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Jagd 16 Reclamation Project
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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:57 am    Post subject: Jagd 16 Reclamation Project Reply with quote

Not exactly a build thread, but more of a tale of a T3 enthusiast dipping his toe into the quirky Syncro 16 universe. I suppose like most Syncro owners, eventually I contracted Doka Fever, and started trolling all those cool sites in Europe for interesting vehicles. I stumbled on an ad from somewhere near the Czech border for an Escorial Green '88 Doka, my favorite color no less! The pics were terrible, but it sure LOOKED like a Jagdwagen, and possibly an uber-rare 16" version at that! And, very reasonably priced! Long story short, with some very gracious help and a lot of due diligence and correspondence, I held my breath and purchased the car, and waited not-too-patiently for it to make its way to SoCal (it shared the same container as Seth's bamboo yellow 16). Finally, it arrived in July on a car hauler right to my house:

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Looks pretty good, huh? A gen-u-wine Syncro 16 Jagdwagen! Well, I really just wanted to drive the thing around for a while before I decided what to do with it, but even though it fired right up, that proved to be impossible, as the throttle linkage was so bunged up that the pedal was frozen. All I could do was idle around the block in granny low and try to look cool. The Doka 16's were generally not as well appointed as the 14's, but this one came with fog lights, PS, sliding rear windows, DJ112 motor, rear defroster, but none of the really cool Jagd stuff like the winch, gun drawer, etc. Very plain-Jane interior, but in pretty good shape. Car showed very low miles, around 87K, with 5.43 R&P and just a rear locker. I have the great good fortune to live a block away from Europro VW, (mostly) Vanagon-only specialists who've serviced most of my vehicles (I am not so hot as a mechanic), so I putted the thing up there to see if they could get it to be drive-able. The real fun began when they put it up on a rack. Apparently, "rost-frei" means something altogether different in Germany. Not only was every nook and cranny clogged with Black Forest dirt and crud, it looked as if it had spent time at the bottom of the North Atlantic. The entire undercarriage looked like one of those rusticles on the Titanic. Everywhere we looked, we found more horror and surprises. Literally every part was going to have to be re-furbished or replaced, including the brakes, trailing arms (rusted beyond salvation, trust me), engine tin, tank straps, etc. etc. etc. I was not going to be able to do the complete tits resto that Seth has undertaken, but something had to be done to arrest and repair the decay.

If you've made it this far, you can see where this is headed: "Well, as long as we're tearing it down, it would be silly not to address (insert Syncro 16-specific or obscure Doka part here)". Thus, I was plunged headlong into the labyrinth of chasing down unobtainium parts, as Joe at Europro has much better things to do with his time. Surprisingly, if you're willing to pay the price, a lot of this stuff is pretty readily available. I've only been stumped on a few odds and ends, like the goofy bolts that hold the deck lid on, and the weird hex bolts on the 16" brake backing plates (I actually found the backing plates! Brake shoes and wheel cylinders also!). A great resource has been Rennie at VW of Santa Monica, who has managed to get me almost everything I've asked for, including a 16" front axle. (Get this: Apparently, non-front locker 16's did NOT come with 16" front axles and CV's. HOWEVER, my car had one 16" and one 14" axle, and the 16" looked to be the older of the two. We guess that it was special ordered with front 16's, and the PO didn't want to pay for or couldn't find a replacement 16" axle. Thanks to Rennie, I now have a pair of 16's).

Sooooo, after hideous expense, lots of dead ends, multiple trips to the powder coaters, heroic work by Europro, it now looks like this:

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New BFG's on original rims:

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Nice job on rust abatement and sealing:

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All the necessary parts have been acquired, and assembly begins next week. I've been assured of a fully functional (yeah, I just had to add the front locker, solid shaft and decoupler) vehicle real soon! (I'm sure that Joe and Jim can't WAIT to be rid of the thing. I'm positive that this has been the most nightmarish project they've ever tackled). Will add some pics of the final results. Thanks for reading!

