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Date:         Mon, 21 May 2001 11:28:46 -0700
Reply-To:     steve@syncro.org
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Schwenk <steve@syncro.org>
Subject:      Re: Hollister Hills Syncro Event - It was Great!
Comments: To: "syncro-org@yahoogroups.com" <syncro-org@yahoogroups.com>,
          "syncro@egroups.com" <Syncro@egroups.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I meant to say 25 syncros and 5 non-syncros.

Also, I forgot to mention the group dinner at a Mexican restaurant in San juan Bautista. The restaurant set up a long table for about 15 or more people in a room we had to ourselves. The service and the food were excellent and it was fun to meet and socialize with everyone before heading off to the camp.

steve@syncro.org wrote: > > Thanks to the efforts of all who attended, the second > annual Hollister Spring Syncro Event (soon to be > renamed) was a great success. > > Including the five day visitors, we had 25 syncros and > 5 syncros in attendance, and about 50-60 people. Most > of the attendees were from California, although Tom and > Adam came down from Oregon, Brian from Washington and > Andy from Nevada. > > There were three Subaru conversions, including a 240 HP > 3.4L six cylinder dream machine! There were two Audi > conversions, including Detlev's 2.6 (??) prototype > install of the deluxe engine they use in South Africa. > (I was lucky enough to test drive all of the different > conversions). The TICO that was supposed to make it > was not finished on time. > > The display of exotic hardware and syncronaut > innovation/engineering was astounding. Nearly every > syncro there was exceptional...even the one shabby > syncro westy (owner's name i forget) day visitor that > was purchased for $800! Among the notables were: > > Coyote's 15" syncro westy with 16" trailing arms, Betts > Springs, Bilstein shocks, Wessels custom axles, 15" SA > wheels, large tires, modified gearing (5.83 FD with > taller 3rd and 4th for perfect syncro ratios!), ration > rockers, modified chip, 15" brake kit, Front diff lock, > winch, bull bars, and too many other mods to list. I > was lucky enough to drive it and must say it is the > ideal syncro in terms of gearing, ride height, > handling, suspension. Everything works together and > the package feels more natural and right than any other > syncro i have ever driven. (Coyote received the > "Syncro Rookie of the year" award at the awards > ceremony for his contribution to the advancement of > Syncro R&D!) > ' > John Wessels SyncroMog with Huge 15" wheels/tires, > 23"+ of ride height, softer/taller stock springs, > custom bilstein shocks, custom axles with HD CV joints, > custom and really nice skid plates, modified front and > rear ends for more ground clearance, custom bumpers, > and much more. (John received the "Syncromeister > Achievement Award" for his engineering breakthroughs, > innovation and incredible machine. > > Tom's 1986 GL with the "pneumatic drive shaft > disengager" (obviously not it's correct name!) > engineered entirely from VW parts and which can be > operated from the cab. It disengages the prop shaft > for highway driving so you can save your front diff/VC > and transaxle a lot of wear and tear. We are hoping > Tom will make this available to the rest of us > syncronauts. It is a clean and basically stock set up > that VW offered on only a handful of syncros, from my > understanding. Detlev also had a custom built > disengagable drive shaft that does the same thing with > really nice u-joints. I hope he develops this for sale > as well. We will all benefit from these. > > Ben's 16" Syncro Doublecab with 1.6 turbodiesel. > > Andy, Warren, Brian and Mark brought their engine > conversions noted above. Many of the syncros had > custom springs and OME shocks, and lots of neat > personal modifications too numerous to list here. > > The 4WD action was pretty exciting, to say the least! > One syncronaut had to be lowered down a hill by cable > after encountering a rolled Toyota, another syncro > nearly rolled and had to be lowered by people hanging > on the custom bumper and using rope to pull it down > from it's near vertical resting position after it fell > partially into a hole of sorts. One syncronaut > received minor scrapes and scratches in the rescue > effort. Another syncro (the famous yosemite e-bay > syncro) encountered one hellish obstacle after another, > conquering them all, although with some difficulty in > places. As usual, other vehicle owners at the park > voiced their utter amazement on numerous occasions at > what the syncros and their drivers could do. > > The camp events went well and included community camp > fires, a pot luck barbecue, a kids theater production > (on the camp stage with lights!), a hokey awards > ceremony, videos of the day's 4WD action projected onto > a screen on the camp stage, Tom's swap meet, and lots > of socializing, test driving, inspecting and BSing. > > The camp was not crowded, there were hot showers, the > weather was really nice and the event just worked! > Even the kids had a fantastic time. Thanks to all who > attended, and for all of your efforts to make it such a > great event (and especially Brent, John, Coyote, Mark > and Peter). > > Stay tuned for next year! It will be even better and > we will increase the number of Busses that can attend > to 35 or so. > Steve


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