Date:         Wed, 23 Oct 1996 11:14:27 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         gthaxter@msdcorp.com (Gary E Thaxter) (by way of Derek Drew <gthaxter@msdcorp.com>)
Subject:      86 Vanagon Synchro

Forwarded message from a guy who obviously isn't on the list

Good day Drew.

I love your pics and stories about your synchro!  I had to show everyone
that the Synchro was a real 4 wheel drive, not some "all wheel drive"
puddle hoppin, highway, yuppie, wannabe 4by4, and your stuff pretty well
did the trick.

I do not own a Synchro yet, but have owned two 74 Type II Transporters (one
window, one panel), and am currently driving (well sort of (it's on blocks
waiting an engine transplant right now)) an 85 Vanagon Transporter.  Loved
them all.  My 74 Panel made it to the tip of the Baja and back (to
Webbwood, Ontario, Canada) when I was 17, and had time to do that kind of
stuff.  We took one month and the trip was almost exactly 8000 miles.  Cool
Eh?

I've had that same van places most guys with 4by's wouldn't try to go.  My
new one pretty much sucks for that kind of stuff.  In the winter I've been
stuck in the middle of the road a couple of times (6-8 inches of snow).
Kind of embarrassing when I call the neigbour for a tug and he says "Your
stuck where?!?! Like right in the MIDDLE of the road?!??"

So, fed up, I finally said to my self, "Self. . . start looking for a Synchro"
Not knowing much about them then, I just had faith that if VW put out a
4by, they would do it proper.  Then along came this Guy named Drew who put
all these pictures of glorious muddy vans on the internet, and stories
about driving through snow up to his eyeballs.  I'm hooked.

Enough wind, here's why I wrote.  I found an 86 Synchro, 7 passenger, ps,
pb, air conditioning, heated mirrors, snow tires on a set of Mercedes rims,
new drive axles, new motor 5 years ago, paint job 2 years ago . . . belongs
to an old man who had a stroke and the gov't took away his license. He used
it for driving to his cottage from the city.  He is asking $4200 (Canadian)
and he doesn't figure it needs anything to get it certified.

Does it sound like a good deal?
Were there any problems with the 86's (first year and all)?
And are parts expensive? (Or just the typical high price for VW van parts)

Hope to see some new shots of your van and it's adventures soon.
If you know of any good Vanagon or Synchro or both sites or mailing lists,
or anything, please let me know.  Thanks

Gary. . .

Oh yeah, the article for the Van in the newspaper had a misprint, it read

1986 Vanagon Sycho