My Vanagon Syncro build

[corter]

Hey guys and gals,

I'm new here, came over for the Mitsubishi forum and found this awesome camper van forum. Figured I'd share my Syncro build, which has been going on about a year and a half now.

First, I bought this '89 tintop in August of 2012. Shipped it from Ohio to Boston



Then the engine decided to blow up, so I started tear down and found that she was a bit more rusty than I had first thought



So I had to fix all the rust damage first







Then the new motor went in



Then we found some...issues, I guess you could call them...with the transaxels



So both front and rear were built with lockers added, and a decoupler was also added



And then it went over to New York to have a great vanagon mechanic restore the underside (mainly suspension). This is what he had to work with:



And here's a peak of what he turned it into, including the bigger dual piston calipers and rotors up front and all new suspension with a 2" lift:

 

[cosmiccharlie]

Wow! That suspension looks great. I have always wanted a syncro.

 

[corter]

So once the van was in New York, the restoration of the underside began. The goal with this van is to be a work van for my business, with a workbench in the back. I live on Cape Cod, so I wanted to be able to drive out on the beach and work. This is why lockers were added, and the van had to be lifted to fit larger tires as well.

Everything was stripped off the underside and either replaced or refurbished. There's a picture in the first post of the whole underside, which was about the same all over, so I'll just include this picture to give you an idea of the general condition of everything:



It was all stripped, rust encapsulated with a red oxide layer, chassis savered a couple times, then top coated. All bushings were replaced with Powerflex, and all misc. suspension bolts were replaced with new ones. Once it was all together it was hit with a coat of Wurth wax, and will also be shot with a coat of Fluid Film twice a year o protect it from salt water.





After all of this was done, it was time to start reassembly. As I mentioned in the first post, the van is lifted 2". For a Syncro this causes lots of other problems. Aftermarket upper control arms are used, big front brakes, and oversized rear drums are some of the things that needed to be added (along with bigger wheels to fit over the brakes, bigger motor to push the wheels, rebuilt trans to connect everything...talk about a can of worms!):





The power steering rack is rebuilt, which with the bigger tires barely feels like it's functioning until you're up to speed!



And the cooling system is upgraded with a bigger radiator, stainless coolant pipes, and plastic baffles. No pictures of that stuff, but you get the idea.

After everything was assembled, I had some 225/75r16 BFT All Terrains mounted to a set of CLK wheels and we put them on. The rear will have to be spaced out a bit and the fenders will be cut, but it's not quite time for the body work yet. She was just set down on the ground with her new stance for the first time last week, here's where we're currently at:



Next up the dash comes out to work on a couple electrical gremlins, then I'll be doing the body work and paint. Hopefully it'll be on the road in the spring!

 

[Ranchero]

Awesome build Corter! I guess I haven't been watching The Samba lately. Love my syncro too!

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

None of the photos are working. When clicked, the message "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator" comes up.

 

[mgmetalworks]

Interesting choice for the engine. I expected to see a Subaru or a TDi in there. What are the specs on that thing?

 

[Christian P.]

Nice. I just bought a project myself...1987 Syncro Westfalia...

I have never seen a transmission so rusted/pitted.

Great work you did!

 

[bdog1]

Wow! A+ on the dedication. And... how do I get a job driving my van on the beach? Just saying....


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[onemanarmy]

Wow! A+ on the dedication. And... how do I get a job driving my van on the beach? Just saying....


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

I second that

 

[corter]

Interesting choice for the engine. I expected to see a Subaru or a TDi in there. What are the specs on that thing?

It's just a basic Ford Zetec, no crazy mods (some folks turbo them in syncros). A company called Bostig makes a conversion for the vanagon. Their whole thing is simplicity and strength, which is what I want in this build. Bostig took the motor and engineered an amazingly simple and stout conversion around it, making their own parts and making a brand new harness with only 30 some odd connections. I went with the Zetec because it's a bit easier to work on and cheaper to maintain than the subaru or TDI, plus it carries a 50k warranty. And nothing, including the motor itself, costs more than $500 to replace should it break.

Here's a picture of what sold me, the engine cradle/built in skid plates is a good example of what Bostig's goal is


Images are fixed on that second post guys, sorry about that

 

[corter]

Wow! A+ on the dedication. And... how do I get a job driving my van on the beach? Just saying....


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

I'm a leathersmith, so as long as I have a work bench and some materials I can work pretty much anywhere. You can take a peek at my work on my website if you want, corterleather.com.

 

[4x4BNB]

Very nice ! Any more plans for the inside? Or just the work bench?

 

[corter]

nothing too crazy. I'm swithcing from power windows/locks to manual because I've never met a power vw window regulator that worked for more than 2 years. I'll probably reupholster the seats, and then the front and rear floor will be bed liner and the middle will be some sort of floating floor with the workbench laid out kind of like a Westy kitchen. There will be a solar panel on the roof with a couple batteries under the rear bench for internet/credit card machine at shows, and an on board air compressor for airing back up after beach days (which that will probably fit in the engine bay). Maybe a small fridge, but not sure I need it. Stage 2 is an Adventurewagen hightop for storage, but that's a couple/few years down the road. Exterior is going to be custom tinted Monstaliner bedliner in a light safari tan.

 

[Haf-E]

Won't it be hard to stand up at the workbench doing leather work in a tin top vanagon? Not that it should stop you from claiming to be "working" at the beach... ya... i need to come up with more excuses like that!

Nice job BTW.

 

[DAV!D]

Any idea if those 225 75 16 tires will fit on a stock Syncro?