Why don't I drive a Toyota...

[spaeth]

I have a 16" Syncro Double Cab as my daily diver. I have driven Vanagons and VW's forever. The last two years have been long and expensive. I had a new Overland 2.6 liter motor installed. Then did the big tire thing and ended needing to lift to clear. Several spring rates later I am happy with the handling. Had the front end redone and now....wait for it...I go to pick up my new transmission from Daryl at AA Transaxle tomorrow. Unfortunately the ring and pinion was shot so I am paying more for this transmission than I have for most cars that I have owned. The 16" Syncro has a 5.83 ring and pinion luckily for me GoWesty had them in stock and was willing to split the cost of overnight shipping with me which was very nice. It was still $1350 for just the R&P. So about $4000 later I will have a new tranny. I could have a really nice Toyota Forerunner for that. I could have a pretty nice Toyota Land Cruiser. I picked up a $1200 91 Range Rover Classic that I have been driving in the meantime and I am really liking it. It is sad when a Range Rover is my reliable vehicle. I love my DoKa but wow! I hope we are done for a while.

Craig

[funagon]

Can I trade you a stock used toyota for your old syncro doka? No? Didn't think so.

You need to drive that thing for another 10 or 20 years to get your money's worth out of it. Enjoy!
_________________
1990 GL 7-passenger
2.2 liter WBX

[spaeth]

Don't ask my wife that question. Right about now she might do it.

Craig

[oasis]

I don't know about Range Rovers (except they are indeed nice), but Toyota is notorious for discontinuing parts as soon as they are allowed. I looked at '70s vintage Celica's and I was amazed how much people have to canibalize other Toyota's to keep them going. I know NLA parts have been an issue here but my quick anecdotal observation is it is even more prevalent with some other makers. All three of my parent's Toyotas were nice enough vehicles but they weren't exactly chump change to fix when the time came.
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Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[mightyart]

You're never done.

[Escorial Syncro]

This is my "hang in there!" post.

There is a payoff. I just spent a couple of years doing all the high dollar (to me) upgrades on my syncro. And now, even though I'm a cheapskate and hate to look at the numbers, every time I drive the thing I just say WOW. This is what I've always envisioned a vehicle being. I converted a passenger syncro to westfalia, all new suspension, rebuilt transmission, then the cherry on top, a 230 HP SVX motor. The payoff to me is, the van is always ready to go. There's little cosmetic things I'm dicking with, but the running gear and motor are solid and I've pretty much forgotten about all that stuff. I just drive the thing, and it works really well. So strange to have a reliable vanagon after 9 years of trying. Strange in a good way.

You've done the hard stuff, now enjoy. My $.02
_________________
Joel Lane
1985 Vanagon converted to syncro, ALH TDI w/GTB2056 turbo, Reimo clone top with Westy interior
2002 Toyota Tundra 4x4

[tschroeder0]

Joeldella,

I think I met you once at wolfsburg, that IS one nice van....and anytime any of you guys want to trade a toyota for you synchros, just pm me, I'll be right over

[jfarsang]

[Bruce Wayne]

I find that just about any car is expensive to work on if you can't do it yourself. I asked the manager at the shop were we used to take Mrs. Wayne's 1996 850 Wagon about a new tranny once. over $5000 just for the tranny,then labor on top of that. not cost effective on that kind of car to me. better to buy a new one. the Doka on the other hand,that's money well spent.

[jfarsang]

[Dogpilot]

If you really want to see what will last a long time, go to a major city in a third world country. Take Nairobi for example, You see tons of Land Cruisers zipping about. Look closely, you don't see any older ones. Lots of old Land Rovers and Range Rovers, even Vanagons, but no old Toyotas.

BTW, having had a pile of Land Rovers and Range Rovers, they are not all that un-reliable. I have never had a mechanical failure that resulted in a tow or stranding. Almost everything that ever went wrong was the frilly stupid things like personal nose wiping accessories.

Now living up in the high country we have no Rover dealers. So when the tragic nose wiping failure occurs, what is one to do? Call them, and they come up from Phoenix, exchange cars with me an return with it days later, fixed, free. My nose can be wiped again. They have the best service I've ever had any contact with in my life.

