SYNCRO de MAYO

Syncro de Mayo freatured in Camper & Bus

2012-01-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

"Syncro de Mayo – A long weekend putting a 4×4 Type 25 through its paces? Yes please!"

Syncro de Mayo 2011 was featured in the January 2012 issue of Camper & Bus Magazine. Photos and story by the ever talented Richard Kimbrough. We are trying to get enough copies to give one to everyone who volunteered last year. Unfortunately, they do not publish their articles on-line. Check out a copy if you can, it's like mana from heaven for vw bus volks.

Camper & Bus is published on the other side of the Atlantic ... in the UK. It is an honor to get the recognition. Thanks, guys!

Registration for SdM 2012 Now Open

2012-01-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, and the days are getting longer already. Spring is on the way! Well, maybe in a few months.

Nevertheless, in anticipation of the coming beautiful, warm, spring weather, Registration for Syncro de Mayo is now open!

Click here to register Early registration allows us take care of preparation earlier and do a better job. Thanks for doing your part.

Syncro de Mayo will be held May 3 - 6. Gates and campground open May 2nd at 9:00 a.m.

See you there!

Syncro de Mayo 2012 Dates: May 3 - 6

2011-12-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that Syncro de Mayo 2012 will be held May 3rd through May 6th! Registration is open.

Gates will open Wednesday, May 2nd at 8:30 a.m. for those arriving early. Full camping available.

If you'd like to join the advance crew, send us an e-mail. We'd love to have you! And yes, all those things you heard about working on an advance crew are true!

Ann & Michelle's SdM 2011 Video

2011-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the great collaborative work of Ann von Hagemann and Fraulein Michelle Hoffman, with Matt Quilter and the Reventlos providing the music.

We will be posting highlights from Syncro de Mayo 2011 after Labor Day. Having too much fun!

Richard's Amazing Photographs

2011-05-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Richard Kimbrough has been releasing photos of Syncro de Mayo bit by bit as he works his way through the many shots he took, usually late at night after work and after the kids are in bed.

Those of us who watched Richard at work were in awe at his dedication and professionalism, but we all enjoyed him equally as a friend to hang out with in camp, or to go for a ride with up on the trails, so it was nice when he sometimes put the camera down and we got to enjoy his company as a "civilian."

Here are a few photographs from Richrad's Syncro de Mayo 2011 Album on Facebook. (Click for larger view.)

Check out all of Richard's Syncro de Mayo photos at his Facebook Album.
He has more photos to go through, so be sure to check back for updates.

The amount of time Richard has invested in his Syncro de Mayo photo shoot is incredible. Days and days spent shooting and then nights and nights spent proofing and sorting and posting. All at no profit to Richard.

Please join us in showing Richard our appreciation for the valuable gift he, as an artist, has given us as a community with these beautiful photographs. Please visit the tip jar we have set up for him at paypal. Even $5 will help defray some of Richards' expenses (including damage to his lens). All donations go directly to Richard's account.

And if you are interested in purchasing a print of any of Richard's photos, just p-mail him at this address: richard@richardkimbroughphotography.com If you think these photos look good on the computer, you should see them in print, framed and hanging on a wall. And Richard can print them quite large, or whatever size you want.

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UPDATE:We will be posting a post-event report shortly that will give a run-down of the results of the Best Driver competition, awards and highlights. Stay tuned!

Also, there are links to more photos in the post below, including to a non-facebook gallery of attendee photos.

Thank You Everyone!

2011-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

We're still basking in the afterglow, and tending to those sore muscles, but what a great time that was!

Thank you everyone who came out and made it such a great weekend. We will be posting pics and post-event info once we get caught up in a day or two. In the mean time, here are a few really nice shots attendee Ann Hageman took over the weekend (click for the larger version):

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UPDATE:

Here is a non-facebook Gallery of Attendee Photos

Here is Ann Hageman's Facebook Gallery

Here is Stephan's AutoHaus' Facebook Gallery

Beautiful Weather for Syncro de Mayo!

2011-04-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

The forecast is for Sunny Skies, with highs in the mid-70s to low-80s, and lows at night down to the lower 50s.

It can get windy in the late afternoon, and cool at night, so be sure to bring some warm clothes, and sun screen.

Click here for the NOAA 7-day Forecast for Hollister Hills SVRA.

Click here to access current conditions at Area 5 (GP Track).

Click here to access the Hollister Hills Weather Center

Syncro Tech Workshop Updates

2011-04-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

TDI Conversion Workshop - Friday Afternoon

We are very pleased to announce that Sean Fraser of, Transporter Werks, will be flying in from Raleigh, North Carolina to attend Syncro de Mayo and to participate in the TDI Workshop. Sean offers several TDI conversions out of his shop, and is working on a new one.

