Star Wars Volkswagen T3 Syncro bus - planning the interior

[BeMoreBeetle]

Following today's excellent turnout at the RR East Midlands FUC'EM meeting today I feel motivated and inspired so I felt it important to capture the momentum and use it.

My current ride is a 1990 Volkswagen T3 Transporter 2.1 petrol Syncro hightop. I bought it in January 2012 to replace another Syncro that was unfortunately stolen. The new bus was sourced from an old chap at a little village called Beddgelert, high on Snowdonia. The drive back with the leaking head gasket, dodgy steering and high winds was very memorable.

First look:




Investigation revealed the van had an interesting history.

- It began life as a diesel tintop with the English China Clays of Cornwall where it served as a dynamite carrying van.
- Then it was purchased in a fleet sale by BUPA who converted it into a petrol hightop ambulance for covering events where off track emergencies might occur (horsey events, motorcycle races etc).
- When BUPA lost the contract it was bought by the driver along with another 4 BUPA ambulances and run on a private basis by Rowan Medical Services who still own one today.
- It's final commercial turn was as a support ambulance at Santa Pod raceway. Not bad for an old bus.

One of the Rowan Ambulances in it's original form at Vanfest:


On close inspection there was still residue from the AMBULANCE stickers and stripes. The drip rail was still in the van roof and a large portion of the wiring for the emergency lights, sirens and defibrillator was still under the passenger seat. Immediately I took it to a local VW show and made use of the homemade interior with a weekend camp. Apart from a crappy bed and a small roof leak things went well.






With a leaky old wasserboxer engine and steering issues I set to and decided upon an engine conversion. Discussion with some knowledgeable friends brought up the Golf Mk3 'AAG' conversion. This uses the 2.0l 8v GTI engine and stock T3 diesel parts as the engine block is basically the same old EA827 block VW used in the diesel T3 (originally fitted to the Caddy). The engine produces 115bhp and has a good torque curve. Even though the 2.1 is the top end wasserboxer engine, it only produces 112bhp and less torque. My other criteria was ease of repair/replacement and reliability. Having owned Golfs for years I know the engine inside out and servicing one in a larger engine bay would be a breeze.

I gathered the diesel parts from friends and forums and picked up a Mk3 Golf Colour Concept with rear end damage. The car had been really well looked after with the engine being serviced regularly and parts replaced in a 'cost no object' fashion. An unfortunate meeting with a telegraph pole left the owner (a friend and fellow RR member) with a broken car and low funds so I bought it cheap and let him recoup some more cash from the wheels, leather and trim. I took all the necessary electrics and mechanicals while he weighed the rest in. One happy friend, one happy me It was an ideal basis for a donor.

The donor being manouvered (some of you may recognise this crazy person):


By mid 2012 the van was booked in at The Campershack in Grantham where we discussed the conversion. I had sold the interior and gutted it inside.

Bare and as rough as it got:


Last days for the wanky-boxer engine:


I provided wiring guides and parts (new belts, fluids, clutch, exhaust, rubbers, fixings, induction, flywheel etc) while Andrew, the owner worked on the van periodically. I was working to fund it in the meantime. The conversion took over a year due to complications with parts and the nightmare trying to source an original Syncro diesel fuel tank (5 months and 2 wrong tanks later) - required to clear the high torque TDI starter motor.

[BeMoreBeetle]

The engine conversion progressed slowly.

Big truck mirrors. Audi Ronal R8's and mud terrains add beef. Original tailgate swapped for rare solid version. I like the privacy and security it offers:


By May 2013 I had most of the parts in place. Seatbelt mounts were welded in, new tank straps fitted and the engine mated to the gearbox. With a european holiday booked for August I pushed for progress and in June the engine was fitted.

A few shots of the GTI engine for anyone interested.

The diesel 'JX' exhaust


Custom manifold to exhaust adapter from Germany:


Engine from above:


It was driven for the first time and MOT'd and usable at the beginning of July.

First start:


Revving her up:


First drive (noisy MT tyres are the whiny noise):


Back in one piece, among other T3's.

[BeMoreBeetle]

I collected the van and immediately took it home, cleaned it and tidied it up. The next few weeks were spent prepping - fitting a used Reimo interior and equipping for 3 weeks in Kent and France.

I fitted a new floor, lined the interior panels in Veltrim and with the help of my wife and a sewing friend, retrimmed the rear buddy seat and bed/mattres covers.

