Hi Folks

I drive a 84 vanagon with close to 200k miles. For the last 100k miles, every once inwhile it would experience a tranny-crisis as follows:

from dead stop in first gear barely start creeping forward and....

BAM! There'd be a sharp noise, the tranny would pop out of gear, and it felt like I'd been bumped into from behind.

I'd shift back into first and away I'd go.

Yesterday, while 200 miles from home, this happened again, only I could not get it to engage first gear. If I try, I hear unusual spinning sounds from the tranny and there is no forward thrust.

When I described the earlier symptoms, a guy at a local tranny shop said "o, your synchros are bad. It'll be $400-600 if you pull and reinstall the tranny."

Question: What do you think of this diagnosis? Is it really "my synchros"? I've done the clutch how much harder is that? What do rebuilt trannies run? Junkyard trannies?

Other option.... anyone interested in buying my van from where it sits in Traverse City Michigan? Body is in great shape. Former passenger bus, custom camper. Propane furnace, roof vent with fan.

Steve E East Lansing Michigan