Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

I dont have one yet..still looking and trying to decide what I want. I havent even seen one in person yet, just looked at a Toyota HiAce super custom and a Estima. The Hiace was pretty nice.
I'm reasonably familiar with the 'yotas having owned (and still own) many landcruisers and have lots of connections. I was directed by one cruiser importer towards the Delica's as he highly recommended them, but I know absolutley nothing about them.
So, whats the parts issue like with these vans? Can the local mitsu dealer order in the regular consumables like brake parts/filters etc? In the event of some kind of engine repair, are there some reputable mitsu shops around Vancouver?
What does one look for when browsing for one of these machines..aside from the usual and obvious I guess.


the 'mitsu newbie

Hey,

I am in the similar situation - here is a response from an importer I have asked a few questions to. Hope this little bit helps.

"I know you never asked about these but there is a reason i do not bring in the Townace and the Masterace, the engines are underpowered and the heads are prone to cracking which results in a $3000 repair bill to the customer. The Delica has a much more durable engine and the same fuel milage. I also like the layout of the Delica as well. I have looked into the Hiace and I am more confident with the 3L engine but as of yet i have not brought one in since i have not had any demand for these units."

Hi -- Thanks for signing up for this forum -- its awesome to see 300% membership growth overnight.

Last fall I ordered some parts from a Mitsubishi dealer in the UK. My limited experience suggests that dealer prices on the parts themselves are slightly higher than those encountered here. The difference though is in shipping costs. My own order consisted only of various filters and belts, so shipping costs weren't too bad.

My other parts purchase on the Delica was a set of brake rotors and pads. Fortunately, I have a friend living in Japan, and his visiting relatives packed these back to Canada in their suitcases, thus avoiding shipping costs.

In addition to Mitsubishi name brand parts, there is an active market for aftermarket parts for the Delica. These parts seem to be quite abit lower than the Mitsubishi parts. A popular parts dealer would be Milner Offroad in the UK (http://www.milneroffroad.com/delica.htm).

:D

Mark

Ryan wrote:Hey,

I am in the similar situation - here is a response from an importer I have asked a few questions to. Hope this little bit helps.

"I know you never asked about these but there is a reason i do not bring in the Townace and the Masterace, the engines are underpowered and the heads are prone to cracking which results in a $3000 repair bill to the customer. The Delica has a much more durable engine and the same fuel milage. I also like the layout of the Delica as well. I have looked into the Hiace and I am more confident with the 3L engine but as of yet i have not brought one in since i have not had any demand for these units."

I have heard the same thing. The head cracking problem is very common with the Prado (light duty landcruiser) as well. The 3L engine in the HiAce is the same engine they use in the Hilux (pickups/4runners/surfs) and some of their industrial trucks. From all reports a very durable engine.

What importer were you talking to? Outback used bring in the 'town/master ace, but I've noticed they dont even list them anymore.

You can check out maxoverdrive.ca. He's in Richmond on #3 Rd near the Canadian Tire. He has two Hiace vans and also a 5 spd Delica there. He was in the process of doing the water pump and some other stuff on the Delica when I saw it last week. The Hiaces are a bit out of my price range. I also heard that their 4x4 is not as strong or capable as the Delicas. The Delica should be in the 8500 range but I want an automatic so the wife can also drive it. I understand that the 5spd Delica is somewhat rare. Silk Road Imports is also bringing in two P25s in the next week or so. Both are autos, so I will be seriously considering them. Karim, the owener there, told me he has been able to get all the parts they need through Lordco but may consider importing parts in the future. I think I will drop by Lordco to see what they have in terms of the usual maintainence and repair needs. The other importers bringing in Delicas fairly regularly are both on the Island: Global Garage (somewhat too pricey for me) and VI Custom Car Imports. The later has had a staffing change. Beyond a few e-mails and calls I can't say much about them. Although their pricing seems to be reasonable. That is kind of hard to judge until you see the condition of their vans. Cheers,

John

Silk Road Autos (http://www.silkroadautos.com) has 8 units of delicas on the lot and the price is the same as of you order one yourself from Japan. Please check us out!