1991 Volkswagen Vanagon

This 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon is a Westfalia pop-top camper equipped with Syncro 4wd and powered by a 3.3L Subaru SVX flat-six mated to a rebuilt 4-speed manual transaxle. Additional features and modifications include Fox Racing shocks with remote reservoirs, lifting springs, a rear differential locker, a 2/4wd decoupler, 16″ steel wheels, and a solar charging system, while camper components consist of beds for four and a kitchenette with a stove and new refrigerator. A tan repaint, brake and suspension work, timing belt replacement, and interior refurbishment were performed over the past two years. This modified Syncro is located in Topanga, California and offered with a Carfax report and a clear Florida title. A side door replacement and glass-out tan repaint were performed by Costa Mesa Collision in November 2016 as shown in an insurance document provided in the gallery below. A South African-market round-headlight grille was installed by Europro in Costa Mesa along with early stainless bumpers, a side ladder, and Thule-compatible rack clips on the pop-top lid. The front windshield wiper assemblies were also replaced. Steel 16″ wheels are mounted with BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires measuring 215/70, including the full-size spare affixed to the swing-away rear carrier. An additional stock-sized spare tire is mounted under the front subframe. The driver-side door panel was fitted with a new pocket in 2016. Interior modifications include white gauge faces, and the odometer shows 250k chassis miles. Receipts show the dash wiring and spare battery charging system to have been overhauled, and the under-dash and driver’s entry lights are shown to be working. The heater core was replaced with an aftermarket unit. Westfalia full camper amenities include a kitchenette, tables, curtains, sleeping room for four, cabinetry, and more. An aftermarket mini-fridge was installed in 2016 place of the propane-powered original. Electrical work included installation of a GoWesty solar charging system with a fourth outside access panel, power inverter, Megatron battery, voltage monitor, and battery selector. The 3.3L flat-six features two camshafts per cylinder bank and was installed by Small Car Performance in Tacoma, Washington in 2004. Factory output was rated at approximately 230 horsepower, more than double that of a stock 2.1L-equipped Syncro. The single timing belt was replaced by Europro in 2017, and receipts for the work are provided in the gallery below. The 4-speed manual gearbox was rebuilt by Transaxle Engineering in January 2018 with new synchros, sliders, hubs, pinion shafts, gaskets, and a 0.77:1 overdriven fourth gear ratio. The transaxle was installed with a remachined flywheel, new clutch and hydraulics, and refurbished shift linkage. A driveshaft decoupler kit was installed in 2004, allowing the drivetrain to be switched from 4- to 2-wheel drive via a switch on the dash. Fox shocks with remote reservoirs and lifting springs are equipped at all four corners, while further suspension work included replacement control arms, urethane bushings, ball joints, and spring pads. A 4-wheel alignment was conducted in 2017, and the braking system was flushed and rebuilt with new front discs, rear drums, shoes, backing plates, and handbrake cable. Past CV boot, wheel bearing, and wheel cylinder replacements are indicated on the Carfax report below. The Carfax report shows the vehicle as a rear-wheel drive version, though the VIN shows a “G” in the position generally associated with factory Syncro production. The van is located in Southern California and has not been through a California emissions test since being designated a “gross polluter” in 2016. Filed under: vw