Trimming:


Bed:


Thermal insulation:


Lining:


Fitting out:

[BeMoreBeetle]

Our holiday began with a relaxed week in Kent with family. I spent some of the time fitting lighting and other easy parts, while fending off more roof leaks and strengthening the rock and roll bed. A memory foam mattress was found as the old bed foam was next to useless.

However, our first week was a great success and we all enjoyed using the van at last.

Family BBQ in Battle campsite:


Next we took a ferry from Dover to Calais:


Our route down through France took us close to Thiepval war memorial so we took a few hours from travelling to place a poppy near one of the walls, where my great uncles names are marked. They lost their lives in the last days of The Somme. I'd recommend a visit to anyone. The atmosphere is very humbling and the visitor centre is also worth a visit.

From a nearby road:


The Memorial:


No words for this one:


Next we travelled down to St.Leon sur Vezere in the Dordogne region. The mountains were beautiful and the van pulled well. I had noticed a small oil leak in Kent but saw no obvious source, however 200 miles from our camp we had to stop with a slipping clutch. The RAC assistance were not very helpful so I had a look myself and diagnosed a leaking oil seal (crankshaft or bellhousing). On draining the oil from the bellhousing I found it to be gear oil. Letting the van cool down I decided to try again and once over a huge peak we nursed it the whole way with minor slippage. We arrived at camp late, but safe. The second leg of 600 or so miles was done

Camping at St.Leon sur Vezeres:


Travelling near 'La Grotte du Grande Roc' in the Perigord:


Picnic time on the banks of the Vezere river:


Our holiday was 3 weeks of adventure and on the way back we stayed near Disneyland which the kids loved. All told we covered nearly 3000 miles on the round trip. The clutch still worked and was usable, but I nursed it everywhere for a while.

[BeMoreBeetle]

The next month was spent using the van and ironing out niggling faults highlighted on our trip.

A chance invite to a VW show in Cheshire had us crossing the Pennines and camping near Jodrell Bank. Great scenery and a weekend with friends added to our love of the van.

Arty shot:


Night camp:


The drive back over the hills. Brock our puppy loved his first van outing and it shows:

[hamps]

Cool Van, cool adventures

[BeMoreBeetle]

Next the clutch problem had to be attended to. I had the offer of a spot in the Syncro display at Busfest. My friend Mike organises the Syncro part of the event and promised a good weekend if I could make it. The slipping had became a worry so friend Matt and I set to discovering the dead (new) clutch and the suspected bellhousing oil seal which had perished.

Matt getting his hands dirty:


I think that's dead!:


Matt and I fitted some ex-AA T4 'MAD' rear springs - supplied by friend and fellow Syncro nut Mike. These were coupled with a rear shock platform lift brackets from Futbus which compensates for the extension in travel, prevented the shocks topping out at full extension. None of these parts were purchased. I love trading and they were all swaps

We arrived at Malvern late Friday afternoon and pitched up.

In the morning we moved the van into the display area where others had gathered some awesome vans too:


It was great to meet fellow Syncro owners and chat as well as interested members of the public. I helped Mike out with the Syncro obstacle course and toured other vans from all over Europe. An invitation from german owners to attempt the Syncro trail in nearby woods was too tempting so we set off in a convoy feeling like we were a part of something really cool. Riding through the show high up you get a real sense of pride.

Convoy:


Lineup before the trial:


Our turn came about quickly. We had been selected second and with an unknown viscous coupling (hence 4wd we weren't sure worked!) and no difflocks (vacuum leak to be fixed later) we warned the organisers entering 'the hole' might require a tow back out soon

Kate (wifey) was tasked with holding a cup of water which was to be measured on leaving the course. There were also poles with balls on them which had to be navigated between at key points. Driving style and accuracy were critical. I was just hoping to get out without the need for a tow

Going in dry:


Our first attempt at exiting was a failure. I didn't push hard enough and we had to take another run at it. However, with one wheel in the air and spinning it was obvious the VC worked. I now had confidence.

Shaking a leg. Attempt #1:


In our second run I took Colin McRae's mantra 'if in doubt - flat out' as a guide we launched out of the hole wheels flailing - much to the applause of the rest of the group.

Exit strategy. Dig that angle:


Mud is cool. Mud on a Syncro is uber cool:


The course wound over some rough terrain, through overgrown areas and into sharp turns, mounds and drops. It really was a 'drive'.

