Carl and Listees,

My local VW dealer wanted $259 each for OEM shocks!  I called several
places and found the same shock, Boge, same part no., for $80 each at
Discount Foreign, San Diego, 619-283-6086. (I doubt if these guys do
mail order, but the point is that local parts places CAN help you). 
They also sold me KYB Gas-A-Just for the rear at $36 each.  

The KYB's on the rear are fine.  The stock OEM Boge's on the front are
not stiff enough for me.  Koni, KYB, and Bilstein all told me they don't
make front shocks for the Syncro.  Has anyone found any others? 

Installing the front shocks is a pain.  See 
 
http://www.med.umn.edu:8853/misc/archives/Files/HOW-TO---Vanagon-Syncro-shock-replacement

I did it a little differently.  J.C. Whitney and others (eg, local tool
shops) have long-reach spring compressors, and with those I was able to
compress the spring on the car and take the unit out the side, rather
than out the bottom.  

When reinstalling, to get the shock plunger up through the top spring
seat, I drilled a little 1/16" hole through the flat tab on the top of
the plunger rod, threaded wire through it, and fished it through the
spring seat with needlenose pliers.  The Bentley manual says to remove
the front seats and use a special VW tool, but I REALLY didn't want to
take those swivel seats out. 

A local mechanic quoted me 4 hours per side to do the labor.  It took me
4 1/2 hours to do the first side, with much head scratching and
wondering what I had gotten myself into.  But the second side only took
two hours, once I knew the ropes. 

Good Luck!

John Welsh, San Diego
87 Syncro Westy
81 Triumph TR8