PetenAli wrote:Not long after we bought our Syncro we met up with Al v-lux. As well as introducing us to the pleasures of off roading in a Syncro he made lots of useful suggestions that we've started to follow up as time and money allow. He also said that it would probably be about 2 years before we got ours just how we want it. Experience so far suggests that it will be nearer 3 or 4 years!
I sat down the other evening and made a list of jobs that need doing sooner or later. I also followed Lloydie's thread on his Westie and what he said about using a thread as motivation to keep going. Going to the Picos last month with a group of very experienced Syncronauts was also incredibly useful. I thought this list might be useful to anyone planning on buying a Syncro - just to give an idea of what you are letting yourself in for - so here goes with it:
Mechanical
Sort VC (failed open) and recent loss of difflocks and decoupler - the van is currently at Futbus getting this sorted. DONE
Change brake fluid (could be fun as the bleed nipples don't look like they've been opened for a long time)
Check / refurb / renew CV joints
Replace springs and sort out shocks
New bushes on front suspension
Usual maintenance on engine + compression test
Electrical
Sort out the rats' nest that is the wiring around the leisure battery (lots of people have played with this over the years I think)
Fit second 12v socket
Fit new ICE headunit
Fit CB (and sort out ariel)
Remake earth on n/s front indicator
Fit KC Daylighters spots and fogs (ebay purchase with complete looms)
Replace knackered heater blower (new one on the way from Brickwerks)
Fit individual relays to headlights (as per Wiki) and rewire
Wiring for oil pressure and oil temp guages (see below)
Sort non working heated rear screen and rear washer.
Sort non working horn and replace it with something that sounds less wussy
Body
Fit wheel arch liners DONE
Fit new roof canvas DONE
Underseal rest of underneath
Waxoyl doors, tailgate, cavities etc
Sort out why windscreen wash reservoir leaks when its filled up
Wash and polish
Interior
Make new battery covers (to replace black painted plywood monstrosities currently in place)
Tidy kickboard of rear seat
Fit CO and smoke detectors
Get fridge running on gas
Buy and fit Propex
Sort / renew 240v system which is 25 years old
In addition to that lot I've decided to stick with the 2.1 DJ rather than look at an alternative. The one thats in at present seems to be OK but the trouble is that I don't know anything about its history and for some reason the engine number has been ground off which is a bit suspicious. I can also see that the head for cylinders 3&4 has been off as its much cleaner than the other one. Oil consumption is about .5 litre every 3k miles which isn't too bad. The plan is to build another 2.1 DJ to original VW spec or better. I've started collecting the bits (thanks again to Dave at Futbus) and have had some helpful info from Syncrosimon - thats why wiring is going in for oil pressure and temp guages. I've also been looking at Tencentlife's various threads and posts on the Samba. But that'll be the start of another thread.
We want to do as much of this as we can ourselves but I also know my limitations and want the key things to be spot on (which is why the bus is at Futbus at the moment). We have already had loads of help from people on here and hope that we can both provide some useful info as well as getting hints and tips from other forum users. First question is: "What did other Syncronauts have to do to their vans when they first got them?" - because I'm sure that there are things missing off our list...
Thanks in advance,
PetenAli
here's a photo of the rear 
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