Hi. We are hoping to move to Bonaire early next year. Can anyone tell me which makes of car are well supported for service there and whether it is best to bring a car over rather than buy it locally?
Many thanks

I have the same question. Also wondering about what's the best, buying or bringing my own. And does anybody know what prices to think of when buying?

Thanks!

If you have a car such as a Toyota or Suzuki, obtaining parts will be easier than say a BMW or Volkswagen. My bf bought a Brazilian Chevy pick up here and has a terrible time getting parts. I followed the advice of many and bought a 2k 91 200k km Toyota Starlet. It looks horrid but I am going into year 3 with it...it's a humble reliable ole girl. Had I do it again I would buy here again. You do not need fancy here. Things get very dirty from the dust and of course rust from the sea.

Do not import a car unless it is a Toyota, Suzuki, Mitsubishi or other car that is sold on the island. We do have a Chevy and Ford Dealer here, but the parts are outrageous. A new car starts at aroud 15,000 US.

Thanks all!

Ann, did you buy a second hand car?
We own a Nissan, it's a big one and hard to sell back home. That's why we were thinking of bringing it with us. Do you believe used cars are reasonable priced?

My car is definitely second hand. When I buy a new used car (would never buy a new one here) I will go to CUR where they are cheaper.

Thanks for the quick responses. It looks like it will be cheaper to buy a Toyota of Suzuki before we come, as long as there's room in the container!

Ann, whats the price of gas these days?

I forgot the important question - how old does it have to be, or how long do I have to own in to not have to pay import duty?

I bought a used truck on Bonaire. Knew the guy who sold it to me, so got a good deal. Rust is a biggie on island. Just had the it all welded underneath the back cab with new metal or whatever they do. Salt, rust is always a problem for vehicles as Ann said. Not sure I would buy a new car on island as the wear and tear of just sitting there does alone. I like Toyotas personally.

jerry, i believe gas is about $3.95/gallon. as i remember it was nafl 1.82/liter...converting guilders to dollars and liters to gallons is how i came to that price. the price seems to stay pretty constant...it doesn't change day to day like it does here. i paid $2.67 on monday about 10 miles from my house...on the way home i saw it at $2.79 closer to home. yesterday, it went to $2.84 and today it's $2.95. crazy.

Phil be careful, i don't know about the age, but you have to own it at least 6 months before you can bring it without (sky high) import duty. at least, that applied to cars from holland when i came here 3 years ago.

has anyone experience with shipping a car from the US to Bonaire. I wonder what the costs are (import tax, shipping costs) and what sort of paperwork is necessary.

Call Amcar Freight, 305-599-8866, and speak with Mercy re: shipping costs, and car registration paper requirements (proof of ownership, etc-they need a lot to ship a vehicle). Then, add the shipping cost to the value of the car, and call Rocargo, on Bonaire: 011-599-717-8922 & hit ext 4. Speak with Patricia about import costs/paperwork (import duties are always on top of item's value, PLUS S&H costs). I recommend sitting down at this point.

You can also fax Rocargo ahead of time, (attn; Patricia), and follow-up with a phone call. Call Mon-Wed if possible; they're really busy every thur-fri, when containers are being unloaded.

Rocargo's fax is: 011-599-717-8524.

There isn't an age limit on the car, but you need to have proof of ownership for at least a year.

If you buy a new car and bring it in, avoid the large Suzukis. Sidekicks and Sidekick Sports have most of their parts in common with the Japanese and European versions, but the big Grand Vitara does not. Just to make it confusing, the European Sidekick is called a Vitara.

If you purchase a new car on Bonaire, say a Toyota, is it possible to have it treated with an after-market corrosion protection like Ziebart, or are you limited to whatever the manufacturer does to limit corrosion?

Thanks,
Barton

Akkerman Toyota has the Ziebart franchise.

Are there any websites where cars are advertised? Either new or used.

Thanks Kevin, just what I wanted to hear .

- Barton

What are the chances of getting parts for a 1992 Eunos 1.6 (That's a Japanese version of the Mazda MX5, or to Americans it's a Miata)?

Lots of luck!!!

I take it that's a NO then!

It really depends on how much you love your car, Phil. I brought a Morris with me to the island, but knew that I didn't have a chance of finding parts. I brought two complete belt changes, three unused tires, replacement intake manifold, exhaust manifold, two spare carburetors, three complete conversion gasket sets, two manifold gasket sets, extra head gasket, differential, gear shift, generator, distributor, spark plug cable set, replacement front disks, replacement rear drums, brake shoes, brake pads, two clutch assemblies, and a few more things that I can't remember off the top of my head.

Kevin,

Just curious how customs handled your second (disassembled) car? According to the duties/tariffs page on the Sunbelt web, one can bring in one (1) car duty free as part of your household goods. The second car comes with a 50% (!!) duty plus tax. Did they allow the parts in free of duty?

Thanks,
Barton

One more observation/comment regarding shipping a car versus buying one on Bonaire...

I haven't taken the opportunity to compare island prices with US prices but since I assume that the auto dealers must also pay the 45% import duty, it makes it almost a "no brainer" for US residents - buy your car in the US and ship. What am I missing with this conclusion? Is it possible that island auto dealers do NOT have to pay duty?

Thanks,
Barton

It's far short of a second car ... no body panels, no rear axle, no engine block, transmission, etc. They just treated the parts as a part of my household, so it came in free. I don't know how far you could push it, but I really didn't push it far.