In addition to doing TDI conversions, Transporter Werks is a full service shop with the ability to do full-scale restorations, including fabrication work. Under Sean's leadership, the shop puts out some of the nicest restoration work we've seen. So it's great to have Sean with all of his experience and expertise making the trip out to Syncro de Mayo.

Tom Sinclair, whom many of you know, and formerly of Mink Creek Syncros, will be driving down from Idaho to attend Syncro de Mayo, and will partake in the workshop in some form. Tom has a good deal of TDI conversion experience from his days running Mink Creek Syncro. He is a master Syncro craftsman and has done a number of full restorations.

As noted in an earlier post, Thomas Hann of HA Projekt in Germany, and Detlev Hanschke of International Auto Service in Livermore, California will be leading the workshop. Daryl Christensen of AA Transaxle in Duvall, Washington will be doing a segment on the syncro transaxle, as impacted by conversions, and in particular, the TDI.

Stephan White of Stephan's Autohaus in Sacramento, California will also be attending Syncro de Mayo and may make it in time for the workshop, in which case we are sure Stephan will be happy to say a few words and answer any questions about his 1.8 Liter Turbo Conversion. Stephan's shop also does amazing restoration work, and everything else you might need, so be sure to browse his website, it has some good content.

Update: Since this is Sean's first appearance at a west coast event, and many Syncronauts may not recognize him, we asked Sean's wife, Cheryl, to send us a pic of Sean to show everyone. Here's the pic she sent. She obviously thinks he's a real sweet guy! We are very happy that Cheryl is coming out with him!
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Owner Modifications Workshop - Saturday Morning

On Saturday morning, there will be a pit area workshop demonstration of owner modifications.

David Hines of Camas, Washington will be taking the lead with demos and info on his bumper and skid plate modifications. You may have seen the photos of David's modifications on the Samba. David did a very thoughtful job and significantly increased his approach angle limit.

The workshop will be "open house" for Syncronauts to share their modifications and upgrades with one another, and to swap parts as well (so be sure to bring all of your "treasures" and inventions).

Richard Kimbrough Shoots Syncro de Mayo

2011-04-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

No, not with a gun, with a camera! We are very fortunate to have one of the most talented VW photographers out there, and clearly the best off-road photographer out there, covering Syncro de Mayo this year. Richard Kimbrough.

Richard will be covering the event for unnamed VW publications we can't disclose just yet. Many of you have already seen his work recently on Facebook, where Richard posted his photographs of this year's Mt. Shasta Snow Trip, which is rapidly becoming legendary.

We have yet to see anyone pull their engine at Syncro de Mayo. But it happened on their trip. Nothing got in the way of these guys!

And that's the same spirit and energy Richard brings to his photography. All you have to do is check out his Self Portrait to know that's true.

Here's a sampling of Richard's work from the Mt. Shasta trip.You can clearly see his touch when it comes to capturing those incredible moments that make off-roading, especially in groups, so much fun. But even more impressive than that, in our view, Richard captured the essence and character of his group and this trip in a way only an artist can.

We are working to make it possible for people to purchase prints on-line from Richard after Syncro de Mayo. So be sure to bring a comb this year! We thank Richard for joining us at Syncro de Mayo. We are truly honored to have such an accomplished photographer / artist covering the event.

The Biermeister Requests Your Vote

2011-04-03T02:43:00.000-07:00

Peter Buettner was appointed as Syncro de Mayo's Official Biermeister shortly after the first event in 2000. He has has served with honor and distinction ever since, except for a recent brief hiatus.

As anyone who knows him will attest, Peter is not just your garden variety biermeister. He is as picky as they come, and would never tolerate anything but the finest German beer being served at Syncro de Mayo.

After much deliberation and testing, Peter selected Spaten to be the official Syncro de Mayo beer. Spaten has been brewing beer for over 600 years, since 1397, and still adheres to the 'Purity Law" of 1516 issued by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria, which strictly governs the purity and ingredients of beer.

But Syncro de Mayo's Biermeister did not stop there. Beer alone was not good enough for him. He also secured a sponsorship from Spaten, and a Volkswagen Bus, the 'Spaten Bus,' from which to serve fresh, iced kegs of Spaten through ice-encased coils leading directly to the mugs of thirsty Syncronauts.

(Yes, that's the Biermeister behind the wheel. Click on it for a better view.) By the end of the first year of Spaten sponsorship, everyone fell in love with the Spaten Bus. Now, it is now hard to imagine Syncro de Mayo without it. Or without our beloved Biermeister.

