MikeB Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 Does anyone have any experience with turning your US plated car to scrap metal? Is my only option to haul it to the border? MikeB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 I think you can it turn it over to Mx government but need advice how to do that. I know of people that donated the car but make sure your donated car is out of your name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideSky Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Pulled this from Sonia Diaz website: http://www.soniadiaz.mx/about.html " Selling, Scrapping, Donating Car "You may not sell nor donate a foreign plated vehicle in Mexico. If a foreign plated car is unable to be driven may it be left in Mexico? NO, it must be towed to the border. To legally scrap a foreign plated car it is only done so at about 6 locations and you pay the cost. Once scrapped, you then deliver proof of the vehicle being destroyed to the proper authorities in Mexico City. The requirements are very specific. The other issue with taking a vehicle to a scrpe yard is that the vehicle may be restored. Mexicans are very creative. Or, parts such as the motor ends up in another vehicle and on a motor is a VIN. The vehicle with that traceable VIN ends up in an accident or it is involved in committing a crime. That vehicle is now traceable to the owner who thought the vehicle was destroyed." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 The quote from Sonia is the law..... and I'm sure there are plenty old non-running foreign plated vehicles hanging around. The problem is that the vehicle is still on the records of your Temporal (or Tourist card if that is how you got it in) and one would not EVER be able to bring another vehicle into Mexico until that one is off the records. And the only way to do that is take it to the border, cancel the TIP at Aduana and then haul it across the border into the US.... and then do what with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 How long has it been in Mexico? I had an old beater that died here. I had brought it in many years previous under a temporary residency before they got real savvy with their computers. What I did was give it to one of my workers who had a similar car, non-running, which had some interchangeable parts with mine. I took photos of the car (it looked worse than any Mexican beater) and photos of them hauling it away. I had my mechanic write a statement that he was familiar with the car, which he was, and verified that it would never go anywhere under its own steam again, that it was a junker. I got copies of my worker's ID, and had him write a statement saying I had given him the car for parts. I took that to a notary and had it notarized. I didn't know if any if this would work, but had all that with me when I left Mexico and then drove in with another Canadian plated vehicle 2 months later. The old beater never came up on the customs computers when I stopped to get a new tip. I also had a more recent passport than the one I had brought the old car in under. So while you wouldn't get away with it now, if the car has been here for 20 years, you might. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiko Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Tow it to San Luis Soyatlan, turn right at the OXXO. Drive up the hill, then park it. The local chop shop will mince it into pieces in about three hours. Problem solved. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted April 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Thanks for your comments. It's an 02 Prius with a dead battery. It's been here 11 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Probably could be easily converted to a coffin and you could sell it as such. About the right size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natasha Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Maybe "arrange" for a midnight tow to ......... location and then report it stolen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 11 hours ago, MikeB said: Thanks for your comments. It's an 02 Prius with a dead battery. It's been here 11 years. An 11 YO vehicle TIP is going to be in the computer database. I assume you are talking about the Prius 'traction' battery, not the small 12V in the trunk. One can purchase a re-manufactured Prius battery for $950. Have it shipped free to the US border and go pick it up with another car. Have a Mexican mechanic install it and you are good to go. Cheaper than towing it to the border and probably more fun as a 'project'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 33 minutes ago, pappysmarket said: Probably could be easily converted to a coffin and you could sell it as such. About the right size. Pappy, you are getting the Prius mixed up with a Ford Pinto.... the REAL made-to-order vehicle coffin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 18 hours ago, mudgirl said: How long has it been in Mexico? I had an old beater that died here. I had brought it in many years previous under a temporary residency before they got real savvy with their computers. What I did was give it to one of my workers who had a similar car, non-running, which had some interchangeable parts with mine. I took photos of the car (it looked worse than any Mexican beater) and photos of them hauling it away. I had my mechanic write a statement that he was familiar with the car, which he was, and verified that it would never go anywhere under its own steam again, that it was a junker. I got copies of my worker's ID, and had him write a statement saying I had given him the car for parts. I took that to a