Syncro Kombi (new pictures and a proper update)

[LLOYDIE]

Nice to see someone so keen and obviosly excited about their van!!! Hope the water tank is ok ( I sold it to you). Look forward to seeing the outcome.
Good luck....

[poshbuggers]

Looks to be right Lloydie (so much thanks). Hoping to get the R&R bed in next week and the plumbing/wiring so we will see how snug it actually is.

As for enthusiasm - this van is the culmination of 3yrs not driving a Syncro and one year enjoying a Westy. We bought the Westy thinking it would solve all our problems but being a 1.6d and missing the 4wd I tired of it after a season.

We also noticed that most of the storage was not suited to our way of camping (hence the lightweight, simpler version of the Westy interior).

The colour comes from the van in the photo above - we saw it 4 years ago when the owner was visiting the UK in Hastings. I took these photos and have often thought back to it. It's taken me 4 months to chase the colour (Thomas, the owner wasn't present at the time) but it was worth it. I love it.






I suppose you could say it's excessive and obsessive. I'm trying to take the best bits of the 80's T3 range (and available accessories) and build myself a van the encompasses it all for me. This is my idea of the perfect T3, but the only thing I am not immediately tackling is the engine - I would love an Audi lump, but for now a good 2.1DJ on LPG must suffice

I hope others will like it, but it's not crucial

[syncropaddy]

Is that colour not the German County Council orange much loved by Mike Plompen?

[jed the spread]

I only know one fella with an orange van. He is old ugly and talks weird, so you might want to rethink

jed

[poshbuggers]

Is that colour not the German County Council orange much loved by Mike Plompen?

I'm not sure as there are 4/5 shades of orange and I think Mikes is one of the others (will have to check next time he is at Vanfest).

Mine is the shade used by German Road Services

[poshbuggers]

And Jed... Mike talks weird because he is from another country. Try me after some Whisky!

Not much difference.

[jed the spread]

And Jed... Mike talks weird because he is from another country. Try me after some Whisky!

Not much difference.

I was actually taliking about Russel but now you mention it

jed

[poshbuggers]

Hmmm.....its a consortium of weird talking, orange obessive Syncro Nuts then?

BTW. I'm ginger so I guess it's an affliction.

[jed the spread]

And thin on top

jed

[jamesc76]

And thin on top

jed

he aint thin at all .................. oh you mean hair?

[Russel]

Well at least ime not fat gay hairy and a media wore.
But i suppose it takes all types
Had a look at your! rough camping guide the other day.
Russel

[mot falia]

I only know one fella with an orange van. He is old ugly and talks weird, so you might want to rethink

jed

thats a nice way to describe us lol

[poshbuggers]

Well it's back home at last. Andy had a pig of a job getting some of the front suspenders back together but he has done a cracking job all in all.

Ride height is very good and apart from having to modify the front arches, clearance was sorted.



The rear end has had all new bushes, trailing arm flange modified and welded down for clearance, stock Syncro rear springs and a 20mm Syncro Services spacer. It does top out but I am thinking with some weight in that will sort itself. It's not all the time and if it doesn't fix it then I will be fitting uprated shocks sooner rather than later.



The front has had new bearings, seals, bushes, balljoints, washers and Suplex uprated Syncro springs.




The arms and wishbones were thoroughly cleaned and painted but I will probably spend a few hours under the arches tidying up more when I swap the brakes over.

I also got to fit the 16" Pentas and 235/70R16MT Grizzlies. The noise is 'interesting' but roadholding is better than expected. As said above I had to doctor the front arches but these will be covered by Syncro arches.



I used a small spacer at the rear to get tyre clearance on the arms. This has mean't the slider needs doctoring with the extended hinge mod. thankfully I already have one made, so it's just a case of modifying the rail and fitting it.




I'm very happy with the way it looks but if I am using it on the road much I will be running the tyres on steels and opting for some good AT tyres for the Pentas. I don't think the Grizzlies will last long on prolonged tarmac journeys.







Next job - the arduous task of rubbing down the bodywork

[poshbuggers]

Paint prep has begun and the orbital/handheld and wet and dry are doing their bit. Took me a while to find a suitable abrasive to remove the horrid reflective stripe down the side but now the van is looking almost tidy - if multi coloured!



Between messing round with the body prep I have fitted the floor, made mounts for the underslung LPG tank (for the fridge/cooker) which is being cleaned up and new valves/pipes fitted.




Getting all the rubberised brown paint off has been a bitch of a job, but it will be nice to see a nice clean tank with new fittings and a fresh cover fitted on the side.

Now to begin work turning the van into a camper. I will be fitting an early Westfalia interior. I believe it to be a non-Mosaik interior as it doesn't have a curve in the rear locker. I guess its what we would call the Joker '2' layout.

This is one of the earliest T3 interiors made by Westfalia. It has less storage than the more common Joker '1' but a more social design to the seating.





Ours was originally green/cream with late Bay window check material so it's one of the first. Needless to say the green and check will be changed.

The first job was to fit the wardrobe unit and roof locker. I found someone had altered the base of the wardrobe so it proved more difficult to locate the wardrobe correctly, but with measurements from our other Westy I have bracketed it securely to the side of the van. The roof locker mounts directly to it so one side was secured. The other uses threaded 'hooks' much like tent pegs in shape - I have them ordered from Gunzl. Till they arrive 2 bunjee cords are holding that end.





The original Westy floor was fitted and aligned so the cables can be run down the back of it (as original). I need to buy some aluminium strip to seal the edges but thankfully B&Q do a range that mimics the original parts well enough.



With the cooking unit frame and seat base in place I could see where the 240v hookup and water inlet sockets needed to be.





Some time later with a jigsaw and drill they were fitted and the 240v lead installed, ready for the consumer unit.





Outside I drilled new mounts for the ladder and spare wheel carrier. I've also sorted out a roofrack which is odified from Mont Blanc commercial roofbars and an old Land Rover Brownchurch tubular rack. I think it goes well with the stuff on the tailgate.

[Zebedee]

So you couldn't raise it any higher then?

Looks sweet.