Oh yeah, I just realized I forgot to mention the AW top, the rear locker and
the big brake kit.

On Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Loren Busch <starwagen@gmail.com> wrote:

> Okay, I haven't said anything about this until now (for obvious reasons)
> but now I can tell the story.  Monday morning this week I drove by the
> local RV lot about a half mile from my condo, going to Costco.  I noticed
> what looked like a very nice Syncro Westy sitting on their lot.  Passing
> by again on the way home I decided to stop and see if it was a customer’s
> vehicle or actually for sale or what.  The guy in the office told me that
> yeah, it was a trade in, they were trying to figure out what to do with it.
> BTW, I was driving my daily driver, not my Westy, so he didn't have a clue
> that I might know anything about a Vanagon.  We walked out to look at it
> in the rain and he explained that the guy that traded it in had inherited it
> and didn't want it because it was so small so he traded it in.  When I
> started looking it over I was amazed.  A 1991 Syncro Westy (could tell it
> was a '91 by the inside latch on the rear hatch), about an 80 watt solar
> panel mounted to the top, and inside the first thing I noticed was a
> Vitrofrigio refrigerator and the thermostat control for a heater.  15"
> wheels and good off road tires (didn't check the brand or size).  About
> that time the salesman mentioned it was a diesel!!  We opened up the
> engine compartment and sure enough, sure wasn't a stock 2.1L WBX in there.
> I don't know what size diesel because I don't know the diesel engines at
> all.  We started it up and it sounded fine, at least to my
> ignorant-about-diesels ears.  So we buttoned it up and took it for a
> drive.  First thing I noticed on the dash was the locker knob. Then the
> odometer, would you believe only 88,000 miles on it!  It drove like a
> dream, shifted like butter.  When we got back to the lot I opened the
> glove box and there were all the original manuals plus a big envelope of
> receipts and a notebook with hand written notes and records, all dated.  It
> turns out it had the Syncro Org springs and OME shocks under it no less.  Oh
> yeah, I forgot to mention one of the things that caught my eye when I first
> saw it, the Van Cafe bumpers and the Projktwoz (SP?) lower grill and lights.
>
> Then came the shocker, when I asked what they were going to ask for it.  He
> said, and I'll quote as best as I can, "The boss just wants to get it off
> the lot.  He said to ask $5,000 for it but I know he'll take $3,500". So
> you can guess what I said next.  And I got a call this morning, the paper
> work is done and I pick it up today, April 1st.
>