Needing advice on evaluating condition of a syncro for sale

[miamiroad]

I am throwing myself at the mercy of strangers because I don't have any knowledgable friends (about Vanagons).

I'm looking at a syncro to buy but I'm not sure if the body condition is a problem. I realize it's a thirty-something year old vehicle but it was updated and repainted in 2010. What shape should I expect now?

In the pictures taken, it shows what looks like seam rust(?). How can I tell what is a bad omen and what is just part of buying a vanagon? My fiancé wants to buy it, I'm concerned...

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Terry Kay]

Boy, that R/H rear wheel / suspension is way outa wack, or sitting on a big rock or on a heck of a divot.

Something looks wrong there.

Bodywork is a Bunch cheaper than mechanical stuff on this van.

You need a mechanic to take with you, not a bodyman.

Pay someone knowledgeable in Vanagons to look at it with you.

Take it for a test drive.
Drive it like you are stealing it.
Run it for what it's worth.

You'll find out pretty quick what's uo with it.
Then you can chop up whatever he's asking for it.
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T.K.

[davevickery]

The seams are cracking because they were not done perfectly and the body filler shrinks over time. You can keep some sealer on them so they don't keep getting worse, but that is typical of a paint job that you have to pay for, vs. a paint job done from insurance proceeds. A high end paint job often doesn't make sense unless you don't have to pay for it.

The underneath looks pretty darn good for an Ohio van with some new parts, some rusty bits, but looks pretty good to me.

The seams won't get any better, but can be held somewhat in check with different coating products like fluid film or other artificial waxes and protectants less so if it is used on salted roads. It comes down to price and what you expect to do with and to the van. If you plan major expenses or upgrades, you can get upside down on a van with rust or seam issues. But any van in Ohio is going to accumulate rust if used in winter. OTOH, white paint is one of the easiest to touch up. It isn't metallic finish and you can buy matching spray cans and just touch up small things. To have a body shop clean out and redo the seams would get expensive but that might be 5-10 years down the road if at all. Without more details, I would say go for it.

[Steve M.]

Well get ready for a few opinions!
One I would not mention where the Syncro is just because people are people and Syncros do one thing very well when they are for sale and that attracts people to bid against you. Just the way things are with a coveted item.

Concerning the seam rust. The body is made of panels that are spot welded together and they seal the seam between the panels.
This has worked pretty good for 30 odd years on the body above the bottom of the vehicle.
As you are seeing it the seam sealer has dried out and shrunk letting water in-between the panels. The should have taken the old seam sealer out and re-applied it before they painted.
Okay, the seam sealer works good above the bottom of the Vanagon body where the inside of the panels are protected by the interior.
Down below the interior-the bottom of the Vanagon the seam is not sealed on the inside. So while it is sealed on the outside the water can get in over time and start the rusting process from the inside.
Vanagons rust from the inside out.

Now what your seeing, the old seam sealer can easily be taken out and new seam sealer applied.
If you had all the right tools and the weather was dry you could easily get it done in a day or and at an easier pace one side per day.
What I'm seeing there having done the seam sealer job I wouldn't sweat it doing it again. You can do it without damaging the paint on the panels and then you can touch it up with small brush along the seam.

Treating the rust underneath is not hard either - depending on on how bad the rust is.

What is hard is the question of what is under the paint?
Where there rotten rusty areas that they bondo'd over? it would be hard to tell just by looking.

So the areas that I look at are the window rubber. Any bubbling of paint along where the rubber meets the body in my opinion is a 90% chance of a rust hole under the rubber.

i would also get down on my back and look up underneath the 4 jacking points to see if there is any rust holes in the structure.

I would look up under the front door steps for rust.

The many chassis structure was fairly well protected with good paint and rusting proofing so they are generally okay.

That's for the body at least.
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[Steve M.]

What were you using to take the pictures?
I am wondering if there was any distortion from the lens on the right rear wheel.
I can see the horizon line of the background is not level.


Depending on the interior and how the engine sounds and gearbox shifts I think I would go for it based on the body if the price was good.
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[Merian]

what is the asking price?

a Syncro is always worth something
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....

[Terry Kay]

& I think folks take advantage of that unusual phenomena.
_________________
T.K.

[djkeev]

What you show is textbook seam rust.

The repaint raises concern. Look carefully for signs of rust repair on the liwer body.
Front door step area
Front seat belt bolt area
Forward Mounting of rear lower suspension arms to body (behind sliding door)
Splash area behind rear wheels
Area behind drivers door below camper utility hookups (if it is a camper)

With any used vehicle, (exceptions do exist) expect to spend literally $1,000's above the sale price on repairs.

It would be nice to have some full body photos too.

Dave
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[theadventureneverends]

What is under the wire mesh midship right side, last picture?

[Terry Kay]

Accessory oil cooler
_________________
T.K.

[MsTaboo]

It actually looks fairly solid under there. Don't worry too much about rusty looking exhaust pipes, they almost always look that way when driven on salty roads. The seams can be redone, but the photos are not good enough to tell about the rest of the body.
It all depends on price.
Like others have mentioned, get a qualified VW mechanic to look it over. (or a local Vanagon/Syncro enthusiast)

Is this the one on ebay you were asking about? I'm always a little skeptical about a seller who can't spell "Syncro" correctly.

(edit)
I just looked at the other photos you have in your gallery, and in the ad. The fact that it has the bed liner sprayed around the lower edges is always a concern. What is it hiding? Could have been put on for addition protection or to camouflage rust damage.
Engine compartment looks pretty good.
You need someone who knows Vanagons to look it over in person. Preferably someone familiar with Syncros.

Again, it depends on price.
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[seabright_sc]

What seam rust?!

[davevickery]

Any updates? Did you decide not to get that van. I see it is still listed. Seemed like a good price for all the upgrades.