Tristar Syncro, 2WD to 4WD, more BHP!!

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   Ok ok, everyone knows I've already got 2 Syncros which aren't currently on the road aswell as a twin sliding panel van which is not much more than a rolling shell but now and again something comes up which you just can't say no to.
I've been after this particular Syncro for almost a year when a good friend down south first told me that he'd seen a RHD Tristar Crewcab sat on a street with tax which was about to run out.
I asked him to leave a note on the windscreen with my phone number and saying that I was interested in buying it. After about 7 notes and over a month of nothing I got a phonecall from a garage on behalf of the owner saying he wanted x amount for it and that he would sell it for that. I said ok I'll buy it and started getting ready for a trip to the capital city.
A week later I spoke to the owner for the first time and said I would come down the following day to collect and would bring cash. He seemed ok with it so I looked up train times and checked out the address etc. However when I phoned up the following day about to set off for the train station, he changed his mind and said he couldn't sell it and that he wanted to keep it!! 
I said ok but please give me first refusal from now on if you want to sell it.
Over the next 11 months I pestered the owner every 2 months or so to check if he wanted to sell it. Then out of the blue I got a text from my friend down south saying that the owner wanted to sell it if I was still interested. I phoned up immediately and the deal was back on.
This weekend has been a stressful one with organising cash, lots of phonecalls back and forth, a day late and I had just about given up hope that the owner was going to part with this rare beast!
Come about 3PM today, I got a phonecall saying that the Tristar was in Leeds!!! 
We met up, exchanged cash for V5, MOT and a clear HPi and I've bought yet another Syncro!
The pic is one taken by my friend down south as I haven't had chance yet to take any.

It's a 1990 RHD Tristar Crewcab. There are conflicting reports as to how many were actually made but it's something around 18 to 21. I will try to contact VW and get a precise figure. I think I'll probably find that Aidan has the info correct of 18.
This particular van came spec'd with the following:
Power steering, central locking, truck mirrors, headlight washers, dip rear view mirror, front and rear difflocks, Syncro westy towbar, spare wheel carrier underneath, spotlights. I'm still discovering things!!
It's present condition isn't fantastic though. Bodily it's very good. There's very little rust, a little on the seams, a few dings and dents here and there but mechanically it's a mess!
It has lost it's 4 wheel drive system and is currently running a 2.1 DJ engine with carb setup, 2WD 4 speed gearbox and 17 inch OZ racing wheels! Not exactly helpful for offroading . Whoever fitted the 2WD gearbox has even removed the propshaft protection bar mounting points so I'll have to weld some back on!
From the look of the engine, it's a Volkspares replacement which doesn't fill me with joy. It's not very happy at present but I'm hoping a good service etc will sort it out. The speedo doens't work at the moment which could be anything from the clock, speedo cable or speedo drive inside the front differential. I'm presuming there is a VC inside the front diff but who knows!
I'll have to build a gearbox for it, find a propshaft, engine proection bars, propshaft proection bars, reconnect the difflock system and fit a syncro exhaust system to the engine.
Atleast it's on the road and I can drive it around as I've been driving everyone elses cars around since I sold the Bluestar!!
I'd like to say thankyou to my other half for putting up with me this weekend as I've been a right royal pain in the arse!!! 
Thanks baby!

MG

Edited by Ghia