New to Forum, a few questions

[Bollotti]

Hi,

I just discovered this forum via a link from the G Wagen Owners site.

I currently have a G Wagen and a Mercedes V class (as well as a few projects ).

I need a 4 x 4 due to where I live and a seven seater for weekends. The syncro seems to be able to offer both of these combined in one.

What is the best engine for every day use? I notice some have 1.6 and 1.9 diesels and some 2.1 petrol. What is considered the best engine for the syncro. Could someone give approx figures for performance for each?

What is the peformance like on the 15' or 16' wheels?

I would need something that I could use every day, so economy would be a consideration, and something which would be happy cruising at 70 mph.

Any suggestions as to what is the best comination to achieve this?

I drive a diesel G wagen for everyday use, so I'm used to slow performance

What is the cost of a decent syncro i,e one that doesn't need any work doing to it?

Thanks

[Aidan]

For your syncro needing no work budget £5-8k, perfect what you want bespoke as much as you want to spend.
Petrol 20mpg+, neither outstanding, 2.1 in 2 versions, one supposedly 112bhp, better maybe, but 1.9 carb not much worse.
1.6TD not great, easier to adapt to 90's 1.9TD or TDi at a cost, maybe 30mpg slightly more.
15" tyres at max size overgear a 14" van slightly, it's more noticeable on a petrol with 4.86 final drive. Fully laden it can be very revealling, be better with a torquey tractor engine.
Can revise ratios a little on rebuilding a box, which isn't the strongest thing in the world, but a fair compromise for a short lifespan commercial vehicle as designed.
Economy wasn't very high on the design feature list in early/mid seventies when they were drawing up the plans for these vans, what we got was something with more character than a transit and in syncro form a lite off roader that gives good bed.
I run petrol 2.1 MV with lpg less than 14p p mile fuel cost at 18-20mpg
expect maintenace costs at a grand plus a year, some years will be less others a lot more

[Bollotti]

Thanks for that.

[HarryMann]

Can't add much to that, other than many find 65 is a bit more sensible than 70 a lot of the time. Ah! Also, there's a lot to know and a lot to learn with them, and its a big vehicle with a relatively small engine...
That said, they're lovely things