Help!

I'm going to look at a Syncro (not a Westy)  tonight and need some advice. 
Its a 87 GL, 90k, and A/C.  The guy is asking $9,400 w/o replacing the heads
and $10,400 with the heads done.

I live in Seattle and every Tom, Dick and Harry wants a four-wheel drive
around here.  Syncros, or for that matter any good condition late model
Vanagon, sell like hot cakes and over blue book.  So why do I want to join
the herd?  My wife and I spend our weekends climbing and back-country skiing
the Cascades.  We drive lots of Forest Service access roads as well as Mtn
passes.  Four wheel would be nice, but at what price?  We've only gotten
stuck once in Billy-Rae (82 Oil Burner) but with a top speed of 60 mph, I
think we need alittle more umpf.

Here are my questions:
1.  Are there bad or stay away years for Syncos?
2.  How hard is it to "do the heads"?
3.  How durable is the Syncro (tranny and such)?
4.  I hear Syncro in incrediably hard (read expensive) to fix? Am I asking
for trouble?
5.  Is 90k of city driving harder on the Syncro than usual?
6.  What kind of gas milage can I expect?
7.  Would you buy it?

The Syncro is in really nice shape, but.....

Thank in advance for your help!

Chris P.