Just a little late for Halloween, today’s examination of my new favorite eBay seller’s offerings is quite the pumpkin. Another low-mileage DoKa Syncro, this one also has a factory 1.6-liter turbodiesel churning out a whopping 70hp, 16 more than the naturally-aspirated 1.7-liter diesel. When you’re counting horsepower by the dozens as opposed to the hundreds, 16hp can make quite a difference! With just 37k miles, it should still be making close to that amount. The oil-burner is a nice addition to the real meat of this T3 that makes it exceptional: the 4WD and truck bed. No matter how many this New Jersey outfit imports, DoKa Syncros are going to remain extremely rare in the US. The color and condition are both outstanding, and the impeccable black undercarriage completes the Halloween (or SF Giants?) theme. As usual with this seller, there is no reserve, so have at it, people! You too could have the near-twin of Grandpa’s Adventure Truck.
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We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.Tag: DOKA
I’d love to be the buyer for this New Jersey outfit which is clearly wandering around Europe, finding great 25+ year-old Volkswagens that were previously forbidden fruit, and bringing them to the US to turn a profit. Thus far, it’s seemed like low-mileage all-originals were the examples of choice, but this DoKa takes it to the next level. The cowcatcher front spoiler could challenge Alpina or Zender, and full-body ground effects and black-center aftermarket wheels help it strike a completely different pose. Sure, it’s a diesel, just like many of the showcar VWs in this country are “2.slows,” but that doesn’t make it undesirable. The interior is painted in the same bright blue hue, and updated front seats and steering wheel follow the few-parts-big-effects style of the exterior.
Click for details: 1988 Volkswagen DoKa Diesel on eBay
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Coming from what appears to be the same New Jersey importer/seller as yesterday’s Golf Country is another Syncro special, the beloved Transporter DoKa. This one eschews common add-ons like lights, bullbars, and bumpers for a unique aluminum rolltop utility body over the bed. The rest is just clean, straight, and like-new. Bucket seats up front give a slightly more comfortable look to the interior than the common work-truck bench seen in DoKas, and from the roof to the undercarriage and the under-bed storage bin in between. One thing I can’t figure out is the zippers in the headliner; any ideas, readers?
Overall, it’s as nice as T3 VWs come without too many frills but plenty of capability. With no-reserve, we should get an interesting look at how hot the market is getting for the now easily-importable DoKa Syncros.
Click for details: 1990 Volkswagen DoKa Syncro on eBay
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I have been in Syncro heaven recently. It all started on the way to a hike in the Santa Cruz mountains last weekend. I forced my friends to pull over when I saw it to grab a picture, and ended up meeting the older owner of an incredible orange DoKa Syncro completely maxed out – Subaru swap, South African Headlights, diamond-plate bed, and an adventure tent on top (shown below for your viewing pleasure). The guy said his grandkids called it “Grandpa’s Adventure Truck.” Thanks for putting all other grandpas to shame, guy. He loved that I knew what it was at all, let alone the details – hooray for automotive pedants!
After returning to Washington State I’ve seen more Syncros than I can count, including a nice DoKa in my hometown and several excellent Westies and tintops. They cruise around, looking like the great Northwest vehicles they’ve always been, but I’d bet a lot of money (not Syncro money, mind you…) that almost no one knows that they’re passing a $40k-60k vehicle.
Case in point, we have a beautiful red DoKa Syncro today with just 28k miles and a $55k asking price. Yes, just over 1k miles per year for this gem. It looks it too, with an immaculate interior and very nice exterior, although there are a few scuff marks to show that it has really been used. That use came from a Swedish fire department, again proving that European fire departments are amazing. It has a nice bullbar/Warn winch combo up front and light/rollbar/cage behind the cab. Not shown are a canopy and uninstalled South African grill, the latter of which would spruce it up a bit but isn’t necessary to look cool. The only think I’d say it’s missing is a top tent like Grandpa’s Adventure Truck.
Click for details: 1990 Volkswagen DoKa Syncro on eBay
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We’ve seen all sorts of DoKas here, from ex-military workers to high-dollar Tristar examples. The Tristar package brought nicer upholstery and full carpeting, creating a more comfortable environment than the typical metal-and-floor mats worktruck interior. This DoKa also has Syncro, adding a few more items to its long list of capabilities. You could take on just about any light-duty work or off-roading in this truck, but you might be hesitant to put it in harm’s way due to the amazing condition. 70k miles total miles would be low on its own, but this DoKa has a new engine, suspension, brakes, fuel system, and cooling system. The original exterior paint looks great and the repainted bed looks even better. Each extra word on this verbose model name adds serious value, and the seller claims it has been professionally appraised for almost $80k!
