Hi all,

Looking for a syncro to buy. Sold our t3 trakka after the around OZ trip and would now like to purchase a syncro, then later a wrecked or dead trakka and use the camper bits to build the Dream Machine
I will need help with the interior work and roof so any recommendations or advise would be appreciated.
We have a Suzuki Grand Vitara Wagon 135,000km man with books VBR-493 to swap if anyones interested.
Seems Suzuki is worth around $8000 Hope to hear from you soon.
Craig and Wendy
P.S. we are in Port Macquarie NSW and prepared to travel for a good vehicle.

Here's one that was at the VW Nationals back in May

thanks 11CAB

there was 1 for sale on here a few weeks ago and nobody wanted it

its like..
a german tarago!

But cooler...
and no rice...

You saw the t3 syncro did you greedy?

Good panels?

yep i ay it and it was a very good 4 x 4 had a lot of work done on it so it would be no worries for the buyer i was a surprised it had no one wanting it

would you have his contact details greedy. I wasn't a member then, I only joined last night

try this link to the 4x4 good luck
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=78483#pid730071 

Hey camper. Am in he process of converting a syncro into a camper myself. I also did a trip around oz for a year in a t2 camper and decided to get something more capable. Syncro's are not overly common in oz and shopping around for a well priced syncro can be time consuming. The gearboxes are rare as hens teeth and if you're ring and pinion is worn you're in for big $. The 4x4 components are costly and many parts must be sourced internationally. Factoring in that you may need to spend quite a bit of extra to bring it up to scratch will save you from disappointment.

That said they are awesome cars and will go anywhere your 2wd didn't plus are still more versatile than any other 4x4 in its size. I personally vouched for a poptop over a hightop having advantages including more space and far less wind resistance. One thing to keep in mind is that certain poptops are more suitable in maintaining the strength of your vehicle for offroad use as it is important in 4x4's I chose a 3/4 length poptop which doesn't involve cutting the front roof support beam!

Still have lots of work to do with a million modifications to happen but here's a couple pics of the donor camper and inset my locking gearbox and diff purchased from the uk alondg with various other bits. Will take more photos of the poptop conversion as i should be done this weekend.








You can see I have an ex-telstra syncro which is bone stock. In this trim they can be found in good condition and quite cheap ($5000) Good luck with the search. There's one for sale on ebay now by the way.

ericos_bob Thanks for the heads up and info. Yes we did the trip in t3 2wd Trakka poptop and had a fantastic time, but want to do it again with a 4wd.
Seems you have the right idea as well. I was thinking of a South African car but it all seems too hard I think as far as inspections etc.
Hope to see more of your project and get more of your helpful good advise.
Thanks for the response.

theres a transporter 4wd syncro diesel 95 model for sale in our local paper- south western sydney- $6200 with 1 yr reg and log book

0403 587 324

not mine but if your looking for one

pod Thankyou very much. I am really glad i joined the forum you are a nice bunch of people.

Hi. I have owned a syncro for approx. 10 years with a lot of 4 wheel driving They will amaze you with where they will take you in comfort. I have gone the other way, I got a very good camper 2wd & am putting the runing gear out of a rusty syncro under it. Very easy to do & very little welding to do, worth a look. Paul..

Hi powerband seems a great option.
What's involved as far as mods go Paul and are you doing it all yourself?
Can you say put the running gear from a 1990 t3 syncro under a 1985 do you know?

I had also looked into the south african syncro's on gumtree. They are relatively cheap though once you pay to have it shipped and are done with customs and adr compliance you'll most likely find for the cost you could find a very nice syncro camper in oz. A syncro is very capable even without extensive modifications. Definitely will take you down any 4x4 track in australia without the need of diff-locks, decouplers etc. I would call the set up I'm working on overkill for most 4x4 situations one would encounter traveling in oz.

Have also seen the 2wds converted to syncro. Definitely an option though still not any less work than converting a syncro into a camper. I guess it would be feasible if the body of your syncro is crap.

ericos_bob or powerband Which is the simplest conversion I could have someone do for me?
Convert a camper or add to the syncro? WE don't have either so to us it won't matter except we did like the Trakka setup and quality of our 1985 t3 (we should have kept it).

or should i wait do you think and buy one already done? are there many syncro campers around do they come up and how much would one be?

