New delica owner in North Vancouver

[coaxial]

Hello!

I'm relatively new to vancouver, just moved here last "winter" from Calgary/ontario/usa (just in time for apocalypse weather).

I've been researching Delicas for quite some time now and finally got one last weekend. Really nice guy in Squamish hooked me up with a '92 exceed lowroof, 2.4l in great shape with lots of new parts (tires, engine rubber, winshield, shocks, etc). It seems extremely solid and I'm very happy with it. It's a 5spd so I'm re-learning manual. I grew up driving all manner of manual transmissions so I'm quickly getting used to this one.

The Delica is fun to drive around the city, especially fully loaded with 6 friends inside, and is impressive off-road. I've had it in that little offroad area under the lionsgate bridge and it is surprisingly capable in the dirt, rocks, mud, etc.

I'd love to go on any local trips, especially 4x4 excursions, and meet up with local owners. I have a few Delica questions and a lot of geographical questions, but I'll limit it to one of each for today :)

-Any idea where I can find curtains? I've got the rails but no clips or curtains. Any wrecks locally?

-Any suggestions for local offroading? I ordered the wheeling S.W. BC book and have a lot of topo maps from hiking and whatnot, but there are some things I can't figure out. I hear there is a back road from GVRD to whistler? Is it public? forestry? there looks to be a whole network of roads back there but I haven't found access yet.


Thanks muchly for any advice or pointers

[Adrock]

head to chapters and find a backroads bc mapbook, i've got one for all of bc, one for southwest and one for the kootenays because those are the areas i spend most of my time... They have awesome awesome maps of all fsrs as well as good fishing tips, hiking trails and all that kind of stuff.

as for curtains, I have been planning on getting some made by a friend (planning for about a year now, so who knows when it'll happen) I have my original curtains but I want something else. I'll post up if I get the dimensions for curtains if I ever pull them off and if I find where to get the fastening stuff for them.

[coaxial]

Yeah I just bought the backroads SW BC book.. it shows the FSRs.. usually on the GVRD end it says "gate" or "private road" or no label..... and on the north end usually no label. Just looking for an idea of where to get onto the roads without driving way over to maple ridge or somewhere only to find a fortified barricade

I ordered "four wheeling - guide to 4x4 in southwestern BC" or something from chapters online, we'll see what that has.

Let me know about the curtains :) I have a sewing machine

Delicashop WA has curtain ring things.

[coaxial]

Okay this is neat, it shows the status of all the random roads, whether they are FSR, paved, rough, unmaintained, permit, etc.
http://aardvark.gov.bc.ca/apps/recst/

[jrman]

Hey great link. I think I saw you in Lynn Valley the other day?? I'm up near top of Grand Blvd - a high roof twin to yrs. Not sure about back way to Whistler that is open (GVRD watershed has a couple of closed to public routes to Furry Creek etc) - most of those valleys get pretty high up there into mtn passes so of FSR & logging roads just end. There used to be an old service road on East side of Indian arm that would link up with some old logging roads and if known - could bring you to South end of Mamquam and ultimately Squamish but heard they are long overgrown and/or washed out. Probably West side of Harrison would be interesting - brings you into Pemberton valley / Darcy area - haven't done it in 10 yrs, but sure it would be open.

By the way - suggest you wash the underside of yr truck very well if you were playing in the mud down under or near Lions Gate bridge. I grew up riding my dirt bikes and 4x4ing down there in the late 70's & 80's and I can tell you that there is a mix of metal eating compounds left in the slurry down there (not the least of which is ocean salt) from various industrial activities in the area. Probably took years off the lives of my dirt bikes trucks (ok, the occasional beater car too!) - and no...I never washed any of my stuff back then! Rode it hard and put it away wet....

See ya on the road!
Sean

[northvanmatt]

welcome, there are getting to be quite a few around north van I saw you yesturday(I think) on lonsdale.
see ya around the shore
matthew

[niekt]

Hi Coaxial,

Welcome to the club.

[coaxial]

Thanks all :) look forward to seeing you out and about and on the trails :)

Yeah I was on lonsdale yesterday, had some road rage at the time actually

I saw a hiroof version of my delica parked down on 1st I belive...

Good advice about the mysterious smelly mud.. I had been washing that out of my wheel wells because it stinks... now I'll do the underbody too somehow.

[coaxial]

Whee

[patty]

The back road you speak of two whistler does exisist,however it starts some where around squamish and takes you more so to the callaghan region.i dont think the road is drivable any more due to lots of overgrowth.I live in blacktusk village (pretty much dead center of squamish and whistler)and over the years iv been tagging along with my dad on his fire warden and forest service trips up all these back roads.pretty much anything right off the highway from squamish up is garentied to be beginers 4x4 and up.as most people know all the valleys around here have been logged many times over the years ,so once you get on one road its bound to vein into abunch more.
Just make sure that if you do go along you have other means of comunication then a cell phone,once you hump away from the highway you most lickey will loose reception.last summer me and my brother got stuck on a back road of trycoonie and we had to walk some ways before we got reception,then had to wlak even more cause even my dad who knows the area couldnt find out which vein we were on.
stay safe!

[TardisDeli]

Hi all, This is Christine, with Jay the Spousal Unit. Just started Deli buying, hope to get something asap. We are so enthused. Backroad forestry roads are why we want the Tardis mobile, and to mothership our boats. We are very familiar with the Indian Arm end of the road, as we are up there in our boat at least once a week. It is a good flat road, well travelled, with steeper grades near the power lines. Have never gone more than the first mile or so, as walking. But, if anyone wants to carpool we would love to go with you Deli Riding the road, and then all go boat riding the water portion (but one has to take the Deli back by road, boat too small for Deli). Open invite to all, anyone. Nice big flat area at the Indian Arm end, picnics easy to do as there is a small dock, or we can semi-beach our Boston Whaler boat. Cheers, Christine.

[coaxial]

Yep I've done lots of 4x4ing in other regions, I carry extra fuel, firstaid, tire, manual winch, tools, tows, jacks, phones, gps, radios, delica flare!!, fire ext., lights, provisions, some friends, and a mountain bike :)

So I've got options.

Thanks for the tips, I will head up to squamish sometime and check out the roads...

This Sunday I think I'm going to drive up to Harrison and up to clear creek hot springs (around 49 40' n 121 45' w)

[coaxial]

As far as I've been able to tell Indian River Dr. only goes so far and then it's someone's driveway. I have explored there a few times on my scooter and tried all the different forks of the road and only ever got this far :

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... &z=15&om=1

[northvanmatt]

I have the high roof version. there are a lot of green/grey delica's around we should set up a north shore meet any one interested let me know just an informal get to know other delicas owners on the shore type thing.

[jrman]

Yup - I'm in! Name the time and place, will try to be there. Love to meet others who have the same bizarre attraction to this vehicle.....owned this one for a few months and still cannot exactly put my finger on why I love it so much! Have kids and of course way too much work to do, but would do best to arrive at a mutually agreeable location....how about the black bear in Lynn Valley? Taylor's Crossing or whatever!!!
Sean