> 
> Re: better handling and off-road stuff:
> 
> Customers at the shop I worked for claimed that the Vanagon Syncro's
> true forte was soft sand, although good handling claims were made for
> snow and ice conditions as well.

Heres some poop from my '87 Owner's manual(pg 65 & 67):

The function of the all-wheel drive and how it works

In contrast to conventional four wheel rive systems that 
require transmissions to be manually engaged when needed, 
the Vanagon/Transporter Syncro allwheel drive system is 
always engaged. Only the amount of power being transmitted 
to the front and rear wheels changes automatically as the 
road surface demands.

The automatic distribution of power is accomplished through 
a fluid shear coupling (viscous coupling) that is part of 
the front axle. The design of the viscous coupling keeps 
driving force losses to a minimum while distributing the 
forward thrust to all four wheels when needed.

When the going gets rough, especially when wet, slippery or 
snow covered roads cause the rear or front wheels to slip, 
the viscous coupling automatically transfers driving force 
to the other wheels-to help you keep moving.

The distribution of drive forces allows the Syncro to adapt 
to changing road surfaces and provide increased traction 
automatically. The Syncro driver is therefore able to fully 
concentrate on the road and traffic conditions.

This extraordinary drivetrain concept makes the 
Vanagon/Transporter Syncro an extremely efficient road 
vehicle suitable for a wide variety of uses and applica-
tions. While it has proved is ability to handle poor weather 
and road conditions and has limited off-road capabilities, 
remember your Vanagon/Transporter Syncro is not an off-road 
or all-terrain vehicle.

Advantages off the all-wheel drive

The Vanagon/Transporter Syncro allwheel drive system has the 
following advantages over a two-wheel drive vehicle:

Driving Power

Driving Power is greatly increased by the continual 
all-wheel drive especially on snow and slippery surfaces, 
when starting off from a standstill, and when driving on 
rough roads.

Within reason, your Vanagon/Transporter Syncro can go places 
where other vehicles may likely get stuck. It is easier to 
stop on slippery hills and get going again.

Moving Force

As the driving force applied to the road goes to four wheels 
instead of two, the amount of slip is considerably reduced. 
This improves the traction between tire and road surface and 
thereby, the driveability on slippery road surfaces.

On vehicles with two-wheel drive, the driving wheels can 
spin on slippery surfaces if too much acceleration is 
applied. This greatly reduces tire grip and can result in 
loss of vehicle control.

By distributing the driving forces to four instead of two 
wheels, the wheels of the Vanagon/Transporter Syncro are 
less likely to spin under the same conditions.

Snow tires

With the all-wheel drive system the Vanagon/Transporter 
Syncro is good for winter driving even with standard tires. 
However, we recommend the use of all season tires or radial 
snow tires (M+S) with or without studs~, on all wheels, for 
better driving, cornering and braking, in winter weather.

Details under "Snow tires" on page 102 also apply.

Snow chains see page 103.

Operation

In contrast to conventional all-wheel drive systems that 
require transmissions to be manually engaged when needed, 
the Vanagon/Transporter Syncro all-wheel drive system is 
always engaged. Only the amount of power being transmitted 
to the front and rear wheels changes automatically as the 
road surface demands. The Syncro driver is therefore able to 
fully concentrate on the road and traffic conditions.

The differential lock~ for the rear axle must only be used 
when the vehicle is stuck or in immediate danger of becoming 
stuck. For further information on the differential lock, see 
page 28.

-Jim