Looking to buy from Alberta - advice?

[robinlambert]

Hello, I am new to the forum but have been watching now for a bit and I have been looking for the right opportunity to purchase a Delica (L300 preferably). However, as I live in Alberta, my options are limited and I am looking for a bit of advice - most Delicas I am finding online are on the west cost.

My options, as I see it are:

- Scour the internet for a good deal and when I find one, fly to Vancouver, hope the good deal is still good in person and then drive it back to Red Deer. The problem here is buying sight unseen. It just doesn't feel comfortable.
- Fly out to Vancouver and buy from one of the seemingly numerous dealers out there and hope something clicks. (My fear is striking out.)
- Having a Delica shipped out by a dealer (there are a couple that have offered this) but again, the unseen thing is worrisome.
- Wait unlit a nice Delica comes up for sale in Alberta. (though I would really like this done before work gets crazy in the fall - I am a college instructor).

Thoughts? Experiences? Options?

Thanks in advance.

And as an aside, from what I have seen, there are some nice Delicas for sale both privately and at dealers - maybe I just need to trust more.

[MardyDelica]

hi, you just have to trust,
see who are you dealing with, all this delica need to be service.
without any service very hard as you will be the one to do it.
not easy to find any shop that knows about this.
so just beware.if you buy delica for cheap or low price without service it will be your own decision just remember it cost big money to fully service this delica.
i dont sell delica without service from shock to other parts as all this old shock on delica is gone no matter how low mileage it is. thats if the shock is original it need to be replace. this is just one of the example.
as i see 10 out of 1 usually 90 percent they dont change it.
thats why i service all my delica no matter what condition it is.
as the customer will be the one to deal this service later.
if you need help you can call me anytime maybe i can help you:
hope this help:
Cheers:
Mardy

[drrod]

The easiest/best way would be to decide what you wanted (model/color/year/etc) and then put in your order with a reputable dealer at an agreed upon price. The only thing left to do would be to decide how you would get it to Alberta once it was procured.
You can't go wrong getting one from Mardy. That being said, we didn't get ours from him but rather a private sale that had recently come via him (with the documentation) and it has been flawless for over 2 years. I know there are no guarantees with a 15-20 yr old vehicle but getting it from a reputable dealer is the next best thing.
Rod

[robinlambert]

Thanks Mardy and Rod - you are reaffirming my thoughts. I don't want to rush into things I just know that once school starts, my hunt will be over until the spring.

I think I will be calling Mardy and/or heading to Vancouver.

[crushers]

i am not big on trust either and i buy from all over the world now.
similar to the Delica comunity the Land Cruiser world is a small tight nit bunch (biggest difference being the value of the product being purchases) so i use these connections to inspect the units.
when i bought from Brisbane recently i contacted the seller (dealer) and recieved exactly what he was selling in pics and in writing.
then i contacted 2 different Land Cruiser people in that city to inspect the unit as if they were purchasing the unit themselves and got them to send pics of the flaws and a driving report. (i paid $100 CND to have them do this for me, it was the least i could do)
compared the 3 reports and found the dealer was completely upfront and honest with his appraisal of the unit.
when it arrived in Ontario this spring the truck was much better than i expected it to be (360K on it but it looked, drived and felt like 50K).

you have a mostly trustworthy community here so find a vehicle that meets your expectations and budget and pay someone to inspect it for you.

HINT: there is a BEAUTIFUL L300, low km unit coming up for sale in Calgary in the near future, if you budget allows you should go take a peek at it. One of my customers is changing to a L400 and will be selling this one himself hopefully in the fall.

cheers

[bigbird]

I bought from Mardy pretty much product unseen. It has worked out very well!!! On the day Mardy was taking my L300 to the trucking company who was shipping it out to Alberta he discovered the turbo was leaking. He called me to postpone the delivery date so he could send the turbo out to be fixed. He stands behind his customers and his product. Just my experience but I'd say it's a safe bet. I've heard similar things about Glen at CC autos. Not that these gentlemen are the only shows in town, but they seem to get positive reviews again and again.

[K-Factor]

You could check JDM imports in Edmonton, he could import one for you, he has imported a few, including a LHD one I think. or there are a few other importers in Calgary that might know the Delica good enough.

[William]

Robin,

I believe that you had emailed me already and I gave you the scoop on hiring a broker like my company. If your not okay with this process and end up going somewhere else, I can point you in the right places at least for inspection, parts, compliance, and registration.

[robinlambert]

Thanks again everyone for your advice. It has all been helpful.

I am just about ready to bite the bullet and join the club.

[Erebus]

Having met Mardy, I can recommend him. Private sales from members of this forum are reasonably safe, if you check the seller's past and behaviour on the forum.

If one comes for sale in the Calgary area and you want me to have a look at it, don't hesitate to do so. I've done it before for someone else.

Good luck!

Edit: er, I meant to say "don't hesitate to ask me to do so."

[TardisDeli]

Hi Robin, our home, aka the TardisDeli Motel, has had herds of albertans stay with us while doing their pre-purchase inspections, and for their annual maintenance trips. You are most welcome too. Get a cheapo westjet flight, Mardy or someone from this forum can pick you up at the airport. We'll do a mini-meet, perhaps at CVI for an educational mini-meet.

I hope you have met with Fred Erebus, and other locals, to pick their brains and drive their vans. You asked about low roof L300, does it need to be low, the high is much better for camping (can sit up while chairs in bed mode).

Hurry up, do a midweek flight, stay here for a few days. Weekends are not so good for everyone right now as everyone rushes to finish summer. PM Private message us for our phone number, if you want to chat.

Cheers, Christine.

[naterade]

Zen Autoworks in Calgary frequently bring in Delicas. Check with them, perhaps they can import the exact model you are after. Currently they have a nice looking L400 in stock in Calgary.

www.zenautoworks.ca

Otherwise, keep a keen eye on Kijiji, that's where I found mine!!


Cheers

[robinlambert]

Thanks everyone - in the end, I bought from a dealer and it will be delivered to Alberta next Thursday and I can't wait to take possession. I am almost in the club!