Matt Q

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Last edited by Reventlos on Sat Oct 26, 2013 1:18 am; edited 2 times in total
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Syncroincity
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Note to self... Fly to Europe and look at it when you get the urge to buy.

Congrats on the truck... I have similar fantasies, good on ya for actually pulling the trigger, even if it did burn a little. THat is a sweet rig.

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blaze80
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sweet ride and congratulations- can't wait to see the next round of pics! Great story too! And that's my favorite color too! Sweet envy.
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hans j
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Matt,

Please bring to syncro solstice next year so I can drool all over it.

Thanks
Hans
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Syncrozilla
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks good Matt, can't wait to see it in person. Cool liscense plate!
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great save! Shocked Very Happy
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zippyslug31
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool!
Do you have shots of the rust & muck prior starting the resto? Would be interesting to compare before/after pictures.
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trailnewt
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That truck went to the right guy! Great job Matt. I'm eager to see the photos once it's back together.
Brent
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axeman
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

can i ask what size tyres you have fitted? i will be interested in you thoughts on the gearing the 16"wheels and tyres and the 5.43.
looks like a very worth while project in the long run.

neil
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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Please bring to syncro solstice next year so I can drool all over it.


SS has been on our bucket list for years! It occurs so close to Syncrofest that it's hard to get more time off from work and gigs. We constantly drool over the vids from the last few years. This year or bust!

(Of course, we haven't even delved into the condition of the engine and drive train yet. Could more surprises be in store?? Oh, I hope not....)
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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

axeman wrote:
can i ask what size tyres you have fitted? i will be interested in you thoughts on the gearing the 16"wheels and tyres and the 5.43.
looks like a very worth while project in the long run.

neil


I must be internet-challenged, because I could not find any specs anywhere on the dimensions of the OEM 205r16 tyre, which is not readily available in the US. I have been told that it is basically the same as a 205/80/16, which a few manufacturers do stock. I opted for LT225/75/R16, which is about an inch wider and a half-inch taller than what I'm guessing is stock. I'm not anticipating any rubbing issues. As for the gearing, keep in mind that I haven't been able to drive the thing yet, except around the block! I've been told that the DJ112 motor actually does pull a lot better that our wimpy USA 90HP versions. I've been getting lots of pressure to do an engine swap, but I think I'll keep this one stock.
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lloydy
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

standard 16" tyre is 195 80 16 or 205 80 16 depending on options.. Good luck with the rebuild Very Happy
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Crankey
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice ! Smile

no 'before' pics of the rusty underside ?
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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Crankey wrote:
nice ! Smile

no 'before' pics of the rusty underside ?


Here's a few "before" pics, but they don't really show the true horror. EVERY nut and bolt had to be chiseled, torched, sawzalled, drilled or dynamited. A daily mountain of debris would form under the car. The tally of broken bits and busted knuckles---who can say?

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My short list of m-codes:

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Crankey
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice...I must say those wheel wells look clean enough to eat at least a sandwich off of. looks fantastic like this, all stock. will you be adding lights or winches ?

there was one on the classifieds with a winch in the bed to drag in carcases (sounds ghoulish) that gave it alot of character.

if I drove this around town I'd be like, HA ! take THAT chrome plated Hummer driver !
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congrats on the truck Matt. I've had to pleasure to see it at Joe's shop several times. Joe has done an awesome restoration job on it and you are correct in that Joe is anxious to finish the project. Just this week Joe turned me away because he was getting parts in for your truck. Its all good, looking forward to seeing it around OC. I'm in HB and also just imported a Euro Syncro last April. I lucked out cuz my Transporter doesn't have that much rust. Hit me up if you want to talk Vanagon.
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4wdDoka
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks incredible. Standing by for the finished photos.
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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 12:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

New Pics! Thanks for all the good vibes and encouragement on this project. I've done about as much work as funds can muster, and here's where it's at, and where it will stay, for the near future. It's been aptly described as a "20-foot car". i.e. one that looks great from short distance (but don't look TOO close!).

