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Tag: Syncro

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1990 Volkswagen Transporter DoKa Syncro

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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!

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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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1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia Syncro

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It’s been a while since we’ve seen the kind of Syncro Westy that can command the better part of a hundred thousand dollars. We’ve seen some nicely restored and modified examples, but even then they’ve struggled to break $40k. Well, folks, we caught a big one. Let’s see if we can haul it aboard.

Inside out and top to bottom, this Westy is mega. Starting with the mechanicals, there’s no Subaru imposter or rebuilt wasserboxer here – it’s a like-new, $35k 1.8T conversion putting out a very healthy 255hp with custom cooling and exhaust systems. Underneath you also get new suspension and a big brake kit, along with a rebuilt front differential and Porsche 930 axles. I especially like the dual fuel tanks for removing any range anxiety when you’re way out in the woods.

From there, we’re just looking at a no-holds-barred interior and exterior. Inside, there’s an entertainment system with a back-up camera surrounded by a custom houndstooth interior. It has everything a Westy lover dreams about, from the solar system connected to twin auxiliary batteries to an on-board air compressor and front-mounted Warn winch, though I’m rather confused as to why they put the Hella lights in a position where they’re blocked by the winch.

This van goes well beyond what is necessary to live the Van Life. It’s an exercise in how far you can go and how many dream-boxes you can check, but the resulting price tag is similarly fantastical.

Click for details: 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia Syncro on eBay

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1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Hightop

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Despite the unassuming beige-black-and-steel exterior, this is one of the most excellent Vanagons I’ve seen in a while. Looking every bit a well-used 1987 camper, it’s been updated and made complete in all the ways that count, highlighted by a Subaru 3.0-liter H6 conversion driving all four wheels via Syncro. High tops have been growing on me for their unique look and easily-accessible space. Two queen beds and lots of storage with four-wheel drive? I always wanted an office in the mountains. With a massive list of repairs and service, this Adventurewagen is fully set to live up to its name if you can afford it.

Click for details: 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Hightop on eBay

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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Hightop EJ22 Swap

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Here’s one of the best deals on a Syncro camper we’ve seen in a while (if not ever!) and it comes with a well-done Subaru boxer swap. These High Top campers are much more rare than their pop-top brethren, but it’s a pretty awesome look with more 4-season capability. Though listed with 290k miles, the engine was put in 20k miles ago and had a decent refresh at the time along with a rebuilt transmission. Clearly owned by a well-informed and diligent Vanagon enthusiast, this Syncro camper is going for about half of where most start. It’s caveat emptor with any swap, high-mileage car, or 80s Volkswagen in general, but anyone looking at this van should have a healthy level of project-excitement and an appreciation of getting this much Vanagon for a reasonable price.

Click for details: 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro on eBay

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1990 Volkswagen Golf Country

I was in Stuttgart in 1998 when what I thought was someone’s version of a good joke rolled by me. It was a dark green Mk.2 Golf; not particularly abnormal since they were still mostly less than a decade old and Germans notoriously care for their cars better than most other nations. However, it was about a half-foot taller than it should have been, equipped with some cool looking Speedline wheels, brush guards and a spare tire mounted to the rear. Germans have an odd sense of humor, so it seemed to fit that this was one mullet short of a Hasselhoff Fan Club. I had no idea that I was looking at a factory model; remember, this was in the infancy of the internet and as an American, knowledge of every single European model of the Mk.2 was hard to come by. But the “Country” graphic scrolled down the side gave me a clue, and after some research I found out that this was more than just a one-off. Underneath the standard looking exterior was a Viscous Coupling all-wheel drive setup shared with the Rallye Golf and Golf Limited, amongst others. The engine was more pedestrian with a standard 1.8 8V, but in total an amazing 438 non-standard parts went into the creation of the Golf Country. Since new, they’ve always commanded a premium and have been the object of lust for American Volkswagen fans who like to do things just a bit different:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Volkswagen Golf Country on eBay

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