My 1991 T3 Syncro Safari camper was damaged by a falling tree in Sydney in 2019. After Covid it was moved to storage in the dry climate of Tamworth awaiting repair and restoration as a retirement project. This week I transported it to Batemans Bay and removed most of the interior fit out to assess the damage and the difficulty of repair.
Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency in my family, I now have to go to Europe for the next 7 months and there can be no further work before I leave Australia in 3 weeks.
I am now reluctantly looking for a buyer as is, where is. I will accept any offer over $10,000 which I believe is fair value for the vehicle just as spare parts. If I don’t sell, I will take up the repair and restoration project on my return.
I am listing my Syncro here but I will also list on Gumtree, Carsales and Facebook marketplace in the near future.
Transport can be organised at buyer’s expense. With a friend I drove to Tamworth and bought it back to Batemans Bay on a car carrier behind my VW Passat Alltrack. The 3 day trailer hire was $400 including trailer insurance.
In the right hands it is definitely repairable. The damage is confined to the rear and has already responded to some porta power. It needs the exterior panels to be cut out to straighten the inner panels and frame, and then for the outer panels to be repaired and/or replaced. The glass-fibre pop-top can be repaired.
The right rear wheel is leaning in but the cause has not yet been found. The interior was mostly gutted yesterday to check the van floor which appears to be straight.
The vehicle was drivable after the damage but has not been started in the last 12 months. It is about to get a new starter battery and some fresh fuel.
All glass is intact except for the left rear window which was smashed by the tree. I have the replacement glass ready. All doors and rear hatch still open and close but the sliding door is impeded by the damaged roof.
I have a set of 16 inch VW Tiguan alloy wheels and studs. The wheels just need drilling for the studs.
A tall cupboard was damaged but all other interior fittings are intact but need some TLC.
I am the second owner since 2011. This is not a Telstra van, it was converted new by Safari.
Features:
- Rear diff lock and de-coupler
- Front VC rebuilt by Steve Muller and new driveshafts fitted along with new 3rd and 4th gear.
- After market air conditioning supplied by Autofrost, the special bracket for the compressor is very rare.
- Set of 16" alloy wheels
- Autofridge EUTECTIC chest type fridge, it cools the sides and bottom and only requires a few hours a day of power to stay cool.
- Swing out gas stove with 2 gas bottles.
- Rock n roll bed.
- Underfloor water tank.
- Solar battery - the solar panel is a write-off.
- Damaged pop-top.
- All cabinets. The tall cabinet needs repairing. Only the fridge cabinet is still in the vehicle. Everything else is out but available and will be placed inside but not re-installed.
- All curtains need replacement.
- There is an old canvas awning with wooden poles