Taking the wild track:






We didn't come in the top 3 entrants in terms of skill but we made it through without the tow vehicle and still a lot of water in the cup. Kate really enjoyed it and we would certainly try next year. We noted a few things that needed improving though... 1)Wind deflectors suck when you are trying to hand your head out of the cab window 2)Power steering needs to be working 100% offroad and 3)16" wheels and tyres look sexy.

All in all Busfest was a blast. Full of good food, beer, great people and their vans. On my return home I took the wind deflectors off. Then I got straight on the net. BF Goodrich 235/70R16 AT's were sourced and the hunt for wheels began. Syncro envy had kicked in.

[BeMoreBeetle]

With the end of the season close I decided to leave events for the rest of the year. The van was used occasionally for work transport and minor changes made during this period in the name of boredom and practicality.

Kate and I agreed the Reimo interior wasn't to our liking. The bed was too narrow and the storage units not flexible enough for our camping style. I tore out the interior once more and started to look for alternatives. After a while we built up a basic spec of swivelling cab seats, full width bed, buddy seat and a removable kitchen unit. Unfortunately much of this costs money and the original VW parts are rare.

I managed to do a deal with a T3 parts dealer on some bits I didn't need and bagged myself a used 'Multivan' bed. It would require some captive nuts welding into the van sides and seatbelts adding and relocating. A welder friend was drafted in. I drilled the necessary holes into the van inner panels and he welded seatbelt captive plates into the recesses. The new bed bolted up nicely and when tested was both far more comfortable and easier to operate. I'm a big chap and it takes my weight much better than the wood and brackets Reimo/Westfalia setup.

The bed in situ:


I digged out an old ammo box after a discussion with another RR member (Alex) about his military style Delica. The box fits neatly under the bed and it's perfect for hiding my recovery gear out of the way. I reckon I can get another in there so am on the hunt for the same size.

Bed up, box accessible:


Discussions about CB radios with Alex led me to pick up an old Midland unit on Ebay. A stinger aerial and clamp mount followed. I bolted the aerial onto the truck mirror arm and began to look at where to fit it. I had a aircon system VW fitted on top end vans but as my van was a hightop (I bought it for the stolen tintop) it wouldn't work. Looking at the front section which incorporates the screen visors in a tidy fashion I could see the potential to modify the vent holes and make some great storage areas.

After some play with the Dremel and a few self tappers I had the beginnings of a roof console:


Since this photo I have added some VDO gauges and map reading lights (holesaw and lights courtesy of Alex). The CB unit needs a couple of brackets to make it safe. I'll add the tunnel section to the gap next. I'm intending of cutting a couple of retro Blaupunkt speakers in and using the rearmost edge to mount a TV on. The tunnel makes it a lot easier to route video and audio leads neatly.

I've picked up a period Whelen 100W siren and a batch of SWF/Hella 511 series switches for the dash. These will control the original siren and emergency light units which were both made by Premier Hazard. Luckily they still sell emergency gear and a helpful lady there provided a wiring diagram. I've removed the complex original wiring as some of it was for specific ambulance related equipment no longer in situ. A simplified, tidier loom will be made to get the noise and lights back as they should be - but the blues will be replaced by ambers as UK traffic laws forbid the use of them on publicly owned historics>

[BeMoreBeetle]

A couple of great shots other RR members took at the FUC'EM meet at The Limes Cafe today. Probably the last shots before the 15" muds and Ronal wheels make way for something more suitable.

This one is very moody:


A face soon to be dramatically altered:

[BeMoreBeetle]

And so to the here and now....

Inspired (and envious) of Alex's apocalytic Delica I began to look down a similar route.

Alex's Delica:


The T3 has a military background with many used as troop carriers, command vehicles, logistics and radio trucks in Finland, Sweden and of course Germany.

A Finnish army T3 hightop in camo:


While these vans are no doubt cool I struggled to see a way to tie a camper interior in with the stark army style of the exterior properly. My van is also white and I do hate to colour change half heartedly, leaving the engine bay and internal panels another colour is an OCD no-no. Also I recently took a friend to collect a tintop Syncro and he fancies this route. I fancy doing something unique.

I've toyed with a few ideas in the past. Most have revolved around motorsport support vehicles, military and Star Wars. Here is a Star Wars version of my old pickup T3 done as a parody:


I guess before I never had the balls to go that far out. Now I have looked at these again, one thing seems obvious. I love period, retro styling on these vans. I like the early 80's features and 'cheese' that is synonymous of modified cars of that age. Most of my Mk2 Golfs have been time capsules just like that. So what I am now embarking upon is something of a timewarp odyssey. I'm planning to keep the van simple, by turning it into a homage to the period. I'll be fitting genuine 80's aftermarket parts, using influence from Star Wars to create unique styling features and giving the van a military look - but from the Star Wars universe. Think of it as an AT-AT with wheels. Or AT-T3 as it will soon be known.

