Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:25:57 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: Syncro Critic
In-Reply-To: <52301814.4040904@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
On road in snow can very very nice in a Syncro.
They do have great on-road all weather capabilities.
forexample...the front and rear axles being joined mmechanically ( with
some slipat the Viscous Coupling ) provide an anti-lock braking feature
in some degree. ( in most 2WD rear wheel drive cars you can just lock up
the fronts under heavy braking if traction is less than idea . )
Most syncro's have a locking rear differential. This can be so useful
that some people get their 2WD vanagon transaxle rebuilt with a syncro
case, so they can have a rear locking diff.
In Europe they can be purshased with a locking front differential even.
Some have decouplersso there is a 2WD mode.
They come, all versions with the wiring all ready in the harness, for an
indicator light for the decoupler.
Everysyncro I have ever seen have provision on the dash ..for knobs and
indicator lights for rear diff locked, decoupler in AWD or 2WD mode or
not, and front diff locked or not.
Considering their era and no electronics used anywhere in the drivetrain
they are just Fantastic vehicles.
Awesome pperformance, upgradable in dozens of ways ..
nearly unstoppable quite often.
for normal povement use there is a weight penalty ..
and quite a bit more complexity and expense to own one long term..
there's no way around it though ...they are the King of Vanagons.
they'remuch harder to work on then 2WD Vangaons, but after a while you
learn the tricks and it's not so bad.
They also like to rust out their fuel tank mounting straps ...another
fun thing about them.
Taking the fuel tank in and out is not fun either !
they're awesome though, noway around it. Just demanding too. More like
owning a Porsche say.
Scott
On 9/11/2013 12:13 AM, JRodgers wrote:
> I don;t have one - have driven the two-wheel (really one wheel) Vanagon
> from Alaska in Winter to Florida i Winter and summer. And unless you get
> off the pavement - a Syncro is just a status symbol and a whole bunch of
> mechanical nightmare you don't want. If however you do get off road -
> they are a whole bunch nice to have,
>
> John
>
>
>
> On 9/11/2013 12:46 AM, raceingcajun wrote:
>> Hello Vanities,
>>
>> One of my Sons hit his head in the shower, and now has an
>> un-controllable desire to buy a Passat W8. Keep in mind that we live
>> on the
>> Gulf Coast. No snow/ice, winter temps are in the high 30's low 40's
>> and the
>> last time we had a wisp of snow was in 1997. Also he lives in town,
>> never
>> get of the cement or goes off road mud riding. Worst driving conditions
>> heavy rains, some fog.
>> Now with that back ground in mind. What I'm looking for is a general
>> users critic of the Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro system, its mechanic's and
>> driving idiosyncrasy's. General cost of maintenance, etc.
>> So wipe off those crystal balls and lets have your learned
>> opinion good
>> and bad!
>>
>> Thanks in Advance
>>
>> Howard
>>
>