As a keen off roader in my defender 110, i was very tempted to get a syncro and replace it. Having done a bit of research i have come to the conclusion that i cant afford it. Also, i wouldnt dare take a syncro where i put the defender every day because i wouldnt want to scratch it.
First decide what you want to do - green laning ? Pay and play ? Safari ?
For green laning i would suggest a disco (i personally hate them so wouldnt - but they are dirt cheap fun) or a defender. For pay and play i'd go for a suzuki SJ or similar.
These are all affordable.
I'd love a G wagon one day - but have got another agenda at the moment...
Enjoy
Ringo
How off road can syncros go?
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Syncro G
- Registered user
- Posts: 239
- Joined: 21 Mar 2007, 19:15
- 80-90 Mem No: 3988
- Location: Peak District
As an all perpous vehicle I think the Syncro is hard to beat. About the only thing mine doesn't do surprisingly well is break the speed limit on the motorway. (no really, it won't!)
It functions and drives axactly as a normal T3 untill you reach some slippy terain where a wheel might come off the ground, then it carrys on where others would stop.
With twin diff locks you don't always have to thrash it through obsticals abusing it, it can maintain drive when some wheels are off the ground so you can carry on driving slowly. In a landy in a simular situation (crossaxle) you might need to give it some momentum to achive the same result which is argueably more likely to cause damage. They can be off roaded fairly hard and were designed to be, not like T4 and other vans which are just vans with 4WD. T3 syncro's have resionable gear ratios for off road use, difflocks to compensate for suspension issues and underbody protection to deal with attach from underneath resionably well. Width and overhangs aren't ideal, but thats the price you pay for having such a big usefull body on top. Despite small tyre sizes, ground clearance is pritty good as there aren't any low hanging diffs - good if there is a rock in the middle of the track, but the diff on a beamaxle isn't quite the obstruction it first seems on rough terian.
I've been into T3's almost since birth, and Land Rovers for almost as long. The Syncro fits in perfectly between the 2. Perhaps what I like about it, being used to driving everywhere in a landy, is I can keep the ability of being able to go off tarmac without getting stuck, and so still go exploring, whilst driving something without such massive drawbacks in the speed/refinement department.
If you want something as an offroad toy then a basic landy will take alot of beating, litrally! Even after a few run-ins with the sceanery they'll look alright and be ready for more. Parts are cheep and easy to get in the UK. Series trucks are now very cheep to buy, Very caperble in the right hands (people seem to forget how good they are, 90% of all the extras on later models are not actully needed, people just think they are.) and the running costs can be very low (poor MPG+low anual miles=still cheep) if you get one thats a tax exempt classic so its a realistic second car. When it breaks you're not relieing on it so its no hassle to fix in your own time.
If you want something that does everything quite well, get a Syncro.
If you want something really caperble and abuserble, get a defender (though many of the ones I've seen covered in bolt on toys seem to be worse than the standard vehicle (lifted springs that keep falling out...), maybe thats because the owners have more skills in writeing cheques than driving?) or some ex army truck if you want something better than that.
If you want cheep fun, keep what you've got and buy a cheep series landy for playing in.
All options have plenty of grin factor and all are great fun to offroad.
In theory I chose the T3 and series option, but I got a syncro to keep some offroad ability when I'm not in the landy, and have a rare landy I don't want to abuse much so thats not the hardcore truck intended; I'm building another old landy for that peropuse.
A word of warning about Syncros though, if you do have a go in one you might get a bit hooked.
Whatever you chose it will have some compromised features - there is no perfect off road vehicle! - some clever person it probubly about to disprove me with an amasing picture of the worlds best offroader with no compromises, cheap is it?
It functions and drives axactly as a normal T3 untill you reach some slippy terain where a wheel might come off the ground, then it carrys on where others would stop.