OK. 1st you need to remove the old engine & gear box, then measure the mounts for the syncro box. Fit the syncro mounts, a small amount of welding. Remove the fuel tank from the syncro & clean the area in the 2wd of any bolts or mounts that may damage the tank. Fit the tank in. You will need to make two new tank strapes, the top part. Cut a hole for the filler & use an after market neck & cap. The engine & syncro box can go back in. Fit the syncro springs & shocks & apart from fitting fuel pump & wiring that is the rear end done. Next remove the 2wd fuel tank & front suspension. You will need to cut some brackets away but that is easy to see looking at the old syncro. On the syncro the whole suspension is all bolted in on one big frame & the holes that hold the frame on are already in the 2wd. You just need to re fit the syncro backing plates in to the 2wd by cutting a slot & the frame bolts up in the same place. I have gone from manual steering to power steering so I have to weld up a bracket for the steering box. I swapped over all the gear linkage & speedo. I have not got the car on the road yet as am fitting an H6 Subaru motor & 16" wheels. I am doing it myself, I am a motorcycle mechanic. I looked at swapping a Tracka conversion into a good syncro but it seemed like a lot more work. Also if you are planning on big trips offroad it gives you a chance to go over the parts of the car that are going to get you there. Hope this helps. Paul

It all depends on where your skills lie as to what you will find an easier job. Swapping mechanical from one car to another indeed allows you to check every piece for wear and replace if necessary.This is a good point and If you are mechanically minded as Paul is it may be a cinch.

I must say that findng a cheap wrecked syncro with good mechanics (if there's still something left to source) is even more difficult than finding a roadworthy syncro. A cheap wrecked 2wd camper with decent camper interior is not so difficult to find.

A simple camper conversion shouldn't take long. The most time consuming part being to swap the poptop although it isn't as daunting as it may seem. Cup boards and plumbing can be removed very easily and require the most basic of tools. There's no welding or fabrication involved in a direct swap.
It obviously depends how far you want to go with a camper conversion.

I've so far sourced most of the camping interior I need for a conversion. For me finding everything needed to build a camper was the most time consuming part. The best part about having an empty syncro is you can start from scratch and customize it to suit your needs. I sourced a rock and roll fold out bed, sink and water tank from a t2 kombi. The poptop, sliding windows, curtain hangers are from a t3 and I will make lightweight alloy cupboards myself. Of course doing it this way will take much longer although is very satisfying to have a camper which has everything where you want it.

Syncro campers do come up for sale at times but are far less common than the ex-telstra syncro's which also don't appear too often. From what I've seen for sale a good camper goes for around 20k.Can be well worthy the purchase if you are able to find one. cheers,erik

erik thanks, Yes i think it will all depend on what comes along first. The camper or the syncro.

I would not recommend the purchase of a T4 syncro for off-road use - they are only designed for better handling in wet weather on sealed roads and to possibly get a work van out of a slightly slippery work site.

They have no clearance and have a massively long wheelbase.

I have had my T3 syncro for 14 years as a camper for 2 which was great until we had kids. I have now had a brand new pop-top fitted by Discoverer Campers in Sydney and I had a few problems with them and as they went broke I am still chasing and engineers certificate and the childs bunk boards through the DFT.

I have a caravelle with a single rear diff-lock which has only been used a couple of times on Moreton Island. My H6 2.7 suby motor helps save the need for the diff-lock in most occaisons.

Awesome vehicles and irreplaceable in my opinion.

See below:

Scott what a beautiful thing!
t3 Syncro camper is what we need

They are still out there and pop up from time to time but getting rarer every day and you will probably need to part with quite a few $ to get one.

I saw one near me last year for sale for $22K in very good nick and a Trakka Syncro was for sale up @ Foresters Beach NSW a few weeks ago but it sold in about 2 days.

I will keep an eye out for you.

Cheers,

Scott