Base Model

[914 mike]

Picked up a 1990 Base Model this weekend.

Things that I find different from vans of similar years:
-No dash padding
-No vent windows
-No arm rests on seats or doors
-No vents in cieling, and thus, only 3 switches instead of 4 on the vent/heater controls
-Full Rubber flooring front and back-I AM DIGGING THIS!!!
-No tach...clock instead
-No OXS light
-No chrome bumpers...black painted with rubber strips
-No map light above glove box
-No table on drivers wall

Van does have:
-AC with controls on dash
-rear heater
-rear z-bed
-rear jump seats
-rear window wiper
-full grey vinal door/interior panels
-tweed material on seats
-steel wheels w/typical vanagon caps

Van does have ability to mount wheelchair lift...but does not have one

Door sticker says "Made in Austria"

Only see one other in the classifieds like it. Just wondering if anyone else has one and how rare they are? Any idea on import/production numbers?

Mike

[crazyvwvanman]

They aren't that rare or desirable. Just end of production models, slightly down market, made in the Graz Austria plant that also made Syncro Vanagons. The rubber mats were used in very early Vanagons and resulted in a lot of rusted out floors. The tweed fabric wears poorly and the seat padding breaks down faster. Most of this model I have seen were Syncros, in silver or white paint. I have the remains of one as does a friend of mine.

Mark

[Dant]

That sounds like my 91 syncro. The PO specifically didn't want air conditioning, and it sounded like they had to work at finding it.

Also there are no rear seat headrests, not even holes for them. I wonder how they got away with that. No cruse control. There must not be much in the way of sound deadening either, sounds like riding in a tin can.

I swaped insruments with a 87 GL so I now have tach.

Besides being a syncro, its like a totaly different vehicle than my Carat. The Carat is also an automatic, which I have learned to like.
_________________
90 Carat
97 Jetta GLX
87 GL (nobody wanted it)
91 Syncro (Stripped,Plain Jane,fixed vent windows,no tach) also rusty. Hurray for me!

[crazyvwvanman]

The rear seat headrests can be added to any of the metal frame seat versions. The holes are there in the metal for the inserts, hidden under the fabric, and lots of people add them. Carats/Wolfsburgs had the inserts in the backrests with finger release levers for easy removal to make the bed but other GL bed models came without inserts at all. You can use front seat inserts if that is all you have but these don't have the finger lever release clips. It is only the clips that are different. Feel for the hole, make an X in the fabric with a razor blade, force the insert in making sure it aligns with the second level hole and locks in place. I have added these to many Vanagons, mostly for the right rear passenger on the bench.

Mark

[Robw_z]

I have one of these, a 1990 base model just like you've described except I have no A/C.

I've never owned any other model of Vanagon so I cannot compare, but I like mine a lot. The ability to sweep out the cabin is nice. I consider this model the most "bus-like" of the Vanagons; some would consider that a pro, others a con.

I do plan on adding sound deadening below the rubber mats.

-Rob

[insyncro]

These vans are refered to a L versions.
GL has all the goodies and the Wolfs and Carats had specific additions.

As for not being in demand.....I have purchased all 90 or 91 Syncro Ls I have come across.
IMHO, they are the easiest to convert to the Carat interior.
They were available from the dealer with a P89 or P90 upgrade.
Mine all have dual batteries, power windows, power locks, power heated mirrors, cruise, but still have the L version dash, rubber floor mats, rear facing seats and non velour door panels.
Two of mine do not have AC and the others do not.

Other than a 1987 Syncro Sunroof, this model is my favorite.


FYI, Seth's SyncroZilla was a 90 Syncro L, but not anymore.

dylan

[GWTWTLW]

My 90 Syncro Adventurewagen started it's life as a base model. That was all I knew for 20 years and was rather surprised when we bought the 89 and noticed most of these differences right away. Actually, the first thing I noticed in the 89 was that I didn't have an unobstructed view of the instruments over the steering wheel. With the 90, I could see all the guages clearly where with the 89, I have to duck to see the speedo and tach. The wheel feels lower. The only thng about the 90 that I felt like I was missing was the arm rests. I did like the rubber mats though. It sure made it a lot easier to clean.
_________________
89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[crazyvwvanman]

Yes, they are the most ideal candidates for striping out the interiors and adding the Carat package. Already have provisions for jumpseats and you don't mind getting rid of the poor quality interior. Very desirable indeed.

Any Syncro model is desirable but the original post did not refer to one.

Mark

[914 mike]

"I've never owned any other model of Vanagon so I cannot compare, but I like mine a lot. The ability to sweep out the cabin is nice. I consider this model the most "bus-like" of the Vanagons; some would consider that a pro, others a con."

Agree with the "Bus-Like" statement. I have owned and driven splits and bays as well as vanagons and this thing definitly has a utilitarian bus vibe. I like it! Would make a good parts hauler or ??? Definitly not afraid to modify it.....

No head rests in mine either....

Mike

[Dant]

Great info, always good to know something...

