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brent239 Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2004 Posts: 145 Location: Utah...
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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dixoncj wrote: |
Just for the record - Jimmy Buffett still owns his seafoam Syncro Adventurewagen which is outfitted with a Smallcar Subie Outback 3.0 conversion. It has its hiccups, but has generally run well. Though we can't for the life of us figure out where Brian and his boys put the OBD dataport and they don't seem to recall where it may be. He also owns a veggie powered Sportsmobile. The Syncro resides with a good buddy of his who takes good care of it and uses it well and wisely. The SMB gets used a hell of a lot - runs a plantdrive system. |
Hmmmm Sounds like you know alot. |
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beatrich Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2007 Posts: 148 Location: Somewhere on the road
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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Tom played a character named Harlan in 'The Man with One Red Shoe' in 85. I'm pretty sure it's that GOWesty rig. |
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iceracer Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2006 Posts: 949 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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So if he did buy it from GW, and they refurbished it as they always do, then why did the ac and the fuel guage go out? Either Harlan is making up the story for entertainment or GW does shoddy work. HHHMMM
And Ben is right: this is all about nothing. _________________ 86 Syncro Wolfsburg edition
63 Beetle (The Iceracer) |
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ddonnell Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2007 Posts: 373 Location: Sunset Beach
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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beatrich wrote: |
Tom played a character named Harlan in 'The Man with One Red Shoe' in 85. I'm pretty sure it's that GOWesty rig. |
Wow nice call! _________________ 1990 Vanagon Carat-SOLD
1995 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 V10
1966 Baja "The Beast"
instagram #bajabugproject |
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Ryan Alfonso Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2007 Posts: 101 Location: Half Moon Bay, CA
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dixoncj Samba Member
Joined: June 17, 2004 Posts: 1083 Location: Charleston, SC
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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brent239 wrote: |
dixoncj wrote: |
Just for the record - Jimmy Buffett still owns his seafoam Syncro Adventurewagen which is outfitted with a Smallcar Subie Outback 3.0 conversion. It has its hiccups, but has generally run well. Though we can't for the life of us figure out where Brian and his boys put the OBD dataport and they don't seem to recall where it may be. He also owns a veggie powered Sportsmobile. The Syncro resides with a good buddy of his who takes good care of it and uses it well and wisely. The SMB gets used a hell of a lot - runs a plantdrive system. |
Hmmmm Sounds like you know alot. |
I oversaw the buildout of both. They are extremely, extremely bitchin. |
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Classicvibe Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009 Posts: 743 Location: Salt Lake City
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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couple of things here...
First, his comments were spot on in the interview. The first production year was 1979, and the vanagon does not have any of those lines that made VW famous...not a one. You all just have mama love for these things. The technology is 70's at best. I have vintage scooters with more technology than these things.
Next, there is a picture of him at our local shop here. He made it clear where he had bought the vehicle, and was a happy camper despite the problems. Proud to say our local guys straightened up his mess. The interior has custom wood trim, not my deal, but really nice and clean.
Hanx is a smart dude with a good vibe. I mean, he jumped in a Syncro with his brother to just...go somewhere and stay for a while. That's rad. He is back on my A list again.
"Here lies Walter Fielding. He bought a Vanagon, and it killed him."
This is one of the funnies movies I have ever seen. Let me give you a small reminder (positive I peed my pants the first time I saw this scene):
Link
_________________ On a mission, the destination is just an excuse.
Syncro Solstice 2022...see you there!
1986.5 Wolfsburg Syncro Westfalia Poptop Weekender Transporter |
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hdenter Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 2749 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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Just watched the full interview on Letterman, great story and funny! Clearly, the man is hooked on his van. His stock was already high with me and now it is just a little higher. _________________ '79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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otiswesty Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2006 Posts: 1729 Location: Portland
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, the AC wasn't broken, it just doesn't work very well in a Vanagon Westy unless you are sitting on the back bench seat. My kids love the AC but otherwise I never use it as it just sucks power and overloads the motor. Personally I would prefer the grey headbanger cabinet, but the hassle of pulling the AC is prohibitive.
