-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@BAMA.UA.EDU>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 8:04 AM
Subject: Re: Mexican buses

>> and it has me wondering.  Are kit cars exempt from the US emissions and
>> safety regs.? If so what qualifies as a kit car?  Could someone establish
a
>> company that buys mexican buses and partly disassembles them (say pull
the
>> motor, tranny, seats, doors...the easy stuff) then sells them as "kit"
cars
>> in the US?  Wondering if anyone knows anything about this or is my
>> assumption about kit cars, baja buggies etc. way off base?
>
>now that is a thought. i recall that there is a company in
>Houston, TX, that imports a replica(r) of the Porsche 356
>(about 1965 version) from Brazil ... but the car is a 'kit
>car' made of fibreglas, and has everything ready to go
>(lights, wiring, seats, doors, brakes, etc) but you, the
>purchaser, has to specify (or buy without) an engine and
>transmission. you can get a beetle engine, a porsche engine,
>or a type 4 bus engine. only real downside was that the cost
>of the thing was over $20,000 ... which is what you'd pay
>for a decent condition restored original porsche of the same
>type and year. :(
>
>so if they can do that, maybe they'd be interested in
>getting some buses in the same way?? :)  the company was
>Blue-Ray something or other. anybody in Houston that can
>check this out?
>
>joel

Well......this has me thinking (dreaming) about the possibility of importing
S.A. Vanagons using this idea, too bad I'm just a poor college
student......there may be a decent market for these though, instead of
hopping up our decade old vans....Just a thought...

-Aaron McKay