In his official capacity as Syncro de Mayo Biermeister, Peter hereby issues "Last Call" for votes on which two Spaten kegs to bring to Area 5 this year. The poll will be closing soon, and it's almost time to order the kegs. To vote, scroll up a bit, the poll is in the right border area.

The Founders & Organizers

2011-03-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Meet the Syncronauts working behind the scenes to bring you (and us!) Syncro de Mayo 2011:

The Organizers

This will be the 10th Syncro de Mayo organized collectively by this group of original Founders and Organizers.

If you'd like to help out during the event, please drop us an e-mail.

Tech Workshop Update

2011-03-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Tech Workshop on Friday is taking shape and looking really good. We are happy to announce that Daryl Christensen of AA Transaxle will now be doing a segment on syncro transaxles.

Daryl is generally recognized as the foremost expert on the syncro transaxle in the United States. He will give a short talk and answer questions on how to keep your transaxle alive and what kills them, with particular emphasis on the impacts of various engine conversions, and what can be done to beef the transaxle up to withstand higher torque levels.

As we posted previously, Thomas Hann will be flying in from Germany to participate in the TDI workshop. We will updating this post shortly with further information about the TDI Workshop. Stay tuned!

SYNCRO UNIVERSITY: Classes Start Soon!

2011-03-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

Syncro University was founded in 2003 to provide syncronauts who had little or no off-road experience with some basic skills and knowledge so that they could head out on the trails with enough confidence to have fun and gain valuable experience on their own.

The coursework typically includes a short lecture, followed by a demo by the instructor on the obstacle being addressed, and then the "students" each make an attempt. Individualized feedback is then provided. A second or even third attempt is made if necessary to master the section.

The "Professors" are all top-notch drivers and, with the exception of Dale, have been teaching at Syncro University since its founding in 2003. We have already introduced Tom, Adam and Dale, below. The yet-to- be-mentioned faculty member is Professor John Wessels. John is a co-founder of Syncro de Mayo, was named Syncro de Mayo Best Driver in 2002, has won numerous other off-road driving awards and has tackled some of the most difficult trails in the United States.

Here's John in his famous Syncromog attacking a rocky climb. When John built SyncroMog in 2001, no one had ever seen anything like it, or the many modifications to the suspension and drive-train John engineered, and which are still being emulated and built upon by others today.

Here's a short clip of John and SyncroMog covering the same trail Tom covered at the end of the video in the prior post, below, that will give you some idea of John's skill level. Additionally, Tom's syncro was essentially stock in the other video and struggled over some of the larger bumps, which you can see SyncroMog walks over with ease.

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In addition to the beginner class, Syncro University will offer an advanced class this year for syncronauts with more experience who want to sharpen their skills.

We are fortunate to have such a talented and outstanding faculty, and are grateful to John, Adam, Tom and Dale for volunteering the time and effort to conduct the classes and to make Syncro University available to all syncronauts.

The Defending Champs

2011-03-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

The thrill of Victory, and the agony of defeat. Pictured above are a few of the more thrilling drivers: Tom Lengyel, his brother Adam Lengyel and Dale Mendenhall. Tom won the "Syncro Cup" at Syncro de Mayo last year, and Dale won "Driver of the Year." (Adam was in the hunt until he got bad info on the exam!) These guys have bestowed a good share of agony on some of best syncronauts out there, and will be tough to beat in this year's expanded Syncro Cup Challenge Off Road Competition.

Anyone who has attended Syncro de Mayo for more than a year or two already knows that, year in and year out, Tom Lengyel is one of the top drivers, if not the top dog. Tom has put over 500,000 miles on 'Old Blue,' having bought her brand new around 25 years ago. The two are usually seen together at an odd angle, often with one or two wheels in the air ... although Tom always knows exactly where his wheels are.

Dale is more of a recent phenomenon, having rocketed to the top seemingly from out of nowhere. He is an intriguing driver to watch. At one moment, he will tackle a complicated technical obstacle with grace and ease, while the next he will Bonzi! up a hill and over the bumps like they are not even there.

Of course, you don't get to be "Driver of the Year" at Syncro de Mayo without paying some dues along the way, as Dale certainly has:

This will be the 11th year that Syncro de Mayo has awarded the coveted title of "Best Driver." Will Tom and Dale hold onto their Championships this year? In a matter of weeks, we'll find out! There will be an expanded and exciting new course this year, with two competition classes, modified syncros and stock syncros. This will encourage more people to enter and more evenly matched competitions.

