Waiting for the Delica to cross the pacific...

[turf'd]

So I've gone ahead and bought a Delica. I've been wanting one a long time and now I just need to wait for it to arrive in Canada (the anticipation is killing me). I live in Calgary and they're going to ship it out to me here, but I'm wondering what kind of compliance issues I'll need to deal with (is it generally just the headlights/running lights that require upgrade?) and where I can take it to get work done here in Calgary. I see more and more of them on the streets around here which is always encouraging, and in the land of absurd SUVs and giant trucks the Delica looks even better. (I test drove a Delica and you drive at the same height as an F250, but with exponentially less jackass)

So if anyone knows what needs to be upgraded to pass Alberta registration, or knows of any shops around here that work on Delica's, I'd be glad to hear about it.

Cheers,
(hoping my Delica gets here before the snow does...)

[Green1]

For Alberta compliance all you officially need is daytime running lights and to swap the headlights for the correct side of the road... most every shop you try to find to inspect it will also insist on a centre high mount brake light too (delicas after 91/92 usually have these)
The only real complication seems to be if you get a shop that decides to be a jerk about it (according to the official letter of the law the replacement headlights for the Delica aren't legal in Alberta (no DOT/SAE stamp), of course half the ones on brand new vehicles don't have that either, so go figure...)

Other things worth considering though: to be BC compliant (and I recommend this to everyone because I doubt your Alberta plate will get you out of a CVSE roadside inspection on your next vacation) you should also add side reflectors ($10 at cdn tire for 2 amber and 2 red) and convert your side marker lights to be on with the headlights (instructions available in other posts on this forum) Also make sure your tires have the load rating stamped on the sidewall (often not a bad idea to replace the tires anyway)

As for mechanics, there are a couple around, I believe Pro-active is considered the local expert, though I've had no dealings with them as of yet, and a decent place for inspections is prostar (I think, working from memory, I don't have any info with me right now)

Welcome to the Calgary club! (and even without your Delica, we'd still love to meet you if you want to come out on Saturday to our little meet north of cochrane (details in the meets section))

[piyeguyo]

Hi

Welcome to the Club... I also live in Calgary (SW) and I've had my car for a few months now. I use Pro-Active and they've been really good to me. They have replaced belts and a have also done a few other things on my Deli and it's running great. I can recommend them without problem.

Finding good Insurance seems to be kind of a problem here... At least for me.

Thx,

Fabio

[turf'd]

Thanks for the warm welcome and helpful advice! I believe I can get the headlights shipped here before my Delica arrives, and I suppose that'll make everything a lot easier, which means I'll be out rippin' around in the van of wonder before I know it.

I'd love to come to the Delica meet, alas, I'm out in the mountains (unfortunately not yet in the Delica...) on Saturday, but I'll keep an eye out for the next one around here and definitely come to check it out.

Cheers!

[turf'd]

Still waiting for my Delica, wondering how it'll start in the depths of the cold winter here in Calgary. Was thinking about getting an inline coolant heater from crappy tire and throwing it in for the cold morning starts. Any thoughts?

Also, and I realise this may just be a bit elementary, when the Delica is in 2wd, is it front or rear wheel drive? And how does the shifting from 2 to 4wd work? Apparently you need to be stationary and in neutral to shift into 4L, but what about 4H?

Cheers!

[Schwa]

You need to be stopped to lock the hubs, so the first time you switch 2H -> 4H stop, but once you've locked the hubs you can switch from 2H <-> 4H at any time, although reversing in 2WD will unlock the hubs, so you'll have to stop to lock them again if that happens. 2WD is rear wheel drive.

[marsgal42]

It's shift on the fly between 2H and 4H. I stop anyway, and always creep forward at walking speed until I see the light (and hear the thunk) that says the hubs are locked. There's no dfferential in the transfer case, so 4WD is not a good idea on dry pavement. I'm actually looking forward to some snow this winter.

To shift to 4L you have to stop and put the transmission in neutral. I find this fiddly. YMMV.

To unlock the hubs shift to 2H, back up a couple of meters, then proceed. The hubs locked light will go out.

...laura

[Green1]

It's shift on the fly between 2H and 4H

Just to clarify, it is only shift on the fly when the hubs are locked, never shift from 2H to 4H on the fly if the hubs aren't locked, you'll get a nasty grinding sound and it's not so good for the transfer case....

[Grungle]

Hey turf'd,
When is your Deli scheduled to arrive?

I'll be over that way (calgary) in about 4 weeks...going through the same issues as you at the moment with respect to block heater etc.

Let me know if you find anything good, I'd be interested to hear what you get and how it works. I'm leaning towards an in-line coolant heater and a clip-on sump heater, but hopefully I'll be able to work it all out when i get there.

I'm driving from Vancouver to Calgary mid-december, so if you want anything brought over from BC let me know - i should have a lot of room!

Also, do you know would I have a problem registering and insuring my delica in BC then going to Calgary for 6 months? After that I'll be going all over Canada and probably ending up in BC in November 2008. Is that going to cause me problems? Sorry to hijack - just thought you might know.

