Hi everybody, i have been looking at Delica vans for a bit and i am very interested in purchasing one, they seem to fit everything i want out of a vehicle for my lifestyle... i am curious about a few issues such as reputation of current importers, automatic versus manual transmission parts availability etc... i live on vancouver island and i have been looking up VI custom car imports out of Parksville, i finally met one of their sellers when i drove by there to look at their vans and didn't find them overly professional on their follow-up for infos etc... they did seem to apply pressure on buying them quick saying that they won't last and that they are harder to get but they were not as quick to reply to my phone calls and e-mail requests.. anybody could give me any advise on experiences with that importer and their reputation would be greatly appreciated. also, whats with the low milleage on these things, according to this importer, laws are different in japan and vehicles have to leave the country after a certain milleage and they also have to go through lots of government inspections while in japan... are they filling my boots with B.S or is this true? what kind of guarranties do i have that the odometer hasen't been altered between there and here after the importer bought the vehicle? this guy sells them ready to drive away, apparently all necessary modifications to bring them up to canadian standards are done by them, how can i verify this? i have a hard time getting used to the rhd and i think it might be easier to get it automatic transmission but being such a small engine, are they more powerfull with a manual transmission?
what kind of mechanical issues/deffects are they known for? what should i look for before giving them my ten grand and drive away feeling that i bought a good mechanically sound vehicle? any advise would be very appreciated and i would like to congratulate everybody that is responsible for this great site, any infos like expected km per liters out of those 2.5l turbo diesel 4x4 engines top speed on hwy, up hills etc is gonna be welcome, i need a boost to convince me that they are a good buy, i have my eyes set on this nice '90 delica exceed with very low mileage and it sounds almost to good to be true! once again folks thanks for any replies!
I purchased my Delica from VI and found their service to be very good. Not that the transaction went without hitches due to a paperwork error at the exporter, but they more than compensated for any inconvenience I experienced.
I believe that most Delica mileages are correct. My understanding is that owning an older vehicle in Japan is very costly insurance and tax wise, so these vehicles get parked at an early age. When they are eligible for export they go to the auction house.
My Delica is a 1991 Super Exceed with the automatic. I find the power adequate for every day use and the torque and compression braking to be very good in off road work. I wouldn't hesitate to get the automatic as they are very smooth shifting and well set up for the power bands of the truck. I cuurently average about 11.5 l/100km in 80% highway miles over the 4000 km I have put on in two weeks of ownership. Speed is a challenge on hills, but it does pull nicely once you get used to driving a diesel.
You'll have to excuse the occasional slow reply on posts -- this forum has been up now for only a month or so, and while activity & interest are picking up, we're still at the infancy stage. Anyways, we're very glad to have you as a new contributor!
As a former owner of a 1990 Exceed automatic diesel (and hopefully a new owner in the near future), I would point out a few considerations about the vehicle:
1. These are truly head-turning vans, and are packed with alot of luxury features that you wouldn't expect to see on a 4x4 - swivel centre buckets that 'mate" to form a bed, A/C with rear controls, crystal-lite (glass) roof.
2. You should be aware that the 4x4 system does not have a centre differential on these vehicles (i.e., if you have 4x4 engaged on pavement, you will not be able to steer, plus could damage transmission).
3. You may find that the Delica is slightly underpowered especially if you do alot of highway driving. I would say that top speed on highway (without really pushing it) would be around 90kph. Then again, Delica drivers tend not to be in a rush.
4. These vehicles are extremely tall (almost 7 feet). Not suitable for underground parkades.
5. Personally, I was nervous about the RHD for the first while. However, I found after about 2 days driving it wasn't a concern at all. Some aspects are easier with RHD (parallel parking, passing cyclists). The most common complaint I hear about RHD relates to highway driving -- LHD provides better field of vision for dealing with oncoming vehicles while passing. This doesn't seem to be particularly problematic with the Delica, since it is such a tall vehicle (you'll see OVER most vehicles you pass)...
6. Delica parts are NOT sold in North America, but common in the UK and in Japan. You will want to have some spare filters (and perhaps belts) on hand. If you order from Mitsubishi in the UK, you'll incur costs for shipping of course, and I found it takes about a week.
7. I don't have any direct experience with any of the local importers. However, I believe that the general overview your importer provided you with (i.e., that the low mileage is authentic) is probably true.
8. All vehicles imported from offshore must go through a provincial vehicle safety inspection before you can purchase insurance (without one, you can obtain only day permits). If your importer sells them "ready to drive," I would take this to mean that he will obtain the provincial safety inspection on the vehicle before transferring ownership. Vehicle will also need to have a Canadian VIN plate installed. In order to ensure that vehicle is "up to Canadian standards," I would look for the Canadian VIN plate and ask that your importer provide you with the provincial safety inspection form (you'll need this to get insurance!)
Anyways, I hope that some of this helps. Again, welcome to the forum!
:D
-Mark
RHD: the only concerns I have with RHD really is passing (minor) and toll booths (not common around here, but there's always the coquhalla highway and BC ferries, plus the occasional city parking lot) we shall see shortly how much of a problem these are...
parts: this one worries me a bit... now I hear that mitsubishi dealers in the UK can order these parts in despite the vehicle never having been sold in the UK... has anyone tried the same approach with mitsubishi canada? (seems worth a try...)
Welcome aboard Surferboy, sounds like a Delica would be perfect for you. Just remember a surf board up on the roof is way up there when driving through low branches and garages.
docsavage, Welcome, wow 4000 km in two weeks! I have read that the Mitsubishi 2.5 is a 500,000 k motor, you'll be putting that to the test, awesome.
And Mark, we regularly have 'our' van at 120-130kph; but the veggie does give it more grunt. We have been pulling around our travel trailer this summer and the little power increase on WVO is really noticeable on a big hill. We are really surprised how well the Delica tow's, ain't fast but it can maintain 40kph up the steep hills around our house at 3000 rpm; and our trailer loaded is likely close to 3000 lbs. Maybe a propane injection system is in order.
I can't say much at this point about performance except I have a 1991 exceed 60,000 km 5 spd manual transmission. I have taken it over the Malahat twice (lightly loaded), it finished every hill at the speed I started up the hill. I normally drive the speed limit so when I came to the first hill I was doing 90 kmh and had no problem, but got nervous at the long steep hill and decided to cheat with a little more speed so I ran it up to 100 and never saw 98 till I slowed down at the top. When I kept it in it's power band it could pull. If you get stuck and have to slow down out of the sweet spot you won't maintain your speed and have to down shift and won't upshift till it flattens out a bit and you can get up to speed.
Kev's (BCDelica) comment caught my eye. I didn't realize wvo had a benefit on power. Good to know as I think I will be towing sooner or later. I was on a green candidates web site from Ontario (I think) which I can't find again and he talked about new diesel technology. I was hoping someone else mght be aware of it. The article mentioned harnessing the underutilized generating capacity of the alternator to split a small reserve of water into hydrogen and oxegen and super heat the hydrogen and inject it into the diesel for better combustion. Sounds complicated but it said it was really simple technology.
Call me BCDelica-less