A couple of vanity shots (that's glare, not streaks in the paint):

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The interior cleaned up beautifully!

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Three knobs and a solid shaft, just as God intended!

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Some interesting markings---axle load ratings? Are these on all Euro dokas?

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New brakes, front and rear. Stellar work by Europro!

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For some reason, I had the springs powder coated in red---hey, it's almost Christmas.

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Still to be addressed: What to do with the truck bed? The wood slats were mostly missing. I got a quote today to Line-X just the top of the bed. Fairly reasonable, and they can match the green exactly, or I could do it in black. Or, get more wood slats. Or, just leave it. Suggestions?

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First impressions: I've been driving this thing around for almost a week now. I really didn't know what to expect. I bought my first Syncro in 1995, and drove my Syncro Westy every day for 13 years before the Great Unpleasantness, but I've spent almost no time in a doka, let alone a Syncro 16. I'd pretty much resigned myself to having a squeaky, noisy rattletrap that would be kind of a beast to drive. But wait! Keep in mind that EVERYTHING under the car is either new or refurb'ed: New brakes, trailing arms, ball joints, complete bushing kit from Chris at T3, repacked or new CV's, new shift linkage, new driveshaft, etc. etc. This thing has to be very close to factory new condition underneath, and the hideous expense payed off! It is wonderfully tight and right, no squeaks, no rattles, and it drives, shifts, handles and stops beautifully. The DJ112 runs great, very smooth and it pulls well, although it still won't climb a decent grade in 4th. It weighed in at the local scales at a cool 3900 lbs, and it's very happy cruising at 65MPH, not quite so much at 70. As you might expect, the wind noise from the brush cage can be extreme, but not as bad as you'd think, and earplugs won't be necessary. I might throw some Hushmat at the interior, as it has very little in the way of soundproofing. It also has no radio or speakers, and I'm trying to think of a way get some tunes happening other than my cellphone without hacking up the doors. Ideas? Everything else works well, and the round H4 headlights and fog lights are magnificent!

The only other issue that needs immediate attention is the rear diff lock, which is frozen in place under layers of rust and crud. Although both Daryl and Seth say "lots of luck", I'm going to attempt to have it freed up in the car, as I just can't bear the expense of pulling the tranny. I haven't as yet taken it out and gotten it dirty, and am reluctant to do so without a working rear diff lock. The cool thing about this vehicle is that, because it's not pristine, there's no real paranoia about beating it up a little (which I plan to do ASAP!).

Other impressions: The cool factor is off the charts. EVERYWHERE I go, people want to know what the hell it is, and where they can get one. They assume that it's heavily modified, and can't believe that VW would release anything this bitchen right from the factory. I did a gig over the weekend for a group headed by a major car (NOT VW) enthusiast, who literally whipped out his checkbook and asked me what I wanted for it (and didn't blink when I said 30K). Needless to say, it's not for sale at the moment, because it will be my daily driver until my Burley Bluestar Project (that's for ANOTHER thread!) is complete. However, all the attention it draws has me a little concerned. Kill switch, anyone?

Once again, thanks for reading. If you see a big green machine with a grinning fool behind the wheel somewhere in OC, it's probably me!

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70coupyel
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vanagon porn at it's finest! Applause
Your truck looks great. That thing must put the biggest smile on your face while driving it. Very Happy
Maybe Cars and Coffee soon? Let me know if your do. I would love to see how folks react to your ride.
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Saying that specs are different than dimensions doesn't make sense. Porsche specs/VW specs/engineering specs are nothing but a series of dimensions,sizes,percentages,measurements, etc.

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Reventlos
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Maybe Cars and Coffee soon? Let me know if your do.


Well, I'm a musician and can't get up that early, but my brother Pat is a regular at the one in Irvine and is going to show it off for me real soon, maybe this week!
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