Blah, should I trade my RX-7 FD in for a Delica?

[paradoxbox]

I have always liked the look of Delica's, I figure if I were a rich man I would buy an L300, deck it out with some beefy tires and hang out in the North Shore mountains and interior all the time trudging through snow and mud.

I'm a sports car guy and I love fast cars but I'm beginning to get tired of how prissy they are, if it's not dents or paint scratches it's some engine problem. Sometimes I wish I could just dump my FD and get a Delica so I wouldn't have to care if it got a ding or a scratch.

How are Delica's for toughness when it comes to people leaning on fenders, hitting tree branches, etc. Are they solid? Will they bend easily? How about the drivetrain, is it sturdy or would I have to worry about breaking something all the time if I take it offroad?

What's the mileage like? I get about 11 or 12mpg on my FD, not that I care since I don't drive it for economy, but savings is always nice.

Lastly what are people in BC paying for insurance? My FD is around 300 a month for 1million liability, 300$ comp deductible and no collision. No accidents but my discount level is only at 0 or 5%.

Look forward to seeing some replies. After numerous car theft attempts, and a new dent in my fender yesterday from having to back out of an impossibly tight space, I'm really questioning whether I want to keep this thing.

Sorry for the rant!!

[marsgal42]

They use Delicas as support vehicles in the Paris-Dakar Rally. Is that tough enough? Crawl underneath one some time and see just how bulletproof they are. Or watch the Siberian videos on YouTube.

Fuel consumption: I get 15 litres/100 km city, 10 highway.

Insurance: $300 deductible collision & comprehensive, $2 million liability for $110 a month. I have ICBC's maximum discount.

The Delica is not a sporty drive, nor is it a particularly fast one. But it has charms of its own.

...laura

[BCDelica]

Not worrying about dents and having been in one fender bender, the are quite solid body wise. The body shop guys went on about how surprisingly tough the sheet metal was to pull out. Check out how Josh's Delica did in a three car accident! http://www.delica.ca/forum/icbc-and-accidents-1624.html

Cheers

[Schwa]

I get 12-13 L/100km (18-19 MPG) right now (winter) and I'm always making short trips down and then back up a pretty big hill, so my fuel economy is worse than average.

As for toughness, yes pretty good - but you'll want to take the front steps off for serious 4x4ing because they are relatively flimsy and if you hit something with one it could get bent so that it interferes with the tire and removing a step in the mud may not be fun, or even possible if you aren't prepared to do so.

[jaggedfish]

I get 12-13 L/100km (18-19 MPG)

Unless I'm miscalculating you have some good news coming....
12-13 L/100km seems to convert to 21.7 - 23.5 miles per imperial gallon. Are you using US gallons for your conversion? Either way.... not too shabby in anybody's book for a large van.

I'm converting over from a bright red "hot rod" lowrider pickup with lots of horsepower under the hood. The decision wasn't entirely easy but the versatility and off-road capabilities offer more fun than polishing paint for half a day only to get it all dirty when you drive thru that road construction and dirt from new subdivisions (insert rant here). The vans still offer the "unique factor" and the ability to customize for car enthusiasts and... the clincher... my wife thinks it is practical too - which it is!

A win-win.
Supposed to pick mine up today! The wait is killing me.

[Schwa]

Are you using US gallons for your conversion?

Yes, there's virtually no information in imperial gallons, usually we're comparing with and talking to Americans, so US MPG.

Click on the image in my sig to see the actual data. If you sign up and log in, there's an option in the user control panel that will change the view preferences to L/100km or IMP GAL if you like.

[sasquatch-hunter]

Unless suddenly you like to go camping and stuff.....FD is a cool car. Just check out FD3S vs BNR34:

[rdub]

YES

[sasquatch-hunter]

Okay, here is the end of the race:




check out the delica support van at the end of the stage.

[Mystery Machine]

Hi ParadoxBox,

My 2 pence (cents) worth:

Sports cars are GREAT! I've had one for 9 years now and will never sell it (far too rare and my 'dream car' when I was a boy) but they are no comparison to the Delica!

They are great for a quick adrenalin fix, a blast through the country or a therapy session with some wax and a rag - but they are very one dimensional compared to the lifestyle and flexibility that the Delica offers. Sure they are slow and sluggish (in comparison) but you don't drive them like a sports car and the Delica actually encourages you to take the slower more scenic route and make it more of an adventure.

Since owning mine, I have hardly used the sports car, yet have used the Delica an enormous amount. I also had a 'daily driver' Smart car until recently but still kept making excuses to take the Delica....

If I hadn't bought it, I wouldn't have had my amazing trip to Canada last year to meet a load of the guys from this forum, I also wouldn't have just come back from a weekend of incredible off-road driving in North Wales with people I'd not have met previously!

Most of my friends are Delica owners, I use one of mine as my holiday car where my g/friend, dog and myself head off around the UK camping and living out of the vehicle. My other Delica is used as my work van and my 'off roader' and between the two I just don't have enough time to do all things I want to do in life (which I see as a good thing!) Hence the reason my sports car is still in the garage and has only covered about 1,000 miles in the last 4 years!!!!

I am off to meet up with another bunch of Delica owners this weekend coming for some fording (eco-terrorist anyone??) and will be sleeping in it a week after that when I visit friends on the south coast.....

Take a look HERE at some of the uses the Mystery Machine has been used for....and it has found a few more since! (like rescuing people trapped in the recent floods - getting to places/people that the police rescue land rover couldn't reach!)

Like I said - just my 2 pence worth....

[Mystery Machine]

check out the delica support van at the end of the stage.

I can't believe I just watched that in the vague hope of seeing an L300 immortalised in an animation only to discover it's a Madza E2000 van, not a Delica!



I did hear that Jackie Chan has used Delica's in some of his movies - so I guess I need to try and tolerate some of his films in order to see for myself?? Sad heh??

[Fanny Bay Delica]

Hi Paradox,

Delica's are the best vehicles to own but by God you've got to keep something that goes way faster than what the law allows!!!!!!

Get a Deli, get a bike and Bob's your uncle (maybe a radar detector as well)

[Erebus]

Today is the 6-month anniversary since I got my Delica. In that time I've done about 8,200 km, which is equal to what the previous owner did in 5 years! (It only had 24,269 km when I got it.)

Average fuel economy over that time:
12.7 L/100km or 22.2 mi/UK gal or 18.5 mi/US gal

And while I'm at it, concerning the low fuel light, on the 20th of Jan me and 2 buddies went snowshoeing. Did 504 km that day, about 1/2 highway at 100-120 km/hr, and 1/2 on snow covered gravel road at 50-80. The low fuel light came as I turned into the driveway.

I then filled up at 524 elapsed km, put in 67.1 L. That gives a fuel economy for the trip of 12.8 L/100 22.1 mi/UK gal or 18.4 mi/US gal smack on my average over the last 8000 km.

[BCDelica]

Hi Paradox,

Delica's are the best vehicles to own but by God you've got to keep something that goes way faster than what the law allows!!!!!!

Get a Deli, get a bike and Bob's your uncle (maybe a radar detector as well)

Drool! Wish I didn't lose my common sense and a 100 IQ points when get a throttle in my right hand. Nice F1, driven a buddies 05 YZ600 a few times and crazy WOW.