Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:04:22 -0800
Reply-To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [Syncro] rescue a SyncroSUNROOF from the crusher, RESCUED!!!??
In-Reply-To: <ca1.59bee87.32b6d51b@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Chris -
I feel the same way as you. Being in the VW "scene" for over 45 years
now (29 of them professionally), I have endeavored to at least save the
"special" models, those that were either produced in low quantity or were
just privately imported into the US, such as the Type 3 Notchback, Type 3
Ghia, a 59 European Single Cab w/Semaphore Turn Signals (amongst many
others) and my ultimate a "Max Hoffman" imported Deluxe 50 Bug (only 157
brought in by him that year) from CT in 1966. Restored (twice) and had that
baby as a daily driver for 20 years and felt I should pass that one on to
someone who could appreciate it as well (if not better) as my late father
and I did (gee I miss that Bug).
When I was into this biz full swing I would constantly have an eye peeled
not for the flashy over priced "one-offs", but for the underrated special
models to buy fix up (or clean up) and resell them to a good home that would
appreciate them. Take 411/412 models (yeah, I know, take 'em
all....please!!!), VW's "Edsel". They actually produced a big bunch of
these. To give you an idea of how many, there were more 411/412s produced
from 1969 thru 1974 than the entire 18 year production run of the Karmann
Ghia (56-74). But there were certain models produced within VW's "Edsel"
line that are hard to find and together with my buddy Cliff Crate, we buy
'em up, fix many of their problems (non-functioning auto trannies being the
biggest expense,) and clean 'em up, then re-sell them for almost no profit
to an enthusiast to drive or fix 'em up more. It's a cult following, but
most of them have ended up in the crusher over the years so now they're
becoming fewer and fewer. Cliff and I are always prowling the Samba,
wrecking yards and VW shows for hard-to-find pieces and his backyard has
become probably a lot like your farm property, just visualize Type 4s and
tons of related parts instead. Our "cute" name for it is the "Black Hole",
where everything goes in and little comes back out because......well y'know
411/412 stuff isn't (and never will be) the rage of VW-dom ;-) Same idea
and focus, just a different model.
Yeah, all the rest of ya out there can guffaw and laugh, but as long as
Cliff and I can make someone happy with VW's "Ugly Duckling", we're just
fine with that.
Oh....My late father and I, not being the total purists that some people out
there are, the last 10 years we had that 50 Bug (being totally restored
otherwise) had it outfitted with a 2180, Dual 40IDFs, Joe Hunt Scintilla
Magneto, Tunnel Trans totally beefed out and Porsche 356B brakes all the way
around. Ya think we were gonna "daily drive" it in California on 25HP? It
was a lot of fun lighting up those skinny 16" tires at the Vintage Meets.
Now if I can just find a nice Doka or Single Cab Vanagon to tool around
in.....sigh.
--
Jim Thompson
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
**********************************
On 12/17/06, JordanVw@aol.com <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
>
> In a message dated 12/17/06 10:56:57 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> JordanVw@AOL.COM writes:
>
>
> > from a source at vw i was told that less than 100 Syncro sunroof
> vanagons
> > were sold in NA in BOTH '86 and '87 combined, '87 being the last year
> for
> > the
> > sunroof van in North America.
> >
> > hopefully we can persuade Dylan from Parting Out this rare van!
> >
> >
>
> ive been thinking about this all morning..does it sound like i am alittle
> miffed at missing this? possibly.. ive never owned a syncro, and have
> been
> looking for a syncro sunroof van for years.. (go back in the archives, you
> can see
> my WTB posts years back) a few have popped up on samba, but they were
> too
> far away or too much$. (the last syncro sunroof was in Alaska)
> i've always wanted to own a sunroof syncro...mostly because im partial to
> sunroof vanagons i guess. i wasnt miffed about missing this until i heard
> it was
> a sunroof model, which are rare.
> but aside from my own sad story, the sadder part is that it was just
> bought
> it as a $400 source of cheap syncro parts, without regards to its rarity
> or
> weather it was a sunroof model or not.
> Dylan, not to jump on your case or anything - i think your a swell guy -
> but
> how can you say you "rescued" it if your just going to part it out? i
> really
> hope you save it.
>
> i make it a point to never part out vans that are rare or special models,
> or
> could easily be saved.
>
> for example, years back i drove from philly up to conneticut to pick up a
> $500 '83.5 van i was going to use as parts. when i got there i discovered
> it was
> a Nine passenger sunroof model.. very rare in the US. i just couldnt
> part
> it out.. i ended up selling it for $600 to listmember Tom Forhan, who
> owned
> it for years before selling it this past summer to someone else who was
> looking
> for the same model.
> did i make any money on the deal? no. the 100 barely covered my gas up
> there and towing it back w/ the dolly. but it made me feel good that i
> saved a
> rare model, and passed it on to a T3 enthusiast who would appreciate it..
>
> i have a 89 carat here, it has a straight body, clean interior, just needs
> the typical headgaskets. i know many of you out there, especially you
> west
> coasters, would probably part this van out.. but i wont.. it will get
> fixed, or
> sold as-is but i dont have the heart to part out special models.. i also
> have a '80 westy.. very clean body, no rust, but its not currently
> running. same
> thing.. aircooled westys dont bring much money, and i know most of you
> west
> coasters would part this out as well.. but i wont. there is someone out
> there
> who would love to have a nice clean aircooled camper.. it will get sold
> cheap, but at least it will go to someone who will save it and keep it
> alive. i
> also have a regular 2wd '84 GL 7 pass sunroof van.. which i will sell
> cheap..
> but i wont part it because its a sunroof..
>
> the only vans im parting are ones that have had major collisions or
> severely
> rusted, or just the regular GL 7 pass models if theyre beat. those of
> you
> who have been here, have seen.
>
> im into this hobby for the love of vanagons... to try to preserve as many
> T3's as possible and to keep the ones already on the road, going....
>
> anyway, hopefully dylan will save this van and not part it..
>
> ok, im done .. rant off :<)
> go out and enjoy your sunday, it beautiful weather out here on the east
> coast
> (60º for a high today)..i feel sorry for you folks in the PNW, though..
> :<)
>
> chris
> save the sunroofs!!
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