My 'new' Tristar Syncro Doka - The journey starts here...

[KarlT]

Welcome, nice looking bus. Get rid of those LT mirriors though, sacrilege!!

Nearly got the right reg for the SVX!

They're my initials Karl... Remember me now mate?

Sorry, no.

[mrmule]

Thanks for everyones welcoming comments.

Okey doke. Here's my conundrum. There is no right answer, simply the lesser of two evils (or three actually).

At the moment, I have an MV engine in the Doka with all the DJ ancilliaries on it. It behaved really well dring the 110 miles home yesterday, although not returning fantastic economy (guess around 20-22mpg). But thats probably the AWD talking. I also got the old DJ block with the Doka, which was a Volkspares special (see Ghia's brick yard thread), which was taken out due to a 'top end knock' which was not confirmed, simply swapped with the MV for expediancy. I have the EJ25 in the Multivan and everything is copacetic. My Dads engine and 5 speed trans has definitely seen better days but both work.

The grand plan before entry of Syncro was to upgrade the Multivan to an SVX, and put the whole EJ25 gear in my dads (thus converting it to a practical Auto for me ol' dad). But now I dont know what to do; I still have a complete SVX sitting on the drive, and it runs really well. Totally possible to sell on, although I cant see me not putting it in something as I have already invested in a few conversion bits from the states, one of which was an Audi 200 turbo transmission from German Transaxle in Oregon.

A few people have already said not to convert the Doka to tdi and leave it as petrol to keep the Tristar as original as possible. This could lend itself to putting the SVX in the Doka, as I want it to remain LEZ compliant. But the game plan was really to have the Multivan built as the motorway cruiser, and the Doka as the fun torqy play thing.

So options are:

1.Forget the SVX. Leave Multivan as is. fix up dads engine and trans. Run the Doka as is until something breaks. Spend money on doing up Doka's other bits.
2. SVX in Multivan, EJ25 in dads velle, leave Doka as is, and upgrade to Tdi when something goes bang.
3. SVX in the Doka, leave Multivan as is, fix up the DJ and put in dads van. I think the least disrupting option.
4. Fix up the DJ now and swap engines over in the Doka. SVX in MV and EJ25 in dads vella.

I gotta be honest, I dont want a wasser in any of them. I've read and experianced nothing but problems with them since I was about 7 when the head bolts went on dads vella on our first day on holiday . As such, I havent got the motivation to fix up any of the wassers, which makes the tdi option for the Doka really really appealing.

Does anyone have a rear Syncro badge? Mine is missing (Should it have one on the front too?)

[..lee..]

Theres nothing that can't be undone if you Tdi the tri star. Keep and box all the petrol bits incase a concourse head wants it after you and I think worry over. The tdi's drive so nice in a van and now mine is etdi it's really smooth and quiet too.

Lee

[silverbullet]

1.Forget the SVX. Leave Multivan as is. fix up dads engine and trans. Run the Doka as is until something breaks. Spend money on doing up Doka's other bits.
2. SVX in Multivan, EJ25 in dads velle, leave Doka as is, and upgrade to Tdi when something goes bang.
3. SVX in the Doka, leave Multivan as is, fix up the DJ and put in dads van. I think the least disrupting option.
4. Fix up the DJ now and swap engines over in the Doka. SVX in MV and EJ25 in dads vella.

I gotta be honest, I dont want a wasser in any of them. I've read and experianced nothing but problems with them since I was about 7 when the head bolts went on dads vella on our first day on holiday . As such, I havent got the motivation to fix up any of the wassers, which makes the tdi option for the Doka really really appealing.

First up - tasty Tristar! I saw it in Banbury when MG first had it up for sale at sensible money, around £4750 I think it was...Mrs doesn't like trucks so that was that!
There's nothing wrong with a good healthy wbx but I'm biased/a wrong-un. Didn't VW have a bit of bother with the early ones, which led to a change in spec of the head studs etc? I rebuilt mine with a handful of new parts, cam, rings, a stud or two and recycled the rest. Have you considered a change to modern engine management e.g. Megasquirt sequential injection? That'd gain some mpg and reliability , I plan on getting systems fitted to both of our buses, duel fuel too.

P.S. The EG33 will safely bore out to 3.8 litres unlike the later "close bore centre" 3.0 engines.
I'm not sure I'm helping really...

[mrmule]

Theres nothing that can't be undone if you Tdi the tri star. Keep and box all the petrol bits incase a concourse head wants it after you and I think worry over.
Lee

Yep I like this suggestion. Especially as I can take ym time having the DJ fixed up.

The EG33 will safely bore out to 3.8 litres

Whhhhhhaaaaaaaaaat?!?!

Damn you Ian. Damn you. You do realise I have to do that now.

Where did you hear they performed such ludicrisity?

[Peninsulakid]

5th Option

Swap your Petrol Tristar as is, for my RHD Doka with LPG, vindic, refurbed box from Aidan, both lockers in full working order, and don't worry about whatever you put in it engine wise!!!!!

Cheers Rich

[silverbullet]

The EG33 will safely bore out to 3.8 litres

Whhhhhhaaaaaaaaaat?!?!

Damn you Ian. Damn you. You do realise I have to do that now.

Where did you hear they performed such ludicrisity?

We do a bit of EJ block modification for our preferred engine shop's road/race customers and I hear there are a few EG33's running with the later 2.5 cylinder bore. Quite a strong engine but best suited to the Subaru's auto 4wd trans which can handle large torque inputs (Stevo's Impreza 2.5 turbo makes 1400 ponies with a heavily modified auto for drag racing, but it's a light car)

A 3.8 would destroy the syncro's transmission in no time I'd have thought. The std 3.3 is rated at 240 bhp isn't it?

[mrmule]

The std 3.3 is rated at 240 bhp isn't it?

Yep, with the same torque.

3.8. That'd be crazy delicious.

[mrmule]

These are nice phat chunky wheels. Some kind of Merc AMG? Tyres look like they'd rip off the arches with a hint of an axle twister...

[jed the spread]

They look like Penta's

jed

[syncropatrick]

Do I detect a taste off challenge!! and an off road weekend
Hoping to organise Strata for late April or May.

1 Jed The Spread
1.5 lloydy
2 v-lux
3 syncropatrick if its not too wet! I didn't follow Al after this http://youtu.be/Nq0lT1oQ2sk

[jebiga41]

Do I detect a taste off challenge!! and an off road weekend
Hoping to organise Strata for late April or May.

1 Jed The Spread
1.5 lloydy
2 v-lux
3 syncropatrick if its not too wet! I didn't follow Al after this http://youtu.be/Nq0lT1oQ2sk

Hmm might be interested

[axeman]

Do I detect a taste off challenge!! and an off road weekend
Hoping to organise Strata for late April or May.

1 Jed The Spread
1.5 lloydy
2 v-lux
3 syncropatrick if its not too wet! I didn't follow Al after this http://youtu.be/Nq0lT1oQ2sk

Hmm might be interested

5 tempted,

[jebiga41]

Oh Mr Mule you might want to take off that rather nice body kit and spoiler off if you are considering offroading it nothing more pitiful than the sight of a grown man crying over bits off plastic

[mrmule]

Oh Mr Mule you might want to take off that rather nice body kit and spoiler off if you are considering offroading it nothing more pitiful than the sight of a grown man crying over bits off plastic

Thought I'd just let nature take its course!
So is anyone gonna tell me What/where 'Strata' is?