I ordered front drop links and received short cast items rather than the long rod type. Am I missing something as many vendors list these type for my car?

The short cast ones are for the standard engines, the vRS and the 4x4 use the longer type with a balljoint on each end

Cheers mate. Having done some more research I've been told the cast are for earlier cars while the double ball joint are later. Not sure how true this is?

Not true, all vRS used the long design.  My Y reg one does

Edited 16 August, 20169 yr by Liverpool-Lad

The vRS front roll bar pickup point is on the suspension strut on all model years on the mk1, like the Audi TT and the Leon Cupra R, whereas the rest of the range uses the lower wishbone as a pickup point, hence the shorter link

Excellent, cheers gents.