> << I'll be replacing the exhaust components on my syncro in the next year
or
>  so, from the heads to the muffler. Bentley doesn't show it, but I've
heard
>  that the crossover pipe is specific to the syncro and very difficult to
>  locate. Can one of you syncro owners confirm/deny this? Also, can you
>  suggest sources for these exhaust parts other than VWoA? Thanks... >>
> 
> I just replaced that pipe on my '87 last year.  It IS a specific pipe and
the
> only place in the Mpls/St Paul area I could find it was VW.  It was $252
> (thank goodnes for the 15% VW Club discount!).  

The crossover pipes are Syncro specific.  But they are not dealer-only, and
are not all that expensive.  Dansk (Denmark) makes an aftermarket front
crossover pipe specifically for the Syncro; it is relatively inexpensive (I
sell it for $179 with Vanagon list discount)  and comparable to Volkswagen
quality.  Dansk's rear crossover pipe is a universal one that is supposed
to fit both 2WD and Syncro versions, although it's not as easy a fit on a
Syncro as the original pipe is.  (It is cheap, however, at about $100.) 
But even the genuine Volkswagen one (at least through me) is less than
$200.  The remaining exhaust components are not Syncro specific, and can be
obtained from non-VWoA manufacturers at very low prices (for comparable to
OEM quality).

-Ron Salmon
 The Bus Depot
 http://www.busdepot.com