Just remembered reading somewhere that Syncro drivetrains(may be more) were made
by Steur-Puch, Austrian company.
Leon
85 Subwagen Westy

Lawrence Johnson wrote:

> Most definitely *Y*E*S* but only if you spell it  *S*Y*N*C*R*O*
>
> We have two syncros, both 1986, one a Doublecab and the other a Westfalia.
> Without them, life here in the snowy part of Ontario, Canada would next to
> impossible. On several occasions, we were able to get through snow & ice
> conditions that even the snow plows failed to navigate. If you have ever seen
> the pictures of Derek Drew on skidoo trails, that could just as well be us. He
> does it for fun; we live it.
>
> -Larry
>
> wayout@IX.NETCOM.COM writes:
>
> <<  I could consider a synchro... But Im wondering if I should bother...
> I get the gut feeling that VW didnt have a whole lot of experience doing
> 4WD . . .
>
> . . . I should stick with my usual automobile asthetic of "the simpler the
> better".
>
> What do you folks think?
> Am I looking at expensive problems with a synchro, or are drivetrains
> comperable in reliabilty to a 2WD?
>  >>
>
> Jason,
>
> I am sitting here looking out on at least a foot of snow covering the road in
> front of my house, so perhaps I am the wrong person to address you questions.
>  I have 2 Syncri solely because I want to be able to hop in one of them and
> drive the 600 feet to the closest plowed street without getting my feet wet.
> Having said that, I think a better Vanagon would be a 2WD with a locking rear
> axle.  Once I decide to retire my older Syncro, I plan to salvage its locking
> differential for such a transplant.  Anyway, syncro doesn't have the ground
> clearance for any real off-roading.
>
> VW also must have doubted their finesse with 4WD because they farmed out the
> Syncro to one of the world's premier 4WD manufacturers, Steyr-Puch.  I am
> sure Steyr-Puch does not make junk, but their 4WD system does require a lot
> of hardware and, obviously, more things to maintain.  Some Syncro parts are
> much more expensive than the 2WD equivalent.  Also, it is prudent to change
> tires 4 at a time on a Syncro.
>
> Rich
>
> ------------------------------