Here's where I am in my head right now:


Weird and wonderful parts were in abundance for these vans in 80's Germany. I hope to hunt some down and unite them to create something George Lucas might approve of. Inside has to be functional as we want to use it as well as show it off, so seating and storage have to work alongside the design and some creative thinking will have to be applied to achieve it.

If Imperial Stormtroopers were based upon the Nazi equivalent in WW2 then the Syncro is their armoured transportion with the same universe style board as the movies. I'll be posting up ideas and thoughts from now and I hope my diatribe becomes more of a brainstorming / discussion of ideas from hereon. I hope you like....

[gary1998]

nice syncro keep pic's coming please

[BeMoreBeetle]

Jan 6, 2014 0:16:05 GMT hamps said:

Cool Van, cool adventures

Thanks. I'm hoping that 2014 will bring many more.

[sciclone]

Awesome.. Not that big a fan of VW's, but a pretty big fan of Star Wars and modded J Van's and love to see themed stuff done properly.

Personally, I think if you are going down the Storm Trooper route, then the interior needs to be shiny plastic ala TIE fighter cockpits(could use PVC composite panels) or red/black/faux metal grey like the Control Room of the Death Star. The only time you see wood in the original trilogy is those little ewok b*ds... Just my 2 bits worth.

[nofrills]

awesome read man, look forward to seeing updates

[niwid]

This caught my attention at the Limes meet the other day, it's quite a rare beast now. The Star wars theme looks fantastic! I look forward to seeing how it pans out, so keep us updated

[village]

Jan 6, 2014 0:07:32 GMT BeMoreBeetle said:

Are these lights headlights or spot/floods?

I fancy sticking a set of extra headlights on my Caddy with the main beams linked with the normal headlights and the dipped fitted with an isolator so that I can turn them off in non-rural areas (all on relays, natch)

[BeMoreBeetle]

They're original 80's Hella Rallye 2000 spots and huge!

I had them on temporarily but they are vulnerable when offroading so they are up for grabs.

[philpy]

My Father in Law worked for ECC, (English China Clays)for about 30 years, he is a VW fan, although he always reckoned out of all the 4x4's they had the T3 Syncro was only beaten by a Landrover 90! Apparantly they tried all sorts over the years Nissans, Toyotas etc

[BeMoreBeetle]

Jan 7, 2014 1:45:33 GMT sciclone said:

Awesome.. Not that big a fan of VW's, but a pretty big fan of Star Wars and modded J Van's and love to see themed stuff done properly.

Personally, I think if you are going down the Storm Trooper route, then the interior needs to be shiny plastic ala TIE fighter cockpits(could use PVC composite panels) or red/black/faux metal grey like the Control Room of the Death Star. The only time you see wood in the original trilogy is those little ewok b*ds... Just my 2 bits worth.

You read my mind!

I'm going with grey panels, floor and roof lining panels like the Imperial Shuttle/Tie Fighter and Star Destroyer bridges.

The dash/cockpit? will be largely black with smooth consoles and perspex screens plus lots of banks of buttons. I am waiting on a delivery of ex-BBC recording gear which will contribute to the panel builds. Ideally I would like to make the prop areas serve a purpose though - otherwise they are just a pretty waste of space.

Seating will be black vinyl and I have a rare set of Recaro GTB seats for the cab to retrim. The outer bolsters will be smooth but the base and back panels basketweave to prevent slipping and add that 70's/80's vibe.

I'm adding small details which cover standard features by using repro Star Wars prop replicas - e.g the map reading lights in the roof console will be hidden behind Stormtrooper 'Hovi tips' from a helmet. The force is in the detail.

[BeMoreBeetle]

Jan 7, 2014 18:23:14 GMT philpy said:

My Father in Law worked for ECC, (English China Clays)for about 30 years, he is a VW fan, although he always reckoned out of all the 4x4's they had the T3 Syncro was only beaten by a Landrover 90! Apparantly they tried all sorts over the years Nissans, Toyotas etc

Does he remember ECC using the Syncro's then? I only based the history on what I was told by Rowan Medical Services. I guess the vans were resprayed yellow as there are traces of paint behind the bumper and in the boot.

I know there is not a lot of hope but I would love to see one in the original livery.