I knew a guy that would ship (to the US) a container of Mini bodyshells, another container of Mini engines, another container of Mini interiors, and a final container of Mini wheels and tires. He would then reassemble them and declare them as kits. Fact was, the resulting 10 Minis were the same 10 Minis he had taken apart in England before putting them into the containers.

Thanks Kevin.

I was kidding about the second car - forgot to put a smiley face in the sentence .

Good to know customs has some leniency. Hopefully in a year (or so) we will have our house finished on Bonaire and be packing up to move. My wife has a lot of collectables that look new but were purchased over the last twenty years (and we have no receipts for these).

- Barton

Is there anybody on the island with expertise on servicing Citroens, especially the Picasso??

two places have serviced friends citroens, however folks should stick to toyotas

Phil,
I'll try to make it simple.
Here is the list of cars you can get service for on the island.
Suzuki 4-cylinder
Isuzu
Mitsubishi
Toyota

If it isn't on that list, the only way you should bring it is if you feel 100% comfortable with doing every bit of work on it yourself.

Listen to Wayne..he is dead on...even the cars that can be bought on Curacao (Lada, VW, etc) should be avoided. Save your self lots of aggrevation...

I think I get the message loud and clear. the Citroen wil be disposed of, so will the Mazda MX5. We'll start again when we get there!!
Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Here is one data point regarding car prices...

I recently visited the local Toyota dealer on Bonaire. A new Toyota RAV4, 4 cylinder automatic with sport wheels had a window sticker price of about Naf 57,500 (approx USD $32,850).

Hi all, I have a possible job-opportunity on Bonaire; but I'm a bit of a car-buff, too. The car I'd like to take with me is a 37-year old Lancia Fulvia, which is in near-concours condition. Any so-so aspects in and around it that haven't been settled yet, I'd make certain they'd be perfect before shipping the car, so - little chance of unexpected troubles. Regular maintenance can be done by myself. I'm Dutch, so probably, getting the car registered would be slightly easier than for US-based folks.

So, let's hear it... Is my plan real stupid...? From what I've read so far, theft might be an issue. On the other hand, where would they hide it? Driving it around wouldn't be an option for them, there's not one Fulvia in the entire Carribean, I'm sure. My idea would be to leave the doors unlocked and use a real ****** of a steering-wheel lock, an even heftier one than I'm using already. Thanks for your reactions!

"Near concourse" is the only part that scares me, Peter. I get my Morris repainted and undercoated annually to survive the onslaught of salt. I don't know the rust survivability of a Lancia vs. a Morris. Vehicle theft isn't really a big issue on the island, because, as you say, there isn't anywhere to hide it ... especially a unique car.

If you can maintain it yourself and feel confident that you can keep the body intact, go for it.

Yeah... That salt-thing is bugging me, too. The car is pretty well undersealed and ML'ed in its cavities, it is currently rust-free. At first, I'd have imagined that the dryness of the air, and the heat, would do a lot to prevent trouble. It was built in the final "good" year for Lancia, when they were still independent and used high-quality steel. The only rot that I encountered 3 years ago was at spots that formed water-traps. These have been welded since, and we've made sure any condensation/water can escape now. But an annual re-paint... Wow. I'm having second thoughts here.

Well, Peter the ideal answer would be a garage. Kevin's Morris stands out in the sun, wind, flying sand and even rain day in and day out. It would be a shame to have give up a car you love so much. Not an easy move. Parts would certainly be tough.
Good Luck with your decision Mickey

Peter, the air on Bonaire is not dry. It is humid.
I would not consider bringing a near-concours condition car to a caribbean island.
The combination of salt, wind and sun will ruin your car.
I bought a new car on Curacao, kept it a year and took it back to The Netherlands.
In those days it was a very cheap method of buying a car.
When I compared the quality of the car with cars of the same age in the Netherlands, mine was much worse. Especially the paint looked bad after a period of one year in the salt and the sun.

When I went to Curacao, I sold my 1952 Citroen Traction Avant in The Netherlands. OK, with pain in my heart :-(.

Here is another twist to the question, how much mileage can you do a year on the island--while there last year I don't think I exceeded 35 to 45 mph ?
Therefore being a Nissan/Toyota lover I think the perfect match would be a low mileage 5 year old Toyota's 50,000 miles?
The logic being that it should reach 200,000 miles, about the time it rusts out?
I use Nissan/Toyota's for my business, and generally don't have repair issues with them until after 200000 miles!

On a purely practical level, William, that is why old Japanese cars are so widely used on the island. The right size, actually overpowered for our needs, and highly rust resistant.

does anyone drive jeep wranglers on the island? I see their are no dealers....

Also does the one time duty free import apply to a family, or a person? I own a toyota tundra and my wife owns the jeep...if we both get residency, will we get the duty free each, or just one?

It's per family. My wife and I imported two vehicles, and had to pay duty on one.

how much does a divorce on Bonaire cost?

Sean, I assume you forgot the ""?

yeah susan, i was trying to be funny...don't have any smiles? how do I get em? can I get a lease with an option to buy?

So my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder should be ok to bring over? I see that there is a Nissan dealer there. (I love my pathfinder and really don't want to part with it...) Also, what is considered a Motorcycle? If I bring over a 3 wheeled car, which here in the states is a motorcycle, what would it be there and what would the fees be? I have done searches etc on this but can't seem to find the answer. The car in question is a new Electric/gas hybrid...http://aptera.com/details.php that has yet to even be built, but I'm on the list for one of the first...

Pathfinder should be OK. I wouldn't bring an electric/gas hybrid to the island unless I was bringing every tool and supply necessary for working on it, and all the parts, too.