How to Import a VW bus from Brazil (Brasil)

[Squeeze Cheese]

Hi guys, just thought I'd share what I've learned about importing a VW Brazil-built bus.

A month or so ago I asked if anyone had actually done this. Since then I did find a handful of guys that have successfully imported to the US and I have filled in all the blanks on the process, so maybe this should warrant a new post for anyone interested.

First, I do plan to give it a go, but I’m super fortunate that with my job I fly to various cities in Brazil several times a year, and while there my hotel, rental car, and food expenses are paid by the company, and I have a week or more with plenty of time to play with VWs. If it weren’t for that unique situation I wouldn’t import one myself because the math doesn’t work out as I’ll explain. Sorry if this is a long or discouraging read, it’s just everything I wish I knew before.

The Pros:

1. It’s totally doable, if the car is at least 25 years old and the paperwork is in order, you can title, register, and tag a Brazil made VW in the US. In my state, they’re exempt from emissions and inspections, and a historic tag brings the insurance costs way down. (My understanding for California residents there is a DMV problem, although I didn’t figure out the details since I don’t live there, but I can say I haven’t found anyone that has fully titled, tagged, and is driving a bus imported through a California port. Perhaps a solution would be to buy a Brazil bus that has already been US titled in another state, then transferred to the California owner.)

2. They are great buses. Short of having actually owned one yet, I have driven and meticulously inspected many in Sao Paulo that were for sale. Advantages: Brazil never has snow and thus salt on the roads, so rust is minimized, and most of the Kombis were (and still are) used as around-town-only school, church, or company transport – hence they’re all 9 passenger 15 window non-walk through models with basic interiors, or delivery vans and single and double cabs used for small business. No Sambas were built because buses weren’t considered “fun cars.” Mileage was kept further low due to the fact that Brazil in the 60s and 70s didn’t have a “great highway road trip” era because high quality roads away from the cities were still being developed. Hence no campers! And since they made Split Windows through 1975, they are of course newer. Also, the guys in the US I’ve talked to that actually own them say they really are just as good as German. The few parts that are not identical can be made to work. I’ll add that according to a few posts I’ve read on this site (written by people that admittedly have never had a Brazil bus), you may lose the “snob appeal” from the minority it's-German-or-it's-crap-elitists, but to the mass everyone else, a split window VW bus is an attention-grabbing thing of beauty and the people you meet outside of this forum don’t ask or care which VW factory built which bus.

3. They do good work down there. I’ve visited two of the top restoration shops in Sao Paulo and they take pride in their work, quality on par with those in California. Restorations use metal when needed and use Bondo when appropriate, but unlike in the US, rusted out hulls are not their normal starting point. They’re also not doing show-worthy Deluxe Sambas because they never came from the factory that way. So their “like new” is a solid, true-to-stock, rust-free daily driver with basic interiors, that are in perfect condition for further customization.

The Cons:

1. You gotta go to Brazil. I’ve talked to guys that bought based on just some online photos and had problems with the export and did not receive what they expected. You have to go there, drive and inspect several buses (soon because their numbers are dwindling due to foreign buyers) and make a smart choice, then see that car all the way to the boat - otherwise BUYER BEWARE. The export process is complicated and must be done properly by a Portugese speaker who knows what he’s doing and the vehicle paperwork must be correct before the purchase or there will be big delays, which is the norm. The Brazilian seller probably has no knowledge of exporting a car so you have to find someone else who does.

2. For the average buyer, the math doesn’t work out to be a huge advantage to import a bus for yourself. Airline tickets, a Brazil VISA, hotel for at least a week, rental car, meals, actual cost of car, broker, export, shipping, import, taxes, tag and title. Let me break it down, in rounded numbers:

$1000 for cheap hotel for a week, $1000 round trip ticket from ATL to Sao Paulo (other origin or destination, insert your cost), $150 for the VISA, $500 in cheap food, $200 for rental car (good luck driving in Brazil!) all including taxes. Consider a week might not be enough! Plus consider your lost revenue if you took off work?

$15,000-$20,000 Range of standard or deluxe Kombi in excellent to like-new condition. Includes a broker charging 10-20 percent since you don’t speak Portuguese or know how to find the cars.

