Imagine Dr. Frankenstein pulling the sheet off his creation and, instead of recoiling in horror, people stood back and said, “Huh… He looks good.”
Well, somewhere under a full moon, in a strange lab in Germany, a dead Type 2 T3 Westy was dissected and grafted on to the back of a living, 1965 Unimog 404 (with a 6-cylinder, gas engine, and a six-speed, manual transmission). It was given twin 33-gallon fuel tanks, a 24-volt, 140-amp alternator, six Hella 4000 driving lights, olive green paint, and a full exo roll cage.
You might think cutting the face off of Volkswagen bus and grafting it onto a Unimog might lead to a horrible freak of nature, but no. This thing actually looks good.
OK–sure. You can’t look too closely. The interior looks like a velour-covered, Unabomber shack. And the roof-top tent has got some tears. But the asking price is $18,500! You can’t get a normal Westfalia Syncro for that. Or a normal Unimog, for that matter. This is both!
Other things to know: 25,000-lb. PTO winch with 300 feet of cable, on-board air compressor, 34,000 kms on the clock. Find this thing in South Chula Vista, near San Diego and the Mexican border. $18,500!
More photos and original ad text after the jump.
Thanks to Mas for Spotting this one!
Link trail: Bring a Trailer: Mega Westy > Craigslist: Custom Mercedes Unimog
The guys from Motor Trend’s Dirt Every Day go out, buy a couple of Baja Bugs, and start their own off-road club. Hmm, maybe I could take some tips from these guys.
After 63 years, and worldwide production of 1.5 million, Volkswagen will shutter the assembly line for the Type 2 bus. Until this month they were still being manufactured in Brazil.
I just spotted this VW Type 2 T3 Syncro DoKa via Expedition Portal. The ad states that it started life with a 1.9-liter gas engine and was “properly” converted from 2wd to 4wd. The engine is currently out of the truck and the seller is offering buyers a couple of different powertrain options: a 1.6-liter JX gas engine or a 1.9-liter AAZ turbo-diesel with a Giles injection pump, K14 turbocharger, and ARP engine fasteners. Also offered, is a locking front differential in addition to the locking rear. The truck has also been treated to a full repaint and a new suspension. It’s reported to have covered only 80,000 km.
I love these drop-side transporters. This is a 3-door DoKa model. No build year is given but the seller states that it’s over 25 years old (making US import unproblematic). This mostly likely means it’s a 1985 model, which was the first year of the Syncro and the last year of the 1.9-liter engine, according to my research.
A lot of these trucks led hard lives. It’s nice to see one in such good condition.
The truck is being offered in Bright’s Grove, Ontario, Canada for $18,500 as is, $25,000 with the 1.6-liter JX and lockers, or $30,000 with the 1.9 diesel.
More photos after the jump.
Links:
The ad on The Samba
Wikipedia, Volkswagen Type 2 T3 article
The Syncro Story
I just spotted this Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab flatbed pick-up on Craigslist. I’ve always had a soft spot for these drop-side trucks. According to the ad it’s had some interior work done and it looks to be in good condition. The ad doesn’t state the engine type but this generation came equipped with engines ranging from 1.6 to 2.0 liters.
The truck is located in the San Francisco Bay Area with an asking price of $15,800.
Link: Craigslist
If you’re looking for an interesting rally vehicle, you could do worse than this 1987 VW Vanagon in full German ambulance spec. The ad on The Samba states that the sirens and lights work, and that the original stethoscope, medical kit, and rubber gloves are included.
Mechanically, it features a euro-spec 2.1L, carbureted, water-cooled engine, a manual transmission, and Syncro ride height (though it’s not a Syncro).
This unique German vehicle is listed in Grass Valley, CA for $6000 obo.
Link trail: Bring a Trailer > The Samba Read the rest of this entry »
Check out this innovative camper. Not only does the Doubleback top pop like a traditional VW camper, but the back also telescopes out, doubling the usable interior space. This clever camper is based on the European VW T5.
If you’re heading to the U.K., you can pick one up for about £55,000.
Photo: AutoBild.de
Check out this nicely done VW Syncro turbo-diesel, with locking differentials. It was given the expedition-vehicle treatment for a German TV show and features built-in, PC-based navigation and multiple cameras for capturing the off-road action.
Here’s a link to the translated article. And here’s one to the image gallery.
Link trail: AutoBild