In the mean time, here is a compilation of some yourtube video footage (thank you for allowing us to borrow it!) of Tom and Dale in action, with Roger Sprung and his Progresive Bluegrass Band in the background playing "Wild Goose Chase."

FireFox Users, if player does not work, click this link.

Thomas Hann to Give TDI Conversion Workshop at Syncro de Mayo

2011-02-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

Thomas Hann, of HA-PROJEKT, will be flying in from Germany to attend Syncro de Mayo, and to conduct a TDI conversion workshop on Friday. Detlev Hanschke and possibly one other TDI conversion specialist will also be participating in the TDI portion of the workshop. Subaru conversions will also be covered. Test drive opportunities will be available. Stay tuned for additional details.

Thomas Hann working on the wiring harness of a 140 HP TDI going into a syncro.

For those of you who do not know Thomas, he is a pioneer in TDI conversions into vanagons, and is thought to be the first person to do a TDI conversion in Europe. He has been doing TDI conversions since their introduction in 1994. Additionally, out of the same crazed love of the T3 we share, Thomas has devoted his entire 25 year career primarily to the VW transporter. Currently, about 75% of his work is devoted to Vanagons (T3), and 25% to T4s and T5s.

He has installed or participated in approximately 25 6cyl TDI conversions into vanagons, and many, many more 4 and 5 cylinder conversions. In addition to the TDI, Thomas has extensive experience building specialized gearboxes for TDI equipped Syncros and Vanagons, and has been rebuilding Vanagon and Syncro transaxles for over 20 years. And of course he has many other sub-specialties with all of his experience.

Thomas and Detlev are developing a "plug & play" TDI conversion package that includes the diesel clutch input shaft, the Dual Mass TDI flywheel, custom built transmission and cruise control.

Matt Quilter on Guitar

2011-02-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

We are very happy to announce that the One, the Only, the Legendary Matt Quilter will be performing on stage with his one-man band on Saturday evening again this year.

Matt provides the perfect ambiance and beat for the post-syncro-competition wind-down and Potluck BBQ. His music is as timeless as Syncro de Mayo.

Here's a sampler from his website to get you in the mood.

An Old Friend Returns to Syncro de Mayo

2011-01-28T03:02:00.000-08:00

With the return of Spaten as an event sponsor, the most enduring - and endearing - symbol of Syncro de Mayo will be joining us again this year: The Spaten Bus. We are very happy to have her back again. :- )

An Open Letter to Friends of Syncro de Mayo

2011-01-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Syncro de Mayo.

We are writing to announce the dates for Syncro de Mayo 2011. In what has traditionally been a good omen, the stars have aligned just right to allow us to open Syncro de Mayo on Cinco de Mayo. The event dates are May 5 - 8, 2011.

The best thing about Syncro de Mayo is friends, wheeling, camp fires, learning new things your syncro can do, camaraderie, and most of all, seeing all of our friends, and spending three days together with you talking and driving syncros from dawn to dusk, and well into the night.

We wanted to let you know that we are among the many people who will be putting on Syncro de Mayo this year. Many of us have been there since the very first event, or shortly after. You are invited and most welcome to join us in putting the event on this year. Just send us an e-mail if you are interested in helping out.

Cinco de Mayo will be here before you know it. Let's make this a Syncro de Mayo to remember.

We look forward to seeing ALL our friends at Area 5 in May.

Tom Lengyel - SdM co-Founder, Syncro University Senior Professor, Syncro Cup
Winner 2010

Adam Lengyel - SdM co-Founder, Syncro University Assoc. Professor, Longtime
Tour-leader and SdM All Around Hand

Peter Buettner - SdM co-Founder, Spaten beer Meister, long-time heavy lifter
at SdM, SdM co-Organizer 2004

John Wessels - SdM co-Founder, SdM Organizer 2006 - 2008, Syncro University
Senior Professor and Technical Expert, longtime heavy lifter at SdM

Jeb Pronto - SdM Volunteer since 2003, longtime heavy lifter

Detlev Hanschke - SdM Volunteer since 2001, VW factory trained Syncro
specialist

Dunia Hanschke - SdM Volunteer since 2001, known to make the best BBQ lamb
West of Persia

Amir Talai - SdM Volunteer since 2001, originator of the “Syncro de Mayo” name

Welcome to the Syncro de Mayo Blog

2010-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is the official blog for Syncro de Mayo 2011. News, information and developments regarding the 2011 event will be posted here.

The URLs for the event website are Syncro-de-Mayo.com, Syncrodemayo.com and Syncrodemayo.org

If you are interested in helping out with the event, please see the Volunteer page for further information.
Thanks, and see you in May!