My wife got T-boned in her Land Rover. No injuries or and tragic consequences. However this was during the transition from BMW to Ford ownership of Land Rover. It seems that BMW never bought any parts during their management. Ford took a bit to get the contracting up and running. So we had a rear axel case on inter-galactic back order. Land Rover gave us a new car to drive and swapped it out every 30 days for a year until we got ours back.

I have been pleased with them since I started driving them in 1974. I have always had a 4WD requirement, so I have had to have two cars, one for road and one for field. The aftermarket parts support has always been great, with Atlantic British leading the way. My Rover parts are always cheaper than what I get for the van, from anyone.

I don't have the patience to write all the horror stories I have had with Land Cruisers the UN kept giving me. I just loved being stuck in the middle of nowhere Somalia due to their shiitty transmissions. Suffice it to say, the last one they gave me died in a hail of friendly, but pissed off, fire directed by yours truely. Ahmed Yousef, the admin director, gave my different cars after that.
_________________
Geology with a Syncro rocks!
86 Syncro Westy AKA "The Bughunter"
98 Disco I
08 Range Rover SC
08 VW Rabbit S
1951 O-1G

[MarkWard]

Daily driving is hard on any vehicle. So does leaving a vehicle to sit. Vanagons make good daily drivers, but ours sits during the week. My wife has a 99 ford explorer 2wd. I hate it, she loves it. I drive an Acura RSXS to work and back. 2 hour round trip. I race a Toyota. They all require maintenance to some degree. I drive the vanagon to the race shop on Saturdays to keep it moving. It is a camper. For us, for road trips and camping, nothing compares. Maybe a converted Dodge/Mercedes/Freightliner TDI, but we love the camper. I'd love to have a Synchro Doka. I'd convert it to a TDI. It is a lot of CV boots to keep up with but they are eye catchers. Regards

[spaeth]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I know all of this but wow. I really wanted to get a beater Syncro to do more off roading in, when I stumbled across the Rover. It would cost me 5 times the amount of the Rover for a Syncro that I could wheel in. I have always kind of wanted a Rover as well. I have not been disappointed yet. It is way easier to drive off road and will cruise at 80 on the highway.

Here is a pic of the DoKa on the Syncro Safari outside of Bend Oregon. I know it is never done but I hope we are over the hump at least.

Craig

[ccisco]

Although I really do enjoy my Westy and the two other vanagons I've owned, I have, and continue to do so, pumped a ton of money and time into them (I do everything except machine shop stuff). I have a 1996 T-100 that I've owned since 1998. It now has 200,000 miles and uses no oil between 3000 mile oil changes. The only things I've done to it, outside oil changes and spark plugs have been new shocks, brakes rotors, wheel bearings, new battery cables and a starter. With all that said, I still would not get rid of my Westy (the vanagons, yeah, there here more for parts than anything else)....But, then I wouldn't part with the T-100 either...

[taigagreen]

[jfarsang]

Nice rig. I really like the green. Suits it.

[EwokPoacher]

wow craig! that is a lot of change spent on your doka. hopefully, that will be it for a while. i have always noticed the "life is a sine wave" pattern when it comes to things going wrong with vw's. your doka is truly fantastic and i would not hesitate spending money on it either - just as long as it is not all at the same time! i think i am finally done doing upgrades to my tristar. i have just been enjoying it the past few months. i am trying to make it my daily driver and it has held up so far - i hope i am not jinxing it. i guess that is the whole point in spending all this money, so that we can enjoy driving it!

joey

[spaeth]

Good to hear yours is doing good Joey. I can't wait to see it again. You are running a TDI now aren't you? I am thinking I will end up there eventually but I need some good recovery time after this.

Daryl at AA Transaxle has been great at getting this thing all put back together. We picked up yesterday and he showed the ring and pinion and the pinion gear was wasted. GoWesty was great about getting the R&P out overnight so we could make it all happen by the weekend. It is nice they are willing to have some of these rare parts sitting on their shelves. It would be even nicer if they could cost 1/2 as much but I understand the economy of scale we are dealing with and the cost of doing that kind of machine work with such low numbers.

Heres to a fun Vanagon driving summer to all!

Craig

ps We did about an 800 mile road trip in my friends 87 Syncro with a Subie 2.2 in order to check out a Riviera camper top and pick up the tranny. That Subie 2.2 sure is a nice driving motor. It is amazing how much it improves the drivability of the vehicle.