Miki: A Reliability-First Syncro Build

1991 Volkswagen Syncro Westfalia · La Paz, Baja California Sur

Found in Baja. Rebuilt for the long road.

In January 2020, I heard about a 1991 Volkswagen Syncro Westfalia sitting beside Geraldo VW in La Paz. Its previous owner had passed away, and the van had spent several years baking in the Baja sun. A Canadian buyer had hoped to drive it home to British Columbia, but the Syncro needed far more work than expected: worn CV joints, a broken spark plug in the cylinder head, tired wheels and tires, and years of accumulated dirt.

After a few days of conversation, I bought the van and began bringing it back to life. From January through March 2020, I worked with Geraldo VW to overhaul its major mechanical systems.

My previous van, Penny, had evolved into a wonderful but complicated “Frankenvan.” With Miki, I wanted a different approach: preserve the character of the original Syncro and choose every upgrade with long-term reliability in mind. No high-powered engine conversion. No extreme suspension lift. Just thoughtful improvements for comfortable, dependable travel.

The Build

The work below reflects Miki’s ongoing restoration and upgrades. The guiding question throughout the build has remained simple: Will this make the van more reliable and enjoyable in the long run?

Paint, Body & Exterior Finish

• Complete windows-out paint job, rust repair and bodywork by LiveTheVanLife in La Paz, Mexico

• Original Flash Silver Metallic color with a little extra metallic flake

• All-new window seals from West Coast Metric

• Replacement Syncro and Westfalia vinyl decals

• Fridge-vent delete

• Welded front-door footwell holes

• Truck-bed liner along the lower rocker panels and around the van

• Protective undercoating

• GoWesty hookup boxes for water fill, 110V power and the air-compressor connection

Interior & Camper Systems

• Speedhut 3⅜-inch gauges: GPS speedometer, tachometer and quad gauge in a NorthWesty-modified cluster

• Reupholstered original front seats

• New gray carpeting in the cab, engine-bay lid and rear cargo area

• Kilmat sound-deadening material throughout

• Custom rear-hatch panel with integrated storage pockets

• SyncroTimes billet-aluminum grab handles

• Original propane tank removed; stove configured for one-pound propane bottles

• GoWesty fridge-delete kit with an Alpicool 12V/110V fridge-freezer

• VanagonLife modular center console

• Venture Libre storage: front-seat ponchos, Westy Bravo, Westy Cocina, Westy Casa, Westy Siesta and Cartera sun-visor organizers

• 35% ceramic window tint for privacy and heat reduction

• GoWesty hidden-compartment shift knob

• GoWesty sliding-door bearing kit

• VanagonLEDs footwell-light kit, Uniwerks front-door lights and GoWesty interior LED bulbs

• ARB onboard air-compressor kit

• Small Car differential-lock panel LED upgrade

• Fintastic glove-box organizer

Engine, Cooling & Transmission

• Rebuilt original 2.1-liter waterboxer engine by Geraldo VW in La Paz

• New pistons and engine seals; machined heads and new head gaskets

• Mansispeed injectors and ratio rockers

• Complete Van Cafe silicone coolant-hose kit

• GoWesty aluminum coolant expansion tank

• GoWesty stainless-steel sport muffler

• Alternator charge-initiation kit, upgraded charging harness and adjustable voltage regulator

• Rebuilt Syncro transmission by Geraldo VW in La Paz

• T3 Technique polyurethane Syncro transmission mounts

• Stainless-steel coolant pipes and stainless coolant junction

• Metal power-steering lines replaced with hoses; rebuilt pump and resealed steering rack

• Rebuilt air-conditioning compressor with new hoses and receiver-drier

• Bosch SR0408X diesel starter with a Van Cafe adapter

Suspension & Driveline

• Original CV joints with EMPI long-travel boots in the rear and Rockford boots in the front

• GoWesty zero-lift Syncro springs

• Fox shocks for Syncro

• Burley Motorsports upper control arms

• New front and rear wheel bearings, seals and CV joints

• 16-inch Mercedes CLK 320 wheels with General Grabber AT2 215/65R16 tires

• Complete front and rear suspension bushings in original-style German rubber

Brakes

• GoWesty front big-brake kit

• GoWesty rear disc-brake conversion

• New brake master cylinder

• Braided stainless-steel brake lines

Solar & Auxiliary Power

• 170-watt rigid solar panel mounted to the roof rack

• Victron SmartSolar MPPT controller with Bluetooth connectivity

• 125Ah lithium auxiliary battery

Audio

• VDO Continental TR7412UB-OR stereo

• Kicker CSC4 four-inch speakers

• Rockville eight-inch low-profile subwoofer beneath the driver’s seat

Exterior, Lighting & Travel Gear

• Bostwick Built light-bar mounts with a 52-inch Nilight curved LED light bar

• GoWesty exterior LED bulb kit

• Smoked front turn-signal lenses and Mercedes G-Wagon smoked rear marker lights

• ARB awning with integrated light strip on NorthWesty brackets

• NorthWesty pop-top tent

• GoWesty front and rear bumpers with a Rocky Mountain Westy Twin Peaks front guard

• VanagonLife vent covers

• Yakima artificial rain gutters and roof rack

• Maxtrax recovery boards

• Van Cafe aluminum replacement rear window

• Heavy-duty rear-hatch struts

• Custom rear-hatch ladder with spare-tire mount and jerry-can carrier

• GoWesty pop-top assist struts

• Suzuki Swift three-way windshield-washer nozzles, front and rear

• GoWesty front skid plate

• GoWesty auxiliary reverse light

Miki continues to evolve as the van is used and refined. Parts and specifications above reflect the build at the time of the latest update.