Deal? 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro (AWD) Westfalia Camper – $23k in Long Beach, CA

Deal? 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro (AWD) Westfalia Camper - $23k in Lo

Deal? 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro (AWD) Westfalia Camper – $23k in Los Angeles, CA

It’s been a while since we’ve found a reasonably priced syncro camper for sale on the west coast, I haven’t seen this one in person, or the title history, etc, but this is definitely worth checking out if it hasn’t sold already.  This van is a 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro Westfalia Camper with stock rebuilt 2.1L engine (~100k miles), ~200k miles on the body, and an minimal amount of seam rust, though it looks minimal.  In recen times this Westy is said to have received a new clutch, new drive shaft, new exhaust, new catalytic converter,  new water lines and new fuel lines.  The stove and fridge are said to be in working order, though the sink pump is toast and the water tank needs a good cleaning.  Find it for sale in Long Beach, California with an asking price of $23k. Craigslist Link.

I’m not too familiar with syncros, though if it were me checking out this rig, I’d find some type of terrain to test the AWD and the viscous coupler to ensure it isn’t grinding or doing weird stuff.  There’s no pictures of the dashboard so we’ll have to see if it has any “knobs” to control things like a decoupler, lockers, etc. I’m reaching out to the seller to see if they can provide more info, especially the VIN and/or title history.

Got any thoughts or words of wisdom to share?  Leave a comment below, or head over over to the discussions about this van on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google +.

9 Comments
  1. have a 86 syncro 220,000 brown not a westy but gl must sell any $15,000 needs paint fuel filter .syncro is ok engine ok 1 to 10 its a 6. in portland come up u will never leave

  2. Despite how sketchy this may have been, saw on Instagram this morning that the van has a new owner!

  3. 20 grand sure is a lot for a Vanagon with Seam rust, a spot grinded and painted over, and a sink and stove that do not function.. With 200k and 100k of that on the rebuild. A lot.

  4. Everything on this van looks like its from 1989 and up. It has post 89 window seals, bumpers, mirrors, and from another photo, when it was on the samba, it had a VW emblem on the deck lid. None of those things were available on an 1987, which makes me nervous.

    Also, you featured this exact vehicle 1 month ago:

    https://westfaliasforsale.com/1987-vw-vanagon-syncro-westfalia-camper-25k-grass-valley-ca/

    Why is the seller trying to unload so fast?

    Once again, nervous.

    • Good catch, thanks for the heads up. Not sure how I missed that. Different picture set, and still no VIN. I see so many Westys, I’ve been trying to check for double posting or reposting with the VINs, but I should have caught that one since it’s a syncro.

      • Different seller too. It was in Grass Valley in Northern CA, now it’s in Long Beach.

  5. Motor not Motif. Autocorrect and iPhone makes me sad.

  6. Westys with the Syncro are silly spendy to fix, that being said… 200k is some miles, 100k on rebuild is some miles (motif is further stressed by the weight). At least it’s a Syncro for over 15k. Seeing the camp equipment is compromised, and it’s the draw to a Westy model.. Maybe 18k if the mechanicals are solid.

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