Wow.  I need a Syncro.

Joe T.
'85 Wolfsburg Westy

>From: Chris Dixon <Jahsurf@AOL.COM>
>Reply-To: Jahsurf@AOL.COM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: 31K for a vanagon? You must be mad -- or not.
>Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 02:20:36 EDT
>
>Dear Curmudgeons, Blowhards, Diehards, and Defenders,
>
>I've read some of these posts and private emails about how much I'm selling
>(correction: have SOLD my van for) and found many quite amusing and some
>rather
>insightful. Some, I'm not quite even sure what the point is, except that
>the
>writer is royally pissed and somehow offended that a Vanagon, of all
>things,
>could sell for so much money. Well hell, I think it's utterly insane that a
>home that I rent in Laguna Beach for $2000 a month could possibly be worth
>nearly
>$2million dollars should my landlady ever decide to sell it, but there you
>go. That's why we're moving away from Laguna. I wanna buy a house and I
>can't
>afford to do it here. I could mitch and boan about it til I'm blue in the
>face,
>but at the end of the day, I still can't afford a house here - so I'm going
>to
>Charleston, SC, where I can.
>
>And shit, a house won't even go anywhere -- unless of course, it's a
>Syncro.
>
>I've also watched with some surprise over the last few years as the resales
>on Syncros continues to climb -- witness what people are driving away from
>Gowesty and paying. Many curmudgeons and crusty die hards claim that these
>15-20
>year old vans that people are "foolishly" paying top dollar for are somehow
>not
>worth it. Well, it seems to me that it's all a part of what the market will
>pay, what it will bear, just how bad do you want it and is a trusted
>mechanic
>willing to stand behind what's claimed about a van? And of course, is there
>anything else remotely like it on the road?
>
>Recently,   Steve Schwenk, who is always good for a strong opinion and with
>whom I have been known to respectfully disagree, asked on his Syncro.org
>homepage, something to the effect of: "Is the Syncro market being hijacked
>by
>profiteers?"
>
>If you recall, Steve put up a picture of the red syncro westy van that
>Gowesty sold for over $66 grand.   Was the dude who bought it a fool or a
>chump?
>Well, let's step back for a second here. Clearly whoever did this work,
>could
>afford it. Clearly, he could have bought a used Sportsmobile with more
>features,
>better safety and far worse gas mileage (and a non-stock 4wd system) for
>less
>money. Hell, he could have bought a nice new Land Rover for that money. I
>called Taylor up at Gowesty for a part and discussed the van with him and
>came
>away thinking that Luis, the purchaser, got a fricking bargain. Have you
>seen
>what the guys did with this van?? We're talking $66 grand for a full,
>nearly
>frame off restoration. Recaro seats, beautiful paint, all new drivetrain,
>all new
>warranteed motor, all new interior. I know it aint' got airbags or   ABS or
>any of that crap, but man, this thing is gonna put any G-Class Mercedes to
>shame. And you can cook in it or comfortably get on with gettin' down with
>your
>significant other.
>
>And   have you guys ever seen Steve S's van? That fricking thing is nice as
>hell. If he were to break down all he's spent on it, I guarantee it's a
>very
>pretty penny. If he sold it, he could clear $25K at least. BTW Steve, if
>this
>reaches you, I'm not trying to slam you, I'm just using your points to make
>my
>point.
>
>Bottom line: The Internet has created a market and interest group that was
>once too thinly spread to have any buying power or cohesion. And these vans
>that
>are selling for these "outrageous" amounts of money   because there are
>enough people using the Internet to create viable markets for products from
>Steves'
>springs to Tom's decouplers to Gowesty and Bus Depot's bewildering myriad
>of
>parts. These vans that are selling for top dollar are not stock and there
>is
>nothing else like them available for purchase new or used in 2005.
>Typically
