White 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro on a coastal bluff overlooking the ocean

Full-time 4WD — Viscous coupling

Wolfsburg heritage
Est. 1987

a collectible expedition machine

Vanagon
Syncro

For sale

$25,000 · 224,000 miles
Marin County, CA

Full-time Syncro 4WD ✶

2.1L Waterboxer ✶

Tin top ✶

Rooftop tent ✶

Expedition racks ✶

Rear diff lock ✶

Granny first gear ✶

One careful keeper ✶

Full-time Syncro 4WD ✶

2.1L Waterboxer ✶

Tin top ✶

Rooftop tent ✶

Expedition racks ✶

Rear diff lock ✶

Granny first gear ✶

One careful keeper ✶

A manifesto in three parts

Chapter 01

The Machine

“A factory overlander, built a decade before the word existed.”

The Syncro was Volkswagen's quiet masterpiece: full-time four-wheel drive through a viscous coupling, a rear differential lock, and a first gear so low it crawls where others spin. This 1987 tin top keeps the solid steel roof collectors hunt for — no pop-top canvas, no leaks, just clean lines and Wolfsburg weld work. Under the hatch lives the 2.1-litre Waterboxer flat-four, torquey, honest, and mechanically sorted.

Syncro at the Poison Spider Trailhead, Moab red rock country — FIG. 01 — BUILT FOR THE LONG WAY ROUND

Chapter 02

The Build

“Kept honest. Upgraded where it counts.”

Years of considered upgrades make this more than a survivor. The suspension is lifted and refreshed, the rubber is all-terrain, and the South African headlight upgrade lights the trail ahead — brilliantly. Inside, the cabin has been sympathetically renewed — original character intact, comfort improved. It drives like a dream, pulls strong through every gear, and is sold turn-key with records.

Syncro up on the shop lift during maintenance — FIG. 02 — LOVINGLY MAINTAINED

Chapter 03

The Expedition Kit

“Sleep three above the treeline. Carry everything below it.”

The van is offered with its optional expedition hardware: heavy-duty roof racks rated for real loads, Yakima Mega-Warrior basket, a custom-fabricated hatch-mounted bike rack, and a rooftop tent that unfolds into a triple berth with a view. Bolt them on as needed for the season, or strip it back to a clean tin top for day to day — both lives suit it.

Syncro with full expedition kit before a mountain backdrop — FIG. 03 — FULL KIT, READY

Field
Record

Eight frames from the road — all owner photography, all this van

Head-on, crossing a steel truss bridge — 01 / CROSSING

Tent deployed in deep forest, door open — 02 / CAMP

Syncro front three-quarter before Mount Shasta — 03 / SHASTA

Van at rest under a coastal sunset — 04 / AT REST

Front three-quarter on a coastal bluff at sunset — 05 / COAST

Rear view at the rail trestle bridge — 06 / RANGE

Bike rack loaded, parked among the redwoods — 07 / REDWOODS

Morning view from the rooftop tent over Moab red rock — 08 / MOAB, FROM THE TENT

Document 87-A

Build
Sheet

“Read it like a workshop manual. Every line earns its place.”

Full history, invoices and inspection reports are available to serious enquirers. Viewings by appointment.

SpecificationSYNCRO/87

Year1987

ModelVanagon Syncro — Type 2 (T3)

BodyTin top, solid steel roof

Engine2.1L Waterboxer flat-four, petrol

Gearbox4-speed manual + ultra-low granny first

DriveFull-time Syncro 4WD, viscous coupling + decoupler

Diff lockRear axle

SuspensionLifted, sway bars, BMS bushings

TiresMichelin Defender

LightingSouth African headlight kit

Mileage224,000 miles

Price$25,000

Upgraded LED interior & exterior lights

Pioneer Bluetooth touchscreen head unit

Kicker powered subwoofer

Color backup camera

GPS speedometer kit

Passenger swivel seat

Custom-built center console

Spring-loaded cup holders

Big Shot shifter

ABS front door panel set

Dash cover & Covercraft UVS100 sunscreen

Limo tinting on all windows

Dynamat sound dampening throughout

Stainless steel coolant transfer pipes

Audible coolant temp alarm

Auxiliary battery

Stainless performance exhaust — CARB 50-state

GoWesty plate steel bumper set

Dual-nozzle windshield washer jets

Heavy-duty high-offset window cranks

BMS upper control arm upgrade

Spare tire steering shaft protector

Oversized spare tire carrier

Mechanically sorted, turn-key

Heavy-duty roof racks — rated for real loads (optional)

Yakima Mega-Warrior basket (optional)

Custom hatch-mounted bike rack (optional)

Rooftop tent — triple berth (optional)

Up close

The
Details

Intimate interior shots

Full cabin from the rear — swivel seat, console, galley and cooler — D.01 / CABIN WIDE

Bench seat, galley cabinet and cooler — the living room — D.02 / LIVING ROOM

Galley cabinet open with Yeti cooler aboard — D.03 / GALLEY, OPEN

Passenger swivel seat and dashboard — D.04 / SWIVEL

Custom center console with cup holders and cargo net — D.05 / CONSOLE

Pioneer touchscreen, Big Shot shifter and inclinometer — D.06 / COMMAND

Rear berth platform looking forward through the cabin — D.07 / REAR BERTH

Berth fully extended into a sleeping platform — D.08 / BERTH, EXTENDED

ABS door panel with Kicker speaker and hardware — D.09 / DOOR PANEL

Kicker subwoofer behind the front seat — D.10 / LOW END

Take it further

The Expedition
Kit

Hatch-mounted bike rack loaded, redwoods behind

Optional extra

Expedition Racks

Heavy-duty roof racks rated for real loads, a Yakima Mega-Warrior basket, and a custom-fabricated hatch-mounted bike rack. Carry bikes, boards, boxes — the full expedition load.

Optional extra

Rooftop Tent

A fold-out triple berth that mounts to the racks. Ninety seconds from parked to asleep, above the mud and the morning dew.

Final chapter — yours to write

Make it
Yours

“Thirty-eight years old and still the fastest way to slow down.”

Price — $25,000

Mileage — 224,000 miles

Location — Marin County, CA

Viewings — by appointment

Serious enquiries — answered personally

VanagonSyncro

The Machine

The Build

The Expedition Kit

FieldRecord

BuildSheet

TheDetails

The ExpeditionKit