With twin diff locks you don't always have to thrash it through obsticals abusing it, it can maintain drive when some wheels are off the ground so you can carry on driving slowly. In a landy in a simular situation (crossaxle) you might need to give it some momentum to achive the same result which is argueably more likely to cause damage. They can be off roaded fairly hard and were designed to be, not like T4 and other vans which are just vans with 4WD. T3 syncro's have resionable gear ratios for off road use, difflocks to compensate for suspension issues and underbody protection to deal with attach from underneath resionably well. Width and overhangs aren't ideal, but thats the price you pay for having such a big usefull body on top. Despite small tyre sizes, ground clearance is pritty good as there aren't any low hanging diffs - good if there is a rock in the middle of the track, but the diff on a beamaxle isn't quite the obstruction it first seems on rough terian.
I've been into T3's almost since birth, and Land Rovers for almost as long. The Syncro fits in perfectly between the 2. Perhaps what I like about it, being used to driving everywhere in a landy, is I can keep the ability of being able to go off tarmac without getting stuck, and so still go exploring, whilst driving something without such massive drawbacks in the speed/refinement department.
If you want something as an offroad toy then a basic landy will take alot of beating, litrally! Even after a few run-ins with the sceanery they'll look alright and be ready for more. Parts are cheep and easy to get in the UK. Series trucks are now very cheep to buy, Very caperble in the right hands (people seem to forget how good they are, 90% of all the extras on later models are not actully needed, people just think they are.) and the running costs can be very low (poor MPG+low anual miles=still cheep) if you get one thats a tax exempt classic so its a realistic second car. When it breaks you're not relieing on it so its no hassle to fix in your own time.
If you want something that does everything quite well, get a Syncro.
If you want something really caperble and abuserble, get a defender (though many of the ones I've seen covered in bolt on toys seem to be worse than the standard vehicle (lifted springs that keep falling out...), maybe thats because the owners have more skills in writeing cheques than driving?) or some ex army truck if you want something better than that.
If you want cheep fun, keep what you've got and buy a cheep series landy for playing in.
All options have plenty of grin factor and all are great fun to offroad.
In theory I chose the T3 and series option, but I got a syncro to keep some offroad ability when I'm not in the landy, and have a rare landy I don't want to abuse much so thats not the hardcore truck intended; I'm building another old landy for that peropuse.
A word of warning about Syncros though, if you do have a go in one you might get a bit hooked.
Whatever you chose it will have some compromised features - there is no perfect off road vehicle! - some clever person it probubly about to disprove me with an amasing picture of the worlds best offroader with no compromises, cheap is it?
Glen Syncronaut: 113 - 1992 JX Syncro pannel van
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Al Housman
- Registered user
- Posts: 178
- Joined: 27 Feb 2007, 23:05
- 80-90 Mem No: 11858
- Location: Oswestry, Shropshire
I've only been using my syncro crewcab for a few months after years of off-roading mostly in Hiluxes (I've owned 3) which I've used for forestry work.
Just look at the VW bodywork-knocks the spots off most other vehicles for strength and smart design.The crewcab gives you masses of passenger space,good headroom and the plushest of rides(Try driving a distance in a Landie or Hilux on or off road!).
I regularly do uplifts for my lads and their mates who go downhill mountain biking and the places I can take them in safety and comfort are awesome and almost limitless.
The load capacity is slightly bigger than my Hiluxes and you hardly notice that it's loaded to the top with firewood and towing a full trailer.
Yeah,they all fall to bits if your daft and I've discovered that the syncro doesn't make me superman -I've got stuck but that's down to me being overambitious-but I reckon they make a really good allround fun/work vehicle and they certainly turn heads (if that's what you're into)!!!
Just look at the VW bodywork-knocks the spots off most other vehicles for strength and smart design.The crewcab gives you masses of passenger space,good headroom and the plushest of rides(Try driving a distance in a Landie or Hilux on or off road!).
I regularly do uplifts for my lads and their mates who go downhill mountain biking and the places I can take them in safety and comfort are awesome and almost limitless.
The load capacity is slightly bigger than my Hiluxes and you hardly notice that it's loaded to the top with firewood and towing a full trailer.
Yeah,they all fall to bits if your daft and I've discovered that the syncro doesn't make me superman -I've got stuck but that's down to me being overambitious-but I reckon they make a really good allround fun/work vehicle and they certainly turn heads (if that's what you're into)!!!