$5000-$6000 Export and container shipping. That’s to the East Coast US. I’ve heard up to $8000 to the West coast, to Europe or elsewhere I’d estimate far more.

$1000-$2000 in import fees, taxes, and a US agent to handle all that customs paperwork if you never have. Expect more buyer paid fees if the car gets marked for x-rays and inspections at the port, which one third of them do.

$2000 to title, register, tag, and insurance, including tax, in my state and county.

So, for upwards of $30,000, you have a beautiful 15 window Kombi. (BTW, it takes about 2 months from purchase to pick-up from the port.) Now I can see why that shop in California is importing and flipping them for $35,000, or buying good condition ones and restoring them for the same, or adding some nice touches like safari windows and custom interiors and pricing them upwards of $40,000. Still, not a giant profit margin.

I will add that importing a sight-unseen Brazil bus from photos only in “fair to good” condition for say - $4000-$6000 to restore at home might be a smart buy for someone that wants a project and has the know-how.

So basically, I think the Brazil buses are awesome and I want one! But if I wasn’t fortunate to be in Brazil for free, and have the time and energy to deal with all the complications, if I were you I would just buy one that was already imported and titled. You’d still have a valuable investment classic car that costs about half that of it’s identical brother with a German VIN plate. It might be a short lived opportunity going on right now. Either the VW community will catch on that the Brazil buses are indeed high quality and just as fun to have, or all the good ones will be exported.

Hope that helps!

[Braukuche]

Interesting but your points about the desirability of Brazilian buses sounds like the same arguments used for fake 21/23 window buses, which is only the snobs want real German buses. It's not a snob thing so much as a collector issue. A collector doesn't by a Rembrandt print they buy a real Rembrandt. Sure, once in its frame and from a distance you might not notice the difference and they both look nice and serve the purpose of decorating the wall, but when you go to sell it, what's going to fetch the higher price? Which is going to impress people more? It's really is apples and oranges.
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Go Reds! Smash state!

Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now

[electronictofu]

Some people buy or build to impress, other's build or buy just for them. Decide what your budget is and what you plan to do with it. I don't see a lot of guys forking over $30-40k for a Brazilian bus over an old school. So resale could be tough. But that's just my 2 cents. I'd rather have a German split, and Im not even close to the stock purist, it's just what I dig.

[DonKombi]

[Squeeze Cheese]

[Franagon]

Hey, thanks for the write up. I have been looking at some nice split buses in Brazil (via The Samba) and seems so tempting. Some are like ones I have never seen before here in the US, which is neat, but yeh, getting that puppy here...... I am over in the Vanagon world and would like to get a split some day. A lot of times I see some I like here in the US, mostly in California (I am on the other coast) so I still would have a decent plane ticket there, but not the other costs, and most here in the US are German to the point of the other persons post. Very cool! Thanks for the write up. Fran
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84 Westy Wolfsburg Manual - RG6 Bostig

[Cesar_bcn]

I have imported one to Spain.
You can speak with boys of http://kombibrazil.com they could help you.

[Skim]

They should all have their own brazil busses section rather than the 49-67 bus classifieds
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GFK
Samba since before the towers collapsed. Still here.
1953 Kabriolet
1954 Sunroof
1959 Lowlight Ghia vert
1960 Lt Grey Double Cab SMZ LEGIT
1963 Deluxe Turkis Walk Thru 15 Window OG Paint

[NUTSFORBUSES]

A few guys are bringing them in pairs to make a buck, doing it for yourself, I would bring in two if your paying for a container and restore here, not there.
They are still VW's but within this community (most of us) like German made.

I love the walk-through, so I am out

There are probably more Brazilian 21 windows in Calif, than Original, and that is like building a clone Mustang < vanity vs appreciation = 2cents
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kaiser kills kids.com

[tkgeorge_99]

Great info. Has anyone had any experience with the dreaded California DMV? Yet another reason why it feels dumb to live in California... From my understanding it looks like I would need to find a pre 67 bus which greatly limits my selection. If anyone has done process before in CA, I would greatly appreciate any info. Thanks