notary and had it notarized. I didn't know if any if this would work, but had all that with me when I left Mexico and then drove in with another Canadian plated vehicle 2 months later. The old beater never came up on the customs computers when I stopped to get a new tip. I also had a more recent passport than the one I had brought the old car in under. So while you wouldn't get away with it now, if the car has been here for 20 years, you might. Remove the VIN tags and Plates before I would try this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 1 hour ago, lcscats said: Remove the VIN tags and Plates before I would try this. Oh, I definitely removed the plates. The VINs, no. But like I said the vehicle had been in Mexico from before the time they kept synced computer records. And it's been 10 years since my worker hauled it off. I don't foresee any fallout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 12 hours ago, mudgirl said: Oh, I definitely removed the plates. The VINs, no. But like I said the vehicle had been in Mexico from before the time they kept synced computer records. And it's been 10 years since my worker hauled it off. I don't foresee any fallout. Yes I understand your situation. Just looked at my old paperwork from before and it has VIN numbers on it. Usually on top of dash and on engine. So NOW you need to remove the VIN numbers to protect yourself. Your car is long gone history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 22 hours ago, RickS said: Pappy, you are getting the Prius mixed up with a Ford Pinto.... the REAL made-to-order vehicle coffin! Built in crematorium... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisbee Gal Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 1 hour ago, lcscats said: Yes I understand your situation. Just looked at my old paperwork from before and it has VIN numbers on it. Usually on top of dash and on engine. So NOW you need to remove the VIN numbers to protect yourself. Your car is long gone history. Almost always on inside driver's door jamb, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natasha Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 Can't way for that year, but these days the entire car has VIN numbers on HUGE numbers of parts, so if you tried to go this route you'd be forever trying to locate them all. MANY are under the hood..... Know this for a fact because we bought a car from Moyo (Riberas) that had to be plated here (from Quintana Roo) and it had to go to Guad tor a many-hours-long inspection of VIN n's all over to ascertain nothing in the car was stolen. Costly too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 4 hours ago, lcscats said: So NOW you need to remove the VIN numbers to protect yourself. ????? What are you talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyPanda Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 I looked it up: all cars/trucks built after 1982 have a lot of VINS in various places. Firewall of the vehicle Radiator Support Bracket Dash by windshield Left hand inner wheel arch Steering column Guarantee & Maintenance Book Machined Pad on front of engine Drivers door or post on passenger side Component parts -e.g.- engine, frame, trunk, quarter panels, etc. Later model years most common locations of the VIN: Left instrumentation panel Dash plate by window Drivers door or post Firewall http://kerrywilsoninsurance.com/vin-facts/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLIN Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 There is a new li-ion battery recycling facility being set up on the US border. Maybe they will purchase, tow and recycle the battery chemicals. It may not be the rules, but it is the right thing to do environmentally with all that lithium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted April 15, 2021 Report Share Posted April 15, 2021 20 hours ago, mudgirl said: ????? What are you talking about? Not you but person trying to scrap car now. Your situation is history. But removing all the VIN numbers sounds unrealistic according to Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted April 15, 2021 Report Share Posted April 15, 2021 5 hours ago, lcscats said: Not you but person trying to scrap car now. Your situation is history. But removing all the VIN numbers sounds unrealistic according to Andy. Removing VIN numbers is illegal and removing them from the vehicle is pointless if the vehicle is in the Mexican customs data base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngusMactavish Posted April 15, 2021 Report Share Posted April 15, 2021 22 minutes ago, mudgirl said: ...vehicle is in the Mexican customs data base. This is the funniest thread I have ever read. It may be in the database tied to a passport number. That passport number may not be able to get a TIP but every time you renew a passport the number changes. I made sure when introducing a "chocolate" into Mexico for sale that I factored in a new passport with the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLIN Posted April 16, 2021 Report Share Posted April 16, 2021 Pretty funny in my case too. The only VIN number is issued the Province of British Columbia, stamped and rivetted to inside the drivers door. All other markings are in Kanji script, referring to a record system only used in Japan. ( no VINs). It has a secret storage space, and a small lever, which if engaged, prevents the vehicle from going into gear. But I think joyriders would be put off by a 18 speed transmission, again all instructions in Kanji script. Two gearshifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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