how "off road ready" can a Delica be?

[crushers]

okay, i was searching through some old posts came across this statement. "Off Road Ready".
to me an off road rig is not all about roof racks, light bars and "bling". off road means you can take it off the road with a feeling of security that it will get you back on the black top.
fancy chrome does not get you home.
to make a Delica off road ready you will need to do some decent upgrades.
very basic, you will need to redesign the front bumper so that you can install a winch (preferably a Warn 8274, the only real winch)
you will need tow points front and rear that are located high enough to be accessible should you get stuck and strong enough that you can tug without ripping it off the truck.
you will need to relocate the air filter housing higher, preferably inside the cab with a snorkel running up. not one of those tree catching "things" that run up the outside of the body. some thought will have to go into the construction and location.
you will need to figure out how to seal the timing belts since water might be fine but any mud inside the NON-SEALED timing cover will be destructive to seals and idler pullies.
you will need to figure out how to keep seeds, leaves, branches, snow from plugging up the rad, a heavy screen of sorts will need to be made and installed.
the drive train itself is nice and high, the shafts are straight.
you will need to enlarge the exhaust system to counter the heat stress from lugging a diesel.
if auto you will need to add an additional tranny cooler to keep the heat down. auto trannies creat a LOT of heat when starting and stopping.

so how "OFF ROAD ready" really is a Delica with a light bar and roof rack?

cheers M8s
BTW, when we relocate to Ontario in a couple months i am planning on bringing in a 5 spd Delica for the sole purpose of creating a true "OFF ROAD" Delica (that can still be driven on the road). I will start a thread at that time detailing the adventure.

[BCDelica]

Can't wait to here about your "OFF ROAD" Delica project!

Just made that discovery about the timing belt cover yesterday well a buddy helped me change mine. 80,000km and the balance belt was sooooo bad. He thought a inside air cleaner and snorkel up in behind the driver's seat would work, even going as far a drawing up an idea of how to fabricate one. Then he saw those plastic covers and the sealing they would require, so if the water is over my ankles I'll turn around. Do have a heavy piece of expanded steel prefect cut to fit the front 'scoop' and as soon as I'm better it's going to be installed. Many times so far fallen branch have come close to finding there way up into the rad's.

BTW, shouldn't you be moving West not East? :D

[crushers]

nah, after 27 years it is time to go home... the last few years i have been REALLY missing my family and with the price of property in Calgary the timing is right. we bought a 1870 scool house that was converted over in 1957... surrounded by 250 acres of bush and farm land...
i would move to BC in a heart beat if it wasn't for the government and Mike Woods...

[EnviroImports.com]

i would move to BC in a heart beat if it wasn't for the government and Mike Woods...

ROFL.... to funny, but ya your so right, I have plans to do some pretty wild mods for wheeling also, im going with mog axels with the built in lift, portal axels and a custom "on road & off road" overdrive. all hail auto cad......... anyway, post your picts, once you get working on it,ttyl
Noel

[josh]

we bought a 1870 school house that was converted over in 1957... surrounded by 250 acres of bush and farm land...

Where in Ontario? My family is in Ottawa.

Josh

[crushers]

yep, when i get time i will post the mods i have done on others units and of course a full thread on the "off road" upgrades...

Bruce County, 3 hours north west of Toronto...farming community where everyone knows everything... picture turning the clock back 20 years and that is home.

[39Ronin]

i would move to BC in a heart beat if it wasn't for the government and Mike Woods...

ROFL.... to funny, but ya your so right, I have plans to do some pretty wild mods for wheeling also, im going with mog axels with the built in lift, portal axels and a custom "on road & off road" overdrive. all hail auto cad......... anyway, post your picts, once you get working on it,ttyl
Noel

Have you thought of Volvo C303 axles? The seem like a similar size to the Delica.

[39Ronin]

I found these:
http://www.xtremevehicles.com/html/vehicle_specs.html

[BCDelica]

Cool 39, small ground clearance, point to diff, 15 inches. I'll take a set of axles please.

[EnviroImports.com]

Hi, yes actually i was looking at 303 axels a couple years ago, I brought in a dozen pair of mog404's and the dealer gave me a free set of 303's to try to give me some options, but they are only half as strong as the mogs, I know the 303's would be more than strong enough to handle anything the delicas little engine could throw its way, but I have the 404 axels allready in storage. with running mogs I can get bearings or u-joints at just about any town if anything ever went bad. my only issue right now is the distance from the rear of the t-case to the pinion of the rear diff, they have a third member like toyota. and unfortunatly it comes out a long way so unless I want a 2inch long drive shaft I have some mods to make, especially if i am going to run a super overdrive, Klune has some nice overdrives and an atlas II transfercase is alot smaller and stronger than the stock t-case, with the 404 axels they have 6" of built in lift as they are portal axels with cable lockers. so really they are indestructable and simple if I can just get around the length of the third member. I was going to do all the mods to my keeper delica in oct, but its so damn pretty. I got one last night with a mild lift and bfg tires, a few scratches here and there, I might make that my camp/wheeling rig. I have been looking for one to try that westfalia roof on, this could be the one.

[BCDelica]

Still have those 303 axels?

[EnviroImports.com]

sorry they are somewhere in California, last I heard they were on a lwb sami. But if you want some i can get more lol

[psilosin]

BTW, when we relocate to Ontario in a couple months i am planning on bringing in a 5 spd Delica for the sole purpose of creating a true "OFF ROAD" Delica (that can still be driven on the road). I will start a thread at that time detailing the adventure.

So you're importing VW Syncro Vanagons now? hehe

[crushers]

BTW, when we relocate to Ontario in a couple months i am planning on bringing in a 5 spd Delica for the sole purpose of creating a true "OFF ROAD" Delica (that can still be driven on the road). I will start a thread at that time detailing the adventure.

So you're importing VW Syncro Vanagons now? hehe

not sure, am i??

[psilosin]

was a joke...

off-road ready delica = vw syncro vanagon

hehe
haha
groan....