>they have been made far better than stock with additions like lift kits,
>OME
>shocks, bigger brakes, bigger wheels, decouplers, front diff locks, bigger
>motors, beefier tranny's, bull bumpers and the list goes on. Man oh man,
>you should
>see some of the rigs in the parking lot at Europro in Costa Mesa right now.
>D-rrroooool.
>
>I'll admit it: I paid a lot for Veronica Fraga's van. Way more than it went
>for brand new. But here's what I got in return: A once-in-a-lifetime trip
>across America with my wife during the summer of 2004 in a fun, safe,
>reliable
>Adventurefalia. We went all up along the Lost Coast and when we got tired
>of the
>winding pavement, took a side trip along a stunningly beautiful portion of
>the
>hairball dirt road that goes to Shelter Cove. We climbed endless grades at
>60MPH with my hi-output waterboxer. Reaching the great plains, we once
>effortlessly passed a poor canadian dude in a stock Westy that was huffing
>to maintain
>50MPH against the 20knot headwinds . At a gas station later, he rolled in
>and
>simply asked me, "that thing doesn't have a stock motor does it?"
>
>We bounced along the sandy beaches of Long Island and North Carolina and
>back
>through the desert southwest in the middle of the summer. Outside temps
>were
>around 110. Inside, a cool 75 degrees. On that whole long trip, I replaced
>an
>o2 sensor and a catalytic converter. Oh, I hit a rock on the road too and
>put
>a hole in a brake line that was easily replaced. That was the extent of my
>repairs in around 6000 miles of driving.
>
>In that reliable van, that I paid insane money for, I've also reported on a
>gutwrenching police shooting in Watts, so-cal wildfires, and once, laid low
>with a bad cold, I slept in it in a parking lot across from the Santa Maria
>courthouse while awaiting the Michael Jackson verdict. Feeling better later
>that
>afternoon with no decision in, I drove out to Pismo Dunes, aired down my
>tires,
>actuated the decoupler and the diff lock and proceeded to positively drop
>jaws
>and elicit smiles and waves while bounding through the sand. Far down the
>beach, I found a nice spot next to the bird refuge, slid open the hatch and
>fixed
>myself a cup of coffee while I watched he sun set.
>
>What's the dollar value of those experiences? Was it worth what I paid not
>to
>have to worry that my radiator was going to blow, if a bearing was going to
>seize, or my motor was going to throw a rod as my wife slept soundly in the
>back seat. Every fricking cent. And then some.
>
>Down here in Orange County, a fully dialed and pimped 60's era pickup truck
>body VW will fetch $40grand easy. I met a dude who had a beautiful '66 not
>too
>long ago -- helped him jump start the thing in a BOFA parking lot because
>his
>40K machine had a bad generator. He wasnt' unhappy. He loved it. It was a
>collector's item. Which is what a Syncro is -- especially one that is
>luxurious,
>pimped and capable. One time Ron Lussier said to me of his Syncro: 'I don't
>believe in mollycoddling it. You've got to use it. Otherwise, what's the
>point in
>having it?''
>
>I agree.
>
>Per Syncro.org's opening copy, here's why these fricking vans are going for
>so much money, and why you can bitch all you want, but these vans have now
>gone
>from being relatively unknown curiosities to true, appreciating-in-value
>collector's items: The 4wd Vanagon Syncro Westfalia: a UNIQUE and WONDERFUL
>vehicle made in LIMITED NUMBERS from 1985 to 1991 by Volkswagen, STEYR PUCH
>and
>WESTFALIA Werke. The Syncro Westfalia PERFORMS WELL OFF ROAD, offers
>COMFORTABLE
>LIVING QUARTERS and has GREAT CHARACTER.  Can you say ADVENTURE!
>
>Hell yes I can say adventure, and I can spell it too: S-Y-N-C-R-O.
>
>And I hope that Eric LeMoine, his wife and two kids will get at least half
>the enjoyment out of "Pound Puppy" as my wife and I have. And I hope I'll
>be
>able to continue to read entertaining posts on these lists as I covertly
>seek out
>my next Syncro investment opportunity.
>
>
>Chris Dixon

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