There's a thread that references this very thing on thesamba.com (search "budget syncro") by a guy who did that with a Bronco II or a Pathfinder spare carrier.

Stephen

--- On Thu, 5/15/08, Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> From: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
> Subject: SALVAGE YARD SPARE TIRE CARRIER
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Thursday, May 15, 2008, 1:37 PM
> Sorry I missed making a timely reply to the recent spare
> tire carrier thread.
>
> Has anyone had experience taking a swing-away tire carrier
> off another model vehicle (SUV) at a pick and pay and
> fitting it to their vanagon?  I would love to have a Gary
> Lee carrier, but but my budget won't permit it now.
>
> With all those many models of big and small SUVs out there
> (in the junk yard), surely one model would match up to the
> vanagon.
>
> Thanks, Anthony
> '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)