BajaNomad

Taking a golf cart south

55steve - 9-4-2012 at 08:15 AM

I scored a nice golf cart this weekend but as is typical for these vehicles, there is no official paperwork.
My question is, what sort of documentation do the Mexican customs folks want to see at the border?

BajaWarrior - 9-4-2012 at 08:20 AM

Take it to the DMV and get it registered off road status .. $55 for two years and your legal.

55steve - 9-4-2012 at 09:31 AM

Awesome....thanks!
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaWarrior
Take it to the DMV and get it registered off road status .. $55 for two years and your legal.

Bob and Susan - 9-4-2012 at 10:49 AM

unless it stays...then you need to import it

mine was easy to import

55steve - 9-4-2012 at 11:02 AM

Yeah, it will be staying at our place in BoLA. I'm guessing that there is an official way to bring it down then?
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
unless it stays...then you need to import it

mine was easy to import

RnR - 9-4-2012 at 11:07 AM

Stop at the border, declare the value to customs, pay the import duty, good to go.

Try and keep the declared value under $1,500. (Don't know if this possible w/ the cart)

55steve - 9-4-2012 at 11:34 AM

Shouldn't be a problem - it's a first generation Yamaha that's seen better days but runs excellent.

Thanks for the input!

Bob and Susan - 9-4-2012 at 12:30 PM

OMG...is it 2 cycle...i had a 2 cycle...the problem was repair parts
i had to MAKE one drive piece when it failed

old carts are a parts nightmare

i just replaced the valves in my cart (4 stroke)
$465usa WOW then had to install the head

havent you heard the word..."if you want it to break...bring it to mexico"

to import...just go to secondary...16% of the invoice
easy and you'll be legal where ever you drive

vandenberg - 9-4-2012 at 01:18 PM

Took the top off mine, drove it onto my pickup and, when crossing at SY, nobody questioned me. Had it in Tripui for a couple of years and now in Nopolo for around 20. It's electric and only thing that went ever wrong were the batteries wearing out. Replacement batteries set you back about $600.00. Last roughly 4 years.

Bob and Susan - 9-4-2012 at 01:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
Took the top off mine, drove it onto my pickup and, when crossing at SY, nobody questioned me. Had it in Tripui for a couple of years and now in Nopolo for around 20. It's electric and only thing that went ever wrong were the batteries wearing out. Replacement batteries set you back about $600.00. Last roughly 4 years.



things at the border have changed just a bit in the last 22 years...

Jaybo - 9-4-2012 at 01:34 PM

Seems like one solution would be to swap out the older motor for a newer Honda (or Briggs or whatever) horizontal shaft motor. Lots of info online about the conversion.

bigmike58 - 9-4-2012 at 01:56 PM

We put a Briggs 20hp v-twin in our yamaha g-16 back in 2008.. it still hauls ass.







BTW. This cart has the Calif OHV green sticker and can easily be brought back and forth across the border. Just like dirt bikes.

Cypress - 9-4-2012 at 02:31 PM

Golf? A sport for people that don't have anything else to do.:D

Looks are everything

bajaguy - 9-4-2012 at 03:29 PM

make it look like the value is $500.......dirt, dist, flat tires, ripped top..........then fix it up once you get here.

bajario - 9-4-2012 at 03:51 PM

I was ripped for $200 at import in Otay a few months ago. I had no paperwork. Didn't think I needed any. It was an old standard golf cart nothing fancy.

RnR - 9-4-2012 at 07:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajario
I was ripped for $200 at import in Otay a few months ago. I had no paperwork. Didn't think I needed any. It was an old standard golf cart nothing fancy.


Don't know what golf carts are worth but it looks like Otay customs valued yours at $1,250. ($1,250 x 16% = $200 duty).

Try to bring some documentation that supports a low ball value for the "old beater".

Bob and Susan - 9-5-2012 at 05:30 AM

$1250 is a "low-ball" price...golf carts are expensive

big mikes engine replacement is $1600 just for the engine plus tax and installation and any extra parts needed

bajario - 9-5-2012 at 06:16 AM

Well the negotiations started at $800. I told them it's not worth $800 and down the prices went, slowly. we bought it from a friends grandmother, so documentation was to be had. Didn't realize a golf cart was to be registered with the CHP or DMV.

SFandH - 9-5-2012 at 06:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by RnR
Stop at the border, declare the value to customs, pay the import duty, good to go.

Try and keep the declared value under $1,500. (Don't know if this possible w/ the cart)


I tried doing that at San Ysidro on a Sunday with an outboard motor in the trunk of my car. Used motor I just purchased for $1,200, I had a receipt. They told me I had to go to Otay, M - F during business hours and import it. They wouldn't accept any kind of import duty, which I was prepared to pay. They turned me around, wouldn't let me into Mex.

The US border guard then accused me of trying to smuggle the motor into Mex., but that's a different story.

A really fun day. Hot, lots of traffic and I was pressed for time.

[Edited on 9-5-2012 by SFandH]

bajario - 9-5-2012 at 08:31 PM

Same thing happened to me with the golf cart. Turned me away from SY. Made me exit the country and head to Otay on a Friday afternoon. Oh well. Live and learn.

bajacalifornian - 9-5-2012 at 09:04 PM

Bring an old license plate with you. Police in Loreto like to see a tag on it. Doesn't matter the tag, just ike to see a tag on it.

CortezBlue - 9-7-2012 at 07:45 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 55steve
I scored a nice golf cart this weekend but as is typical for these vehicles, there is no official paperwork.
My question is, what sort of documentation do the Mexican customs folks want to see at the border?



Just grab and 9 iron and drive it across the boarder wave the club in the air and yelling, "Fore"

:yes: