Date:         Wed, 2 Oct 1996 10:51:26 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@aol.com
Subject:      Syncros, Westfalias, & stuff (was: No Subject)

In a message dated 96-10-01 09:07:55 EDT, you write:

>Excuse me for being a little uninformed. Can someone tell me what a "Syncro"

Syncro is VW's term for their all-wheel-drive system.  In the USA VW began
selling Syncro versions of Vanagons & Quantums.  Although they were both
called Syncro by VW, the Quantum actually used Audi's Quattro system.  Other
than both of them being all-wheel-drive, they have nothing in common.  Since
then VW has had Syncro versions of numerous models, but none of them in the
USA.  :(

The Vanagon Syncro was sold in the USA in model years 1986, 87, 89, 90, & 91
in both regular and Camper versions.

>and "Westfalia" are? Also, did all years come in a camper? 

Westfalia is the company that did all of the Camper conversions for VW buses
and Vanagons.  Many owners call their Vanagon Campers by the nickname
Westfalia, Westy, or Westie for short.

>When did the original "Bus" halt production? 

The original "bus" was the "microbus" with the split front windshield that
was sold until 1967.  This era bus is sometimes called a "Splittie", or  a
"Split window" bus.  From 1968 to 1979, VW sold the VW bus with a quite round
shape and a 1 piece curving windshield.  These are sometimes called "Bay
window" buses because of their windshield or "Breadloafs" or "Loafers" due to
their breadloaf shape.  From 1980 to 1991 VW sold Vanagons, first with
air-cooled engines (80-83) then diesel engines (82-83) then with water cooled
flat-four gasoline engines (1983.5-1991).  The later Vanagons and their
engines are sometimes called Wasserboxers (water-boxer) due to their water
cooled nature and "boxer" engine layout.

>Is the "Vanagon" an improvement over the bus that you wouldn't consider
>owning a bus? I am just atarting to look for a VW van of some kind but I
don't know >what I want or whats good to buy etc. I would appreciate it for
any input on these >questions. 

I've only owned 1987 & newer Vanagons, so I'm not in a position to compare
them to older VW buses.  I'm quite happy with mine though.

Check out these web sites:
http://pwp.usa.pipeline.com/~tforhan/index.html
http://www.automatrix.com/~skip/volkswagen/
http://www.oden.se/~fh/TVWA.HTML
http://www.chaco.com/~coyote/vw/
http://www.members.aol.com/johnbmtl/westfalia.html

Have fun,
Jim Davis
87 GL Syncro
88 GL Wolfsburg