David, You can also apply for the Temporary Importation Permit online.
http://sat.gob.mx/BienvenidoaMexico/Paginas/permiso_vehiculo_eng.html You can buy Mexico insurance online and print it out immediately. I use Baja Bound. Www.bajabound.com Smart phone, stupid autocorrect > On Nov 19, 2017, at 8:27 PM, David via Texascavers > <[email protected]> wrote: > > From David Locklear > Hit delete button now, please. > > > > I am posting this here because someone might have had some vague intangible > interest. > > > This post is only for U.S.A. people wanting to drive their car deep into > Mexici, and who do not live near a bordertown, nor want to have vehicle > importation problems at the "aduana" slow down their trip. > > > In Houston, in order to get a "vehicle" permit it is a huge hassle. > > But before I get to that, you first need to have a car title, or an official > letter from the leinholder. It is helpful if that is a credit union, and > that process of getting them to provide such a letter for the first time > takes about 24 hours. They will not give you the letter unless you first > purchase Mexico insurance. That really sucks, because you are throwing all > that time and money down the toilet, if you change travel plans. > > So once you have all that, here is what I had to do: > > Step 1: call Mexico long-distance and apply over the phone for a formal > interview appointment. > > # 011-52-55-5626-0500 > > You get a complicated voice menu and you enter a 4-digit extension. > > This has to be done at least 24 hours in advance. > > The operator will tell you which appointment slots are available with the > Mexican Consulate Office in the mid-town area of Houston > ( Hwy 59 and Fannin St. ). > > Step 2: Then you have to drive there the following weekday ( or later) > arriving exactly 5 minutes before the appointment. You stand in a > complicated line outside on Caroline St. ( very reminiscent of the movie > "Soylent Green," waiting for your Soylent Green ration. ) you feel there > like you are no longer in the USA, nor even in the 21st Century. > > You have to be careful here for pickpockets and scammers and muggers from > your parking spot to the line. There is one security guard at the main > pedestrian gate which is the only way to enter. > > Once in line, you do a bizarre childish ritual of musical chairs for an hour > with some scary looking guys that resemble Enrique Penya Nieto. In my case, > there was a super gorgeous lady sitting next to me and so I gave her my > number and asked her to please forward it to her younger sister who she said > was single in Mexico. While in line they pull you out for 5 minutes for an > interview with person of low IQ. You have to formally declare your religion > to them, along with other bizarre questions. > > Fortunately, I read the fine print of my initial interview form while sitting > in the line, because the clerk typed that I was from Aruba. > > At the end of the line - the window ( Banjercito ), you begin the vehicle > stuff. It is chaotic - 2 clerks and 2 tourist using the same window. There > are no holes in the window for speaking, so you have to yell and listen > carefully. You want to say to yourself, WTF ! Nothing is logical. All > they ever asked for was a copy of the Texas Vehicle Registration paper that > you get when you apply for a state registration window sticker. I do not > recall seeing them look at the credit union letter, nor my insurance. But I > would not have done all that without first assuring myself that I could get > my credit union permission. > > Then you hand them a credit card, and they charge $ 470. The $ 400 part is > a deposit, and there are more bizarre questions, the rest is a standard > processing fee. They did not ask about my former vehicle papers, but it > has been 13 years. > I assume I get the deposit back in July ?? I have never ever done anything > that stupid, that I recall. > > > > In addition to all that, > > in my case, I also spent money on gas driving there, as I do not live in > Harris County, and also paying to park in a place my car could have easily > been broken into. > > I will say, that after leaving the Consulate Office with the permit in hand > that it gives one a warm fuzzy feeling - until you receive the text message > your charge card was hit with $ 470. > > My permit is good until May 19th, and my credit union says they will amend > the letter next time I want to go again. AAA clerk said that that was too > much of a hassle and hope I don't have to do that insurance again. > > > > As far as other expenses getting ready for a road-trip, so far > > All I did to the Sequoia was change the oil, but Jiffy Lube charged $ 112. I > didn't have time to do it myself. > > Then I spent time searching junk-yards for an extra spare tire, which was $ > 70 plus about $ 5 spent on gas. Fortunately it is a common thing in Houston > junkyards. This was something I should have done before my road-trip to the > Nevada NSS Convention. > > > > > > On a lighter note, > > I picked up CavePearl from Girl Scout Camp in Conroe, Texas and took her to > Arlington and dropped her off. Now I am chauffering my estranged-wife back > home. We are in Centerville in route to Arcola. I deserve The Nobel Peace > Prize for tolerance. > > Once I get paid by my customers, I will start thinking more seriously about a > road-trip to some scenic place north of Monterrey. > > It would be great to leave town on Tuesday, but that is highly unlikely. I > have ruled out Cuatro Cienagas, and Matamoros as destinations. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > [email protected] | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
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