Buying and Driving a Car in the DR

JayUKcomingtoDR

New member
Jan 15, 2002
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Hi all, yet another query!
a) Is it safe for a foreigner to drive AT ALL in the DR
b) IF YES. Whats the best way to buy one?
Are there car auctions?
Are there car sales papers or mags?
Is it cheaper to get cars imported?
Which are the best cars to get for say $5000 US?
Which are the best garages/ sales rooms to buy one from?
Would I nees to take a test?
What insurance would I need?
Would my blindness, bad hearing and inability to know my left from right hinder my chances?

thanx guys

Jay
 

Tony C

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Jan 1, 2002
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$5000 US? LOL That's funny. $5k would barely be Downpayment on a car in the DR.
yes it is safe to drive in the DR. Safer than the UK at least. I maen you guys have a nasty habit of driving on the wrong side.
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Give over Tony - it was we Brits who invented driving & the Romans ALWAYS drove on the left (something to do with SPQR!!). It is YOU guys who changed thigs around because someone made the mould wrong on the old Model T Ford's!! As a result, all your roads are now back to front!!

Jay - DON'T buy new to start with. Get a second hand SUV until you get used to the driving - cost around RD $150K for 7-10 year old in reasonable shape(?6,500). VERY expensiv to import one & LOTs of hassle. Car auctions? Not yet but I am thinking about it as a future project - pilot studies available to those interested!!
Bring an international licence from the AA (& get one for me whilst you are about it, my last one has run out!!) but in due course you can get a Dominican one - you will need to understand spanish for the written questionaire.

TPF & T, TP only & basic 'on road liability' only are available for vehicles over 6 years of age - Not Comprehensive, that is only available (& expensive) for vehicles under 6 years old. A broker will be able to organise insurances for you. If you know spanish, you CAN go direct to the company, but initially this may not be the best way forward.

'Would my blindness, bad hearing and inability to know my left from right hinder my chances? ' NO - all of these are a necessity to driving here. Blindness stops you from worrying what the other person MIGHT do if & when he makes his mind up (he certainly won't signal), bad hearing blots out all the hooting, swearing & arguments going on around you (allowing YOU to be the only one concentrating) & two left feet gives you an excuse for not stopping at lights, cross roads or for pedestrians that walk down the middle of the road. If you can make your car NOT have lights, then you will blend in even better with the locals!!

Have you contacted Graham at Bishop Auckland yet? - Grahame.
 

Tony C

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Jan 1, 2002
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The Brits invented driving? Where did you get that piece of information? I am sure the Daimler Family would have something to say about that. As to the Ford story....Urban Myth!
I am interested in your Pilot study. I would think a Auto Auction would go over huge in the DR.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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JayUK,

buy a used toyota in this country to start with. This is a toyota country and the mechanics know them very well. Repair is cheap on cheaper cars. Buy a corolla 92-93 with the amount of money that you had mentioned and drive on. This car will last you a life time.
I don't like to buy used cars from the lot as they are brough in from auctions in miami and possess many mechanical problems.
I would buy a running car from a dominican off the street. here is how I did it.
I went to the melecon (main avenue in puerto plata) and stood there watching cars go by. Then I only talked to the people with cars of my interest. I simply asked them if they were in the market to sell their car. I was surprised to see that almost all were willing to sell their cars at a reasonable price.
This is how is works: you catch them off guard when they are not prepared to play a price game with you. You tell them that the money is ready to be handed to him in the right time but the price has to be right. Then get a lawyer involved and make sure they have all the required papers on the vehicle.
This way, you would get the car that you really want as opposed to the dealership where they will sell you what they have....at premium prices. Also, take the car to a mechanic to analyze the working condition of it.
I bought an old car which I cannot kill. I just don't know how else to abuse it to make it suffer. It never quits on me. Long live toyotas!!!!!!
Driving is very safe here as long as you learn to drive like the dominicans. The only foreigners who complain about the driving in DR are either too old to act quickly in a situation or just too chicken to follow the dominican driving street rules. I say, drive like them (dominicans).
 

Pavan

Member
Jan 18, 2002
512
2
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Lets meet in Puerto Plata

JayComing to DR (Close enough)

When you get here. Let me know. We will meet at the Malecon of Puerto Plata. I will drive down in a Black Ford Explorer 1992. Eddie Bower and stop at the fruit stand and ask for a coconut. You will walk upto me and and ask me if I want to see the Truck. I will be caught completely off guard and will sell you the Truck for USD 8500

Do we have a deal?
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
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Identifying Missing_DR

a sure way to know if its the same guy that you are looking for, missing_Dr would most likely be accompanied by he same hooker who took your matter into her own hands in sosua disco's bathroom. Remember her face mate?
 

Pavan

Member
Jan 18, 2002
512
2
18
The hooker is included in the deal

JayUKcoming to DR,

AZB is right. I will include the hooker in the deal. She has been well trained to use her mouth in strange places.

These incidents go a long way if you ever decide to write about visit to DR
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
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Bush-Baby and AZB are pretty much on

Pay attention to Grahame and AZB, they are not far off the mark. Toyotas are indeed the dominant vehicle here at this time.

Take a look in the Classified in the Listin or the Hoy newspaters. You can get a feel for the market that way.

As to driving, you have to take it easy until you understand that the unexpected, the idiocy and the incredible can and WILL occur right in front of you!!

Be sure you get a good insurance policy, althought there are two trains of thought on this...
1) Get the cheapest with Patria or Union de Seguros. When they see that, they will immediately desist from messing further since they know that neither of them pay off.
2) Get the best from Universal or one of the other large companies and they will pay off and get you out of jail after a bad accident...

Take care mate...

HB