Looking to buy a late T3 Syncro van

[teamCTA]

Good day,

I am looking to buy a late production T3 Syncro Transporter/Caravelle. Not sure where to start, but wanting to hear of any caveats that I should know about when looking at vans or any year/models to avoid because of known issues.

I am not afraid of a bit maintenance, but do not want to spend all my spare time getting greasy. So just looking for a reliable tranport for the family are town and for camping trips.

Funny, how for most of my life there has been a VW. Learned to drive in the US in a diesel Rabbit(1979 model), ran a 1985 Quantum GLS for many years, the fastest car I ever owned. Lost my license when I got caught going 155mph in a 55mph zone. Was a lot of fun.

I have not owned a VW for about 6 years, but looking to join the ranks again soon.

In particular, I have my eye on a 1992 T3 Syncro, 2.1L w/ 5spd with 255,000kms.

Any advice or opinons appreciated,

[syncro]

Here's some ideas and links on my web page;

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~pjlander/volkswagen_syncro.htm

:D

[teamCTA]

Syncro,

I came to this forum from your web-page. I have done a thorough read of all the info you have published. Just want to get more input from people in the know like yourself.

What kind of fuel consumption can expect with a Syncro? Also is there any big issues with the "syncro" system? Also does your van have A/C?

Thanks,

[syncro]

Syncro,

I came to this forum from your web-page. I have done a thorough read of all the info you have published. Just want to get more input from people in the know like yourself.

There should be plenty of links for you to follow then.



What kind of fuel consumption can expect with a Syncro? Also is there any big issues with the "syncro" system? Also does your van have A/C?

Thanks,

Fuel consumption is not good. About 20-25mpg.
Unfortunately my van does not have a/c.

Have a look at the syncro forum;


http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro_T3_Australia/


Lots of helpful owners there.
Where in Sydney are you?

[teamCTA]

Syncro,

Thanks for the link to the Syncro T3 Australia forum. I joined and immediately read through all the posts.

It seems that the T3 Syncro while it has its bugs, is a quite reliable van. But would I be better to put up the extra money for a T4 Syncro? Or does the T3 have some advantages over the T4 other than being much less money. I would prefer a diesel and since I have 4 children, life is much better if they can be kept cool during a road trip. Thus I am pondering on a T4, which seems to be better suited with a larger diesel and A/C.

I am in Kingsford in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. There is a fella just around the corner who has a beautiful Kombi and Bug. I get jealous everytime I see either of the vehicles.

Thanks,

[syncro]

The T4 syncro is really not suitable for off road.
A T3 2WD would be more capable off road.

Have a look at this;

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VW-KOMBI_W0QQitemZ4597720029QQcategoryZ72456QQrdZ1QQc mdZViewItem

[teamCTA]

Syncro,

I just received a number of photos from the seller of the Syncro I am looking at. It appears to be ex-Telstra van. The current owner bought it with 140,000kms as a bare van.

He has down quite a bit of work on it, including replacing a head, clutch, alternator, front outer CV joints, water pump, and misc regular maintenance items such as brake pads, plugs, and etc.

He had bed seat installed in back. So does that mean that the fixings are still in the floor to install the middle bench seat?

This van is not as snazzy as your van, but could make a great family camping machine.

Thanks,

[syncro]

Middle seat fixings are factory on all vans.
Give Muller & Muller (Lakemba) a call as they can tell you what to look for and what it would cost to repair.

[syncro]

There's a couple of syncros for sale in Sydney in the Trading Post;

http://www.tradingpost.com.au/addisplay.asp?State=NAT&sMsg=keywordsearch&origpage=1

Just type in "syncro". The yellow one at Bondi looks nice.

[teamCTA]

Thanks,

I have had been inquiring about the Syncro up at Green Point(white one), but I just spoke to the owner of the yellow syncro at Bondi to set-up a time to have a look.

The owner informed me that there is something wrong with the "Syncro" and it does not work. He has just returned from a 25K trip around Australia and says that it drives fine in 2wd.

So is problem solved by replacing the VC or have we got some serious mechanical work.

Thanks again,

[syncro]

or replace it with a shaft and put a Berndt Jaeger decoupler in.

[teamCTA]

Syncro,

I have been at a loss for almost 12 months about finding a reliable, fun transport for our family. We have been running a EA Falcon wagon which is on its last legs, and need to find new wheels for us all.

I looked at most options including Toyota, Nissans, Mercedes vans and just did not like what I saw for the price. And the Pajero, Landcruiser, Patrol just do not cut for the space we need with 4 children. My preferred transport, GMH Suburban(owned 2 when we lived in the US) is just out of reach at $50,000+ for a 8 year old truck. So I sort of settled on the VW Transporter T3 or T4. Plus I have only had great experiences with VW products.

Thanks so much for all the links and info you have pointed me to. My biggest issue with the T3 is that I know they are under-powered and when you add A/C and a trailer, you could probably run faster in some cases. But in my surfing I have come across the Subaru transplant lists, and that changes everything. And then there is the TDI conversions by Jaeger, which opens a whole new world of performance for the T3.

The plan of action at this point is to buy a Syncro with the best body possible and in good running condition which can be set-up to seat 6 people comfortably. I want to be able to run at least 12 months before I need to do anything major and at that point either do a 2.5L or 3.3L Boxxer or a Jaeger style TDI conversion.

I usually buy vehicles on a 10 to 15 year plan, and so I would be looking to keep this T3 for a very long-time. So several questions come to mind.

The T3 comes in several variants, round headlights and flush, are the differences only cosmetic, or are there subtle differences in the floorpan and etc which I need to be aware of?

Also whether to buy a T3 with a pop-top or not? Eventually, I would want to convert it into a camper. So is this important or a none issue if I want to have a pop-top installed down the road?

I guess I should really be sending these questions to the Syncro T3 Australia list, since there seems to be more participants in that list.

Anyway, thanks for your time,