Syncro 4&4 Discussion and Q&A last answered over 2 years ago.
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Titus A Duxass wrote:Serious people would have done some research before coming on here with lame questions.
Get a sense of humour and use the search mechanism that is available.
Google also works.
Or would you rather other people do your work for you?
Theres no such thing as a stupid question.....
And I think many of the posters in this thread should try and act your real age.
Liberty, having owned and sold and ever since trying to find a tristar syncro: hope you get it!
Now
88 Westfalia syncro AAZ i/c
91 Caravelle syncro DJ
89 doka syncro DJ
89 Westfalia California JX
84 Reimo Camper 1.9 WBX
90 Caravelle Coach JX
98 Sharan 110hp TDi
Taigagreen. Thanks for your kind and helpful posting. I don't understand the jibe about lame questions either. I've only asked one question - what is the likely value range for a well-described Tristar Syncro Crewcab? Some people do seem very bad-tempered - no doubt there is a good reason for this but it's a pity they take out their frustrations on others. I'll certainly do my best to buy the Tristar and if I do I expect to keep it for the rest of my days.
Titus A Duxass wrote:Serious people would have done some research before coming on here with lame questions.
Get a sense of humour and use the search mechanism that is available.
Google also works.
Or would you rather other people do your work for you?
Theres no such thing as a stupid question.....
Where did I say "..a stupid question" ?
I said lame, as in ill thought out, ill defined.
Didn,t i open a big can of worms, You have been offered a 20 year old vehicle, quite rare, and that brings it,s own problems, parts supply, transmission rebuild, i could go on, probably worth 3K tops,BUT, how badly to you want it? Which takes me back to my original reply.
Titus. I'm glad to see that your ill-tempered response is now being outnumbered by kindly well-thought-out responses, for which I'm grateful. May the true character of the group continue to shine through and outweigh the spiteful brigade.
For what's it worth, I'd agree with a previous poster that a RHD tristar is worth between £3k and £15k. As a long time VW fan you'll probably be aware of the range of prices that vans can command. Objectively, the value is in the condition - for most classic VWs most important thing is body condition (most mechanicals are fairly simple / not too dear to repair) but syncro mechanicals are more expensive to fix so most syncro buyers want some provenance about the mechanical condition. To give you some idea, I have a syncro doka bought for about £5k in what most people would regard as good nick, but have spent about £3k on mechanicals and probably have another £2kor£3k to go before I have it in the mechanical condition and off-road spec that I want. When it's fully sorted, I'd expect it to have a value of around £7k but others might disagree, and frankly my doka is worked quite hard so will never be the prettiest vehicle which may put some off.
Tristars are a bit of an oddity especially in syncro spec (I think they did 2wd tristars as well but could be wrong). The extra rear door and sliding rear windows are really appealing, but the extra trim can be a mixed blessing if you want to use it as a work horse (e.g. off-roading, carrying dirty loads) - for me and I think many other syncro doka owners, it's a liability that we wouldn't want. I really appreciate the vinyl and rubber interior of mine when I've got wet muddy dogs / kids with me and am caked in mud / sawdust / oil. However, other people will value the plusher and quieter interior, but they may not really want the 4wd capability and could be better off with a cheaper (to buy & maintain) 2wd tristar.
Assuming that the tristar you have in mind is priced in the upper half of the range, there are numerous other options that could be more useable / sensible. You could obviously get a nice camper for that money, or if you want 4wd, then there's a whole load of newer, faster/more comfortable 4wd's out there (I've owned & used many of them). Having said that, a mint RHD tristar would be an unusual and I'm sure a very satisfying show vehicle.
Bottom line - if you like it and can afford it, buy it but don't do it as an investment. A nice camper (2wd or 4wd) or a regular syncro doka have wider market appeal. If you don't need 4wd, standard 2wd doka's are very good value (I've seen several decent ones for £1500-£4k).
My initial response was not ill tempered. Flippant, irrelevant and some may say funny.
I was trying to be subtle, obviously this approach failed.
You come on here with no introduction and pose a question that demonstrates that you have made little or no effort to find the answer yourself.
You do not say where you have looked, through which forums etc.
You give us no idea of your skill level or experience with these vehicles.
Maybe next time you could try something along these lines:
Hi all,
I (insert name as appropriate) have a chance at a VW T3 XXX
I have no or very little idea about these VW T3s but my research through websites and forum suggest that the value is between 1500 and 5000 quid.
Would XXXX be a fair price.?
Thanks
XXXX
Notice the key word in that last bit?
You have found one of the best sources of information about VW T3s, we will be helpful if asked a better manner.
liberty wrote: Needless to say I find it easy to ignore the responses which tell me nothing worthwhile - apart from revealing something of the character of the posters..
Yep, fun, lighthearted, and with a sense of humour. I for one would hate it if this forum was populated with people that started off as grumpy @rses from only their second post. Thank God it's not.
Silky
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems but it will p.iss off enough people to make it worth the effort
liberty wrote: Needless to say I find it easy to ignore the responses which tell me nothing worthwhile - apart from revealing something of the character of the posters..
Yep, fun, lighthearted, and with a sense of humour. I for one would hate it if this forum was populated with people that started off as grumpy @rses from only their second post. Thank God it's not.
if, as you say..." On Thursday evening he responded by phone and asked a lot of questions about me before disclosing anything about the Tristar. He wants it to go to a genuine enthusiast, who will cherish it long term and he needed to be satisfied I fell into that category. He has owned the vehicle for about 17 years and has himself cherished it during that time. He named his price, which I thought was on the high side"
The Synchro Tristar crewcab has a high soft top on hoops over the load area but so far as I'm aware no other extras. The diff locks have been regularly operated and work as they should
If the colour is white, it has the original Tristar wheels, has the square headlights and the interior is in mint condition,I would be willing to pay up to £10k
Mick & Tracey. Thank you so much for your considered and very interesting response. We wouldn't ourselves be using the Tristar as a workhorse but as a leisure vehicle to enjoy on days out and to visit VW shows and events. We would appreciate the extra luxury of the cab and we don't need to consider a camper van as an alternative because we have a Hymer motorhome. Much food for thought in your response and we shall bear in mind everything you have so kindly said.
terryvanman. Thank you too for your kind response. This Tristar is not white but mid metallic blue. It does have the square headlights and what I believe to be original Tristar alloy wheels - not the attractive 5 spoke type but multi spoke ones. How do you think this additional info affects the value range you have already indicated? I look forward to your further comments with anticipation.
syncro`s are fantastic vehicles and you`ll find you`ll want to use it. " lots " they also like to show the off road boys a thing or two. i think having a syncro and not useing it off road is a waste because you`ll be really missing out on something.
mint tristar as a show van? Oh yes please. i`d love one.
mint tristar to use and abuse in a most loving way? may not be what you`re looking for.
that said i dont know any syncro owner that doesn`t fancy another one. so maybee you should buy it and buy another to come offroading with us.
lee. Thanks for that. You succeeded in making me chuckle with anticipation. I think we'll stick at one Syncro but maybe try a little careful off-roading with it. Hope we meet up sometime.
I think I would stick with my original value [£10] until some photos or a visit was forthcoming, a 10k tristar will not be free of 20 odd years of use even as a road only vehicle, and an allowance should be made to bring it up to full spec condition [as a lot of members have found out to their cost]
You have been offered a 20 year old vehicle, quite rare, and that brings it,s own problems, parts supply, transmission rebuild, i could go on, probably worth 3K tops,BUT, how badly to you want it? Which takes me back to my original reply. 
