senator???

Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:00 pm

Sadly we are not in a position to lobby (read, bribe) our politicians like big corporations can. Europe has sensible personal import rules, why not here? Surely if it was marked as such on the pink slip could it not just have a simple check for roadworthyness, without getting into the big dollar BS that is there to stop anyone competing with the big players? In Europe I remember VW being dragged through the courts and slapped for not honoring their 'worldwide' warrenty on the Mexican built bug. There are 2 types of inspection in the UK, a LHD car gets a very minimal one, whereas a RHD car has to jump through many more hoops - no doubt at the behest of the manufacturers who don't want to lose their captive audience to cheaper imports. Free trade? Dream on.

Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:10 pm

Regardless, there is still a bus in my garage and I'm sure it is built better than a Brazilian one....with all due respect.

Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:26 am

The Brazillian bay may look like a bus, but most of it mechanically is different from a real bay window. When did they stop making them without an independent rear suspension? Is the front beam or steering or brake parts usable in any way? Same CV joints? I suppose that a lot of the robber body seals will become more expensive. On the bright side, with the comparative quality of the Brazillian parts passing as "oem", it may be a good thing that they just stop. Everything is of lighter gauge, brittle plastic, and peeling chrome. Despite it looking like a bus, in my mind they stopped making buses in 1979. :)

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:11 pm

From another thread
Quote:

Volkswagen BUS (Kombi) Last Edition series is limited to 600 units, which marks the end of life utility built 56 years ago in Brazil, numbered and with special visual.

The end was expected, announced yet officially denied. On Wednesday (14), however, a day after announcing the arrival of the new Golf VIP party with Brazil in São Paulo (SP), Volkswagen discloses a kind of "admission" of what we already knew: the Kombi will retire at the end of this year.

The conclusion of activities comes, of course, stylish automotive world with a special series called Last Edition, which hits stores later in August. "Offered from this month's series will mark the end of production of the Kombi in Brazil" confirms Volkswagen.

In fact, according to information obtained by Universo On-Line Cars, the van stops being produced in December this year, because from 2014 only models equipped with ABS brakes and dual airbags may leave the assembly lines in Brazil. Volkswagen managed to install airbags in the van, but was not able to do the same with the antilock brake system (outdated too, the mechanics of the model even has brake booster).

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:12 pm

She's a real beauty. =P~

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:13 pm

A few more posts from duplicate threads
TommyBoyGomes wrote: Not sure if this has already been posted, but I saw this on the BBC mainpage today...

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130820-catching-the-last-bus

Not much to the article aside from mentioning the VW Brazil will finally be ending their production of the bus and offering a limited number of last editions.

lostorbit wrote: About $36,000 USD. :shock:

http://jalopnik.com/old-school-vw-microbus-will-finally-end-production-this-1153016890

Red Fau Veh wrote: http://now.msn.com/volkswagen-microbus-production-will-soon-end-in-brazil#tscptme%29 :cry:

Red Fau Veh wrote: Here is the full article. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/08/volkswagen-microbus/ I would love one of the 600 final editions. 8)

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:18 pm

Red Fau Veh wrote: Here is the full article. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/08/volkswagen-microbus/ I would love one of the 600 final editions. 8)
it says in the article that--unfortunately--your lifestyle will be going away soon too :P

didn't know they had hippies in brazil, always thought it was an american thing.

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:32 pm

Meh, it's ok. I definitely don't like the roof. It detracts from the bus's funny look. I prefer my 78.

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:37 pm

I like the curvature of the front and rear bumpers.

I see that there are two fuel tanks. I wonder which side is for gasoline and which is for ethanol.

I'm sure the Bay will be missed in Brazil.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:48 pm

In twenty years that bus would be worth a ton. If there was a reasonable way to get some, I would buy two. Once to store and one to drive. Our children or grandchildren will hopefully be dreaming our dreams in one of those when we are gone.

Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:00 pm

Wait, they manged to put air bags in a bus but updating the brakes is what is killing the bus? How is putting ABS in a bus any harder than in any other car? I would love to drive on of these buses or just get a chance to see one up close

Tue Aug 20, 2013 7:02 pm

The pics have been Photoshopped....

Where are the tie rods???

Where are the mufflers???

What happened to the bottom of the frame rail???

Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:58 pm

Joey wrote: The pics have been Photoshopped....

Yep they have. It's a modern advertisement. Just because the car originated in the mid 1900s doesn't mean the new advertisements are exempt from today's trickery.

What I want to know is how they got load-rated whitewalls?!??

Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:14 am

It wouldn't be the first time. This 72 has a tailpipe but no muffler :lol: That is the gravel guard hanging down - the muffler should come down like twice as far as that.

Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:44 am

I want a short with Jerry Garcia shedding a tear....

Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:46 am

nathansnathan wrote: The Brazillian bay may look like a bus, but most of it mechanically is different from a real bay window. .... Despite it looking like a bus, in my mind they stopped making buses in 1979. :)

Well, you're half right. :) VW of Mexico made them domestically until 1996 when Brazil became the only plant producing them. The Mexican Buses were different than the German ones in terms of build quality, including the lighter gauge of steel, but they were still a quality product. I encountered them in Tijuana in 1993 and was actually impressed by what I saw and how they rode.

M

Wed Aug 21, 2013 10:32 am

asiab3 wrote: I want a short with Jerry Garcia shedding a tear.... Wow, that's a good idea.