1991 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Syncro Minivan/Van

4 - Cyl.

Manual

WV2YB0257MG000923

Clear

Gasoline

We are selling out beloved 4WD 1991 VW Syncro Vanagon. We have owned it since 1999. Sometimes called a "Weekender", this configuration is much roomier then the more common "Westfalia" editions: it has a much wider bed and sitting room for seven, although it does not have the pop-up roof. The middle seats are facing backwards, and with the back bench form a five seat sitting group around a large fold-out table that feeds four people comfortably or serves as a large game board on long car trips. On rainy days, we have cooked on the table, although we prefer to spread the cooking out on an outside picnic table in a campground. The back bench folds out into a bed the entire width of the car. We have slept here with a kid in the middle. It feels luxurious, much roomier then the confined space in the Westfalias (because of the lack of the confining build-in closets) or the acrobatics and the hard mattress of the cod in the pop-up roof. There is a large storage compartment under the back bench, and storage shelves between the front- and the middle seats. There are four drink holders. The van has been meticulously maintained and kept in "stock" condition. The previous owner replaced the engine at 120K ( he forgot to put in oil :-( ). The new engine had its heads/valves rebuild in 2005 by Steve Nechodom in Berkeley, and has now about 140K. It runs strong, and does not use or leak any oil. The transmission has been completely rebuild by Wolfsburg Motorwerks in Seattle in September 2010 (including the expensive ring and pinion gear), and has less then 10K. All 8 CV joints have previously been replaced. The VC coupling has been replaced. In other words: all the 4WD gear that makes the Syncros so expensive is in top shape! Tires are fairly new (<10K) Finnish Nokian Hakkapeliitta CS 195 R 14 C M&S commercial tires, on 14 inch aluminum rims AC compressor and condenser have been replaced. AC is running strong! The notoriously bad Vanagon headlights have been replaced with original German headlights with build-in parking lights, and 100/85 Watt halogen bulbs on relays! This was probably the single best improvement we did to the van! The difference in night driving is so huge, we kick ourselves for not having it done earlier. The other improvement was the radio: We put in an Alpine stereo (18/40W x 4) with ipod input, a 100W sub-woofer hidden under the back bench, and 6.5" speakers front and back. Yes, it's heaven….totally…. The car has two batteries, one for lights and stereo when camping, the other protected for starting. I should mention the complete paint job in 2008. There is some minimal rust on the lower rear seams, and a small spot under the rear left window that probably needs some attention in a year or two. The power locks currently do not work on the side door (locks manually) The van comes with a spacious Yakima double ski rack and a sturdy Fiamma bike rack. I have complete records of all repairs. The car will be sold as-is, although I will assist with any pre-inspection at your expense. It is hard to overstate the joy of driving a four wheel drive VW van: We (our family of four) have taken the van all across the South West, in remote corners of Death Valley, up to British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies, and through blizzards in the Rockies and the Sierras, never ONCE did we get stuck, did we slip in the snow, or did we have to leave the car to put on snow chains! We have done countless ski trips from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierras in any weather, the kids sleeping in the early morning in the back on our way up, and playing cards around the table on the way back down. The flexibility of the space (and the stereo) made our van a really big hit with our kids and all of their friends. We are only selling it because we are moving back to Europe, and sadly, cannot take the van with us. So here is your opportunity, a van that we kept up as we would own it forever, irreplaceable… We hope it finds a good, appreciative new home. On Jul-25-11 at 12:38:18 PDT, seller added the following information: (The e-bay vehicle history report lists one accident in 2004 that we had completely forgotten about: It was a very minor rear-ender, that raised our rear bumper slightly. It was reported to insurance, but we never had it actually "repaired", since there was no other damage.) On Jul-28-11 at 12:11:50 PDT, seller added the following information: Most people familiar with Syncros will know this already, but I forgot to mention it in the ad: It comes standard with a rear axle locking differential, that is engaged manually from the dash board. On Jul-29-11 at 23:22:02 PDT, seller added the following information: Clarification: The motor has a total of 140K miles, but the cylinder heads and valves have only 40K (rebuild in 2005). Correction: The locking differential is actually not standard equipment on syncros, as I stated earlier. Only about 60% were delivered with this (as I learned today)