All Syncro owners know how hard it is to fill the gas so that the guage reads full. You really need to top it up. I suspect that the gas guage was working fine, it was just the tank that was not filled fully by the newb owner. Funny story though. I think the only thing that really was not working or broken on his van was the odometer, an early failure for him. In reality, the van was fully functional when it rolled out of the used car dealership that he bought it from, so it's hard to assign blame there. _________________ 1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab
Just a regular guy |
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thummmper Samba Member
Joined: November 25, 2009 Posts: 2015 Location: Meadow Valley, California Republic
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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just saw "Angels and Demons" with hanks in a papal kidnapping bomb scare where the villain drives a panelagon. ....of course.
just like in "The Edukators". |
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SyncroVeedubin Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Napa County, CA
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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awesome interview. he seems like such a normal guy. i swear he could be discribing everything that has gone wrong on my van...i use the same "we should be able to make it to the next exit..." guestimations with my fuel too.
"without a/c you are driving this terrarium of a car" -- classic.
and he's right about KoA...lol
glad to see i can now add Mr. Tom Hanks (aka Kip/Buffy Wilson...remember Bosom Buddies??) to my list of "Celebs spotted in a VW"
btw, Tracy Chapman drove her white Eurovan Westy into the VW dealership i was working at back in 1996 =) |
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ycontractor Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2010 Posts: 72 Location: Tucson, AZ
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Seeing this interview back in 2009 is what got me introduced to Vanagons. I was trying to think of ways I could modify my Tacoma to make it more camping friendly when I saw Hanks talking about the Syncro. I said to myself "That's exactly what I'm looking for!" A few of months later I had my first one (2WD, not a syncro), and the Tacoma went bye-bye. Never looked back since then. Thanks Tom! |
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levi Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005 Posts: 5522 Location: Las Vegas
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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You're welcome.
Oh no,
Now everyone will know it's me. _________________ One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way
https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40 |
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carterzest Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2008 Posts: 3842 Location: Eagle, ID/Sun Valley, ID
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914 mike Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2005 Posts: 431
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 7:56 am Post subject: |
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Funny...I too had a Tacoma...Pre-runner...had a Skamper pop-up camper on the back and really liked it, but it had its limitations. Not enough room in the cab area for 3 to travel comfortably...The camper was pushing the weight limit the tacoma could haul around so the places I could go were limited.
When I bought my westy, friends thought I was crazy, but after the mods I have done to it, I can take it just about anywhere I want to go and its as reliable as the Tacoma was...been to Baja and Banff and all points in between and never regretted the switch.
Tom hanks did not influence my decision, however, but I did like him in Castaway. _________________ Mike
84 Westy
2.2 Suby
In a world full of ponies it's a thoroughbred horse....
Can ≠ Should |
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BlueWestyDiesel Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Cary, NC
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:39 am Post subject: |
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The interview was great, my wife and I read the outside magazine article and watched the interview while we were camping in our westy. The guy can tell a great story, and if he didn't like the van he would not have picked that story to tell.
More so, you all are a tough crowd because you know these vans (some of you maynot know much at all just think you do). On our trip I found out that very few people actually know that a westy is actually a camper. Most people see the vanagon as an ugly van that is in their way as they race down the road to the next tourist stop.
Tom Hanks did a good for the vanagon community by sharing an experiance.
-----
1982 Vanagon Westfalia diesel, 1.9L AAZ |
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zippyslug31 Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2007 Posts: 799 Location: Central Oregon
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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BlueWestyDiesel wrote: |
the outside magazine article |
???
Which article is that; are you referring to the Overland Journal article by chance? _________________ previous:
'80 westy
current:
'90 syncro westy 2.5L subi, triple knob, 16" wheels.
'84 sunroof van, 2.1L motor. |
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Ahwahnee Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010 Posts: 9776 Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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zippyslug31 wrote: |
BlueWestyDiesel wrote: |
the outside magazine article |
???
Which article is that?... |
Possibly this one. |
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hans j Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 2713 Location: Salt Lake City UT
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm, I really thought I posted pics of his van when it came through. Perhaps it was another thread? Anyway it was pretty nice! _________________ 1986 Canadian Syncro Westy TDI - 1989 Syncro Single Cab - 2001 Audi S4 - 1981 VW Caddy ABA - 1980 VW Caddy EV - 1973 VW T-181 |
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photogdave Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2004 Posts: 3039 Location: Vancouver Island, B.C.
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