Celebrating Volkswagen then and now
The original Volkswagen Type 2 (often shortened to ‘T2’) was introduced in 1950 as the second mass-produced vehicle for the brand, following the ubiquitous success of the T1 “Beetle” and consideration of an initial design concept by Dutch VW importer Ben Pon for a larger, more capable chassis. Early T2s were symbols of the Hippie and Anti-War movements, while also earning a reputation for reflecting the wild, free spirits of many of their owners. The later generations got a bit more respectable as they aged, again just like the humans who drove them, but never lost that underlying sense of adventure, becoming something of a ‘cult-classic’ in the Van Life community. The T2 van has since gone on to have seven iterations that are, confusingly, labeled T1-T7 by VW.
This particular one from 1986 is a third-generation T2:T3 van, and it sports some very special features that make it both fun to drive and highly collectable. Firstly, it is a Syncro, specifically from the first full year model that featured it. This means all-wheel drive and plenty of control and handling despite the top-heavy design. It is also a Wolfsburg Edition, which was a special trim level only available on a select few T3s, making it rare. This chassis entered current ownership in 2020 and has since undergone significant maintenance to keep it reliable and on the road.
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An earthy tone for a wanderer of the earth
The color scheme on this Vanagon is Merian Brown with black trim and a light beige pop-up camper up top. A black vinyl front cover has been installed, protecting the front end and adding a neat additional texture. Aftermarket high-powered GoWesty headlights and secondary LED bulbs have been installed, while the front and rear bumper remain chrome bars with black protective additions.
A single rear wiper can be found in the back, and each side mirror is actually two mirrors set in one. The side windows and side door all slide open, while the skylight lets the sun into the rear cabin. Wolfsburg badging can be found at the rear, as well as a single passenger-side tailpipe and exhaust. All four wheels are steel 15″ steelies coated in black and shod in 215/75 Firestone Destination A/T tires.
Brown and beige are all the rage
Up in front, a pair of captain’s chairs has been redone in beige corduroy, with matching door panels and carpeting. The accents on the door panels, the windshield columns, the dash, and the locking glove compartment are all body-matching brown and provide a lovely two-toned effect. A Kenwood header and Blue Sea charging relay have been installed, while the existing heater and air conditioning have been refurbished.
A bar-spoke steering wheel with matching brown leather sits ahead of a set of VDO gauges, including a 0-100 mph speedometer, an analog 12-hour clock, and coolant temp and fuel gauges.
In the rear, a single rear-facing seat and a front-facing three-person bench take up most of the compartment, with a brown folding table between them. All windows feature privacy curtains, storage cabinets, and a second, smaller bed platform. As mentioned earlier, the pop-up top also features a skylight.
All hail the Syncro
Volkswagen’s vans had their engines rear-mounted across most generations, with this water-cooled 2.1L (128 ci) flat-four being no exception. This one rolled off the factory floor with Digifant fuel injection that boosted its power to 95 horsepower and 117 lb-ft of torque in ideal conditions. All that power was sent to all four wheels by the coveted Syncro all-wheel-drive system, with a five-speed manual transaxle that combined the transmission, locking differential, and axles into one assembly.
Work to get this van into tip-top shape since 2020 has been extensive, but here are the highlights. The water pump, radiator, and thermostat have all been replaced, while the airflow meter and suspension have been refurbished, the latter by installing Schwenk springs, Bilstein B4 shocks, and a Burley Motorsports suspension bushing kit. Front and rear Van Cafe shifter rods, as well as a GoWesty coolant alarm and driveshaft decoupler, were also added. The front brakes are power-assisted discs, while the rear uses simple drums. The odometer shows 99,000 miles, of which over 9,000 are from current ownership. The owner also notes that the odometer was repaired in the summer of 2022 by Specialty Gauge.
Final thoughts: A special edition of a special van
It’s not terribly uncommon to find T3 Vanagons still on the road. They are well-built, with fine German engineering and an obsession for precise tolerances and high-quality materials. As a class, they are definitely not ‘rare’. However, when an example like this comes along, with layering combinations of factory features, the rarity rises accordingly. It’s worth checking out the listing for additional pictures, and perhaps placing a bid to see if you’ll be lucky enough to take this weekender home!