[insyncro]

P89 Option Group
$1,440

Air conditioning with outlets in front & rear
$1,070

Rear window wiper with intermittent feature
$200

Tinted glass
$105

Full aero-styled wheel covers
$65

P90 Option Group
$2,420

Air conditioning with outlets in front & rear
$1,070

Rear window wiper with intermittent feature
$200

Tinted glass
$105

Full aero-styled wheel covers
$65

Power door locks including side door & rear hatch

Power front windows

Power heated side rearview mirrors

Cruise control

Auxiliary battery

[D Clymer]

FWIW, these vans are not L vans. That's just what Go Westy decided to call the white Syncro one that they were selling. These vans were just known as Vanagon base models and they were sold in 1990 and 1991. The L designation was used off and on through 1986 for a standard seven seat van with carpet, vinyl, courduroy, or tweed seats, and a white headliner. The L designation actually goes back to the earliest Vanagon days before there was a deluxe GL version. The L package was actually an upgrade over the basic van - an equipment package that included some upgraded items such as sliding side windows, clock, chrome bumpers, etc. L stood for Luxus and was actually the most deluxe van at the time. After the GL came out, the more basic van became known as the L because it still was configured like the previous top line model. Somehow the L model has gotten known as being a base model, when in fact it evolved as just one step lower than the GL. If you look at german models, there were much more basic vans - kombis, C, CL.

As an interesting piece of trivia, these 1990-1991 base model Vanagons were never sold this way in europe. They were unique to the North American market.

David

[insyncro]

That is the best part and why I am attracted to them.
Most look at the German models and want one of those here in the States due to the rarity.
I have sold a base Syncro to a chap in Europe for the same reason.
My fault for continuing with GWs discription in this thread.
It just sounds better than a base model, special ordered with a P89 or 90 option group.

Anyway, they are my favorite.

All mine are white, have all power features and 2 have AC.
The others with power features and no AC are really useful without the rear AC pillars. The bed is huge.

[insyncro]

I have had many pmail asking for interior pics..........

These pictures were taken about a year ago when I just picked up the van. It was dirty, but except for the rubber mats, it was all removed to allow for sound proofing and a Carat interior.

dylan

[D Clymer]

[insyncro]

The Carat rear seat is approx. 2" narrower.
There are spacers needed to center the Carat rear seat between the plastic side panels. A GL seat is too wide. I have collected as many Carat/Wolfsburg specific interiors for this reason.
Many have pulled the interiors in junk yards only to find that they didn't fit when they tried to reinstall in there van. This was due to the lack of the spacers. They are not that hard to copy. I will post pictures of them once I have the time to find a pair that is unused. They are floating around my work space, just don't remember exactly where they are currently.

On a related note, there is a crossmember that has been mounted with rivets that holds the table in place, just below the window. This mount is needed as well. It took me a few tries to get it positioned as it would be in the factory position. All seems to be in place, but the table latch will not line up with the hole in the plastic panel if it is not in the correct location.
Many of the Carat interiors have had broken latches and I believe that part is NLA. I have those as extras as well. I really can't stand seeing anyone use the screen door gizmo GW sells to replace the stock clasp. How ugly is that set up?

[cannedveggiessuck]

Hey Insyncro,
Thats a real good lookin van you have there.
How about a look up her skirt ?
_________________
Time Travel Enthusiast..

[brooklynvan]

Mine is exactly one of these, but I bought it with no back seats.

I have since replaced the front and jump seats from an 88 weekender, and the rear seat came out of an 86 (so it's brown)
the rubber mats are my favorite part, as the ability to sweep out, or clean off dog puke is indispensable to me.

One thing to note, if you remove the front heater core, it is a little different since there's no rear vents, it has no spot for the 4th cable that appears on other vans, and that part of the housing is just blank plastic.
I replaced mine with one that would have had 4 levers, but the vent flaps on the bottom of the heater just sit closed against the "firewall"

someone earlier mentioned rust, and I just noticed a few weeks ago when my accelerator pedal finally came loose from the floor, that I've got quite a bit of rust under the mat on the driver's side floor. Gotta get that taken care of once it warms up.

I have an interior from an 85 weekender and I've been toying with the idea of swapping it into mine, but I don't really like the tan plastic...
might try to mock up the table and see if I can get it to fit, and make some kind of panel to go around it.
_________________
1990 Vanagon "Plain Jane" Bostig in the Back
TRADED: 1967 Panel for 1976 BMW 2002
SOLD: 1984 Sunroof Vanagon with EJ22
RIP 1986 Saab turbo
and my daily commuter: a Bicycle

[insyncro]

As you wish.
For all the voyeurs out there.

This is a good photo to show the cast lower control arm that was on some 89 and all 90 & 91 Syncros.
The drop link is straight in the early years, bent in the later.

Next to the plastic coolant pipes you can see a small amount of the linkage cover that is one of the first parts that is removed for service and they forget to put back on.
The ribs in the LCA casting are seen here as well.

[cannedveggiessuck]

Thank You... Looks pretty tidy!
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Time Travel Enthusiast..