[Green1]

Also, do you know would I have a problem registering and insuring my delica in BC then going to Calgary for 6 months?

vehicles are to be registered and insured wherever your primary residence is located, you can then drive the vehicle wherever you like for however long you like, if your primary residence changes you are expected to change your registration (and insurance if your insurance company doesn't offer insurance at your new location) there is a small grace period to change over though, but I can't remember how long it is.

[turf'd]

Hey Grungle,

The insurance thing shouldn't be an issue, there's tons of out of province plates rippin' around Calgary.

In terms of the in-line coolant heater, I've heard from a few sources that it's the best option. I test drove a Delica here in town a while back and the guy had installed one and said it worked really well. It's around $60 from crappy tire and apparently the install is straightforward enough even for me! (Though I'll probably get help.)

If you're in town in December then you should definitely stop by. I'll hopefully have the Delica by then and we can go for a rip out in the snow and test them out! I appreciate the offer on the transport of BC goods, but I think I should be okay, as I'm getting compliant headlights sent out this way by post soon.

And thanks to everyone else for the info on the 4 wheel / 2 wheel drive options! No experience with 4wd vehicles, just my old rear wheel Toyota van ('84 was a good year!) and 17 sandbags in the back of it to achieve some semblance of traction on the snow and ice of a chinook-laden Calgary winter season.

Anyone down for a winter Delica meet around Calgary? Get those vans all snowy and maybe hit up some donuts in an icy parking lot somewhere?

Cheers!

[Grungle]

Hey Grungle,

The insurance thing shouldn't be an issue, there's tons of out of province plates rippin' around Calgary.

In terms of the in-line coolant heater, I've heard from a few sources that it's the best option. I test drove a Delica here in town a while back and the guy had installed one and said it worked really well. It's around $60 from crappy tire and apparently the install is straightforward enough even for me! (Though I'll probably get help.)

If you're in town in December then you should definitely stop by. I'll hopefully have the Delica by then and we can go for a rip out in the snow and test them out! I appreciate the offer on the transport of BC goods, but I think I should be okay, as I'm getting compliant headlights sent out this way by post soon.


Anyone down for a winter Delica meet around Calgary? Get those vans all snowy and maybe hit up some donuts in an icy parking lot somewhere?

Cheers!

Sounds good mate, I'll be looking into a coolant heater as soon as I arrive. I'll let you know when I get into Calgary too, I'm keen to see just how tough these things are, and can definitely help you out with some parking lot action...

I was going to ask the same thing about 2wd/4wd too...i thought my parent's old L300 was front wheel drive, so it's good to know the Delica is good for some fun in 2WD. I'm interested in installing a boost gauge and intercooler to get a bit more power out of the old girl as well, so a Calgary meet might be worthwhile.

Best of luck with the import, I'll be in touch in a few weeks...

[marsgal42]

To summarize what I explained to somebody in the Langdale ferry lineup this afternoon (with thanks to posters from this forum), assuming the hubs aren't already locked:

2H to 4H: Stop, transmission in neutral or park, move transfer case lever. Ease forward until hubs locked light comes on. You may hear the hubs go in.

4H to 4L, 4L to 4H: Stop, transmission in neutral, move transfer case lever. The manual says you can do this in Park. I can't.

4H to 2H: Stop, lever to 2H, back up a couple of meters, then proceed forward. Hubs will unlock.

The owner's manual goes in to this in some detail, but it's all in Japanese...

The steering definitely feels different in 4WD. Almost like a front-drive car.

...laura

[Green1]

4H to 4L, 4L to 4H: Stop, transmission in neutral, move transfer case lever. The manual says you can do this in Park. I can't.

If the manual says that then it's wrong, you must be in neutral.

4H to 2H: Stop, lever to 2H, back up a couple of meters, then proceed forward. Hubs will unlock.

You can switch from 4H to 2H on the fly without stopping, you only have to reverse to unlock the hubs, however you can leave the hubs locked with no real problem and continue in 2H with locked hubs, this will allow you to switch back from 2H to 4H on the fly as well (you only need to be stopped to go from 2H -> 4H if the hubs aren't locked)

This is very nice on questionable roads and such where you can lock the hubs at the start of your trip and then proceed in 2H until you feel you need the extra oomph of 4H and then switch without slowing down. also good for roads that are partially paved as you should never use 4H on pavement, so you can switch to 2H then back to 4H when the pavement ends.

one last note on any of the manoevers, any time you are switching the transfer case (2H <--> 4H <--> 4L or any combination thereof) make sure you are driving in a straight line, don't try any of this on curves.

The steering definitely feels different in 4WD. Almost like a front-drive car.

more like an all-drive car ;) in all seriousness that is one of the big advantages, that the front wheels pull you around corners and such, just be careful though, just because the vehicle goes better, and steers better in 4 wheel drive, does NOT mean it will stop any better, the brakes are still the same, using the 4 wheel drive in poor road conditions can easilly lead to over confidence which is a much bigger hazard than anything the road can throw at you!

[Schwa]

And don't try gearing down in 4WD mode to slow yourself on any kind of slippery hill, you'll end up doing a dangerous 4-wheel slide... better to be in 2WD if you want engine braking.