Miki the 1991 Volkswagen Syncro Westfalia

In January 2020 I heard about a 1991 Volkswagen Syncro Westfalia that was brought into Geraldo VW's in La Paz, Mexico by a couple of Canadians who had pulled it out of the nearby town of La Ventana. I found out who they were, and reached out to the buyer. He told me that the Van was owned by an old friend of his who had passed away a couple years before and the Van had been sitting in a lot adjacent to Geraldos, baking in the Baja sun. The buyer told me that he had flown down from Canada with a friend with the intention of driving it back to British Columbia but had found that it was in worse condition then he expected. It needed all new CV's, front and rear, had a spark plug that had broken in the cylinder head, terrible tires and wheels, and was filthy dirty, to name but a few. After a few days of back and forth, I agreed to buy it from him and take on the restoration. The following couple of months, from January to the end of March 2020 I worked with Geraldo VW's to overhaul some of the major components of the Van. After my last van, Penny, which became a sort of Frankenvan behemoth, I was determined to try to keep this Syncro as original as possible so as to hopefully keep it as reliable as possible. I have no intention of doing a high powered engine conversion, or huge suspension lift, things which caused me a lot of issues on my last build. I chose my upgrades carefully, always asking myself, will this make the Syncro more or less reliable in the long run. Below is the list of upgrades I have done to the Van so far, with links for the curious. I will try to continue to update this as I continue to work on it over time.
The Build
- Stock 2.1 Waterboxer Engine
- Stock CV's with Empi Long Travel CV Boots in the rear and Rockford CV boots in the front
- GoWesty Zero Lift Syncro Springs
- 35% Ceramic Window Tint (adds privacy and reduces the heat in the Van dramatically over traditional tint)
- Syncro Fox Shocks
- Burley Motorsports Syncro Upper Control Arm
- Bostwick Built Light Bar Mounts
- Nilight 52" Curved LED Light Bar
- ARB Awning with Light Strip
- NorthWesty Awning Brackets
- NorthWesty Pop Top Tent
- Gowesty Bumpers front and rear
- Rocky Mountain Westy Twin Peaks bumper guard for GoWesty Bumper
- Early 90's Blaupunkt Cassette Stereo for that retro vibe. Bluetooth Cassette Adapter for 21st Century Convenience.
- GoWesty Front Big Brake Kit
- GoWesty Rear Disc Brake Conversion Kit
- Alpicool 12v/110v Fridge/Freezer
- GoWesty Fridge Delete Kit
- VanagonLife Modular Center Console
- Vanagonlife Vent Covers
- GoWesty Hidden Compartment Shift Knob
- SpeedHut 3 3/8" Gauges, Speedometer, Tachometer, and Quad Gauge with Northwesty Modified Dash Cluster
- Venture Libre Seat Ponchos on Drivers and Passenger Seats
- Venture Libre Westy Bravo on rear cabinet
- Venture Libre Westy Cocina on Fridge Door
- Venture Libre Westy Casa on under sink door
- Mercedes 16" CLK 320 Wheels
- VanagonLEDS Footwell LED Light Kit
- Yakima Artificial Rain Gutters and Roof Rack
- 170 Watt Rigid Solar Panel mounted to Roof Rack
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT controller with bluetooth connectivity
- GoWesty 50ah LifePO Lithium Battery for behind Drivers Seat
- Maxtrax Vehicle Recovery Pads
- GoWesty Slider Door Bearing Kit