Why don't people like Delicas in Alberta ?

[punkrawker]

and the only haters I have seemed to meet are people jealous because they don't own a delica and people with extremely bad attitudes.

[Mr. Fuji]

Loving the humour in these posts- rest assured we're not all knuckle-draggers out here.

William (OP)- That is a nice unit and almost made me consider dropping my requirement for a Crystal roof when hunting for my van earlier this year, sorry you had trouble connecting with a buyer in Alberta. Personally I decided to go to the broker route- it involves more time and risk, but I am pretty particular about what I want.

...there are a lot more people willing to do something iconoclastic if there's infrastructure to support it -- service and parts, in this case. Plus some sense that others are going that route, too.

...So there's a critical-mass phenomenon.

This is the primary reason you don't see more Delis in Alberta... and the RHD thing is a little scary for the uninitiated to comprehend.

Another consideration is prestige: many Albertans (especially newer ones, IMHO) want to be seen as doing well: I see many folks buying million-dollar-plus homes, complete with a luxo-sedan and SUV in the garage, and I'm sure the accompanying lifetime of servicing debt. Delicas don't appeal to these folks because they are a great value. Neighbors won't get jealous when they see a Delica because it has zero luxury cachet. These vans are purchased primarily for their utility and uniqueness, which is not something these folks want to brag about to their friends.

So here in Alberta these awesome vans will be our little secret... for now anyways.

For the record I'm a professional [does that make me a yuppie?, hope not] in the O&G business, a steak-eating born & raised Albertan. I just am not interested in keeping up with the Joneses when it comes to major purchases, as I feel it's a race to the bottom.

Fuji

[Big-Bird]

Here here...well said Mr. Fuji!

Agree with you on many points. I too work in the professional sector and the last thing I wanted was an asset that loses value the second it hops off the lot. Give me a used ride anyday. And the uniqueness of the Spacegear and Starwagon made me happier than any new car ever would/could.

[punkrawker]

Fuji, I hope I didnt offend you with my word choices and was defiantly not my intention. just to clarify the yuppie. its not a fact of living and or working downtown in O&G or anything else. to me a yuppie is a sheeple, someone goes into a lifelong misery of a very ridiculous amount of debt for show or to keep up with the jones because that is what modern society deems as acceptable and what they try to force you to think is "normal" (whatever the hell that is). Not that i have a problem with anyone who fits into that category because i dont. Trends, mainstream, bandwagons etc have just never appealed to me and i believe that anyone else who owns one of these fun as hell camping wagons probably agrees.

[Mr. Fuji]

Fuji, I hope I didnt offend you with my word choices and was defiantly not my intention.

Definitely no offence was taken. I was trying to point out that "yuppie" has a very fluid definition. Sounds like you and I mean the same thing in the context of Delicas.

Cheers!
Fuji

[FalcoColumbarius]

YUPpie: Young Upwardlymobile Person. Originally a British term that was coined in London in around 1984. I know this because I was there, standing abreast with my peers, looking at some bloke in his black and white syringe style suit with a bright red skinny tie talking on his brick and commenting: "cor... what a yuppie!"

I'm a professional, as well ~ I get paid for what I do.

There's a guy in my building that has a Mercedes and likes to comment on my "Jap Crap" and I like to point out to him that my Jap Crap and his model of German engineering are actually cousins as Mitsubishi and Mercedes have a thing going on, OK yah?

Regarding granola, Mister Punkrawker, you should try it sometime, really good, especially with berries. If you really want to go out on a limb then try muesli, although originally called cattle feed ~ still a tasty treat!

Penultimately: Regarding the "cachet urbain" race down the material rabbit hole ~ nobody does it better than ~ Vancouver. Number two in the world, behind only Hong Kong as "most expensive city to live in". We owe this triumphant accomplishment to that great visionary ~ the Straw Man (see: Wizard Of Oz), Lord Mayor of Vancouver. Not only has he elevated Vancouver to second place behind Hong Kong as far as most expensive cities to live in ~ but has also rocketed us to second place behind LA as worst traffic conditions in North America. Vancouver... leading the world in second place. We have many lanes on our roads dedicated to cyclists alone. I sit there in traffic, studying the expertise in how they have been painted green and they look so brand new, hardly used. On a more serious note, it's a little unnerving as I don't think I've been paid in as many postdated cheques historically as I have this year ~ and these are coming from people of alleged wealth with those big houses and trucks (we have them in Granola Land, as well).

Ultimately: You hurtin' Albertans rock! Especially the beer, Big Rock is excellent. Although I must say ~ electing an NDP government is so passe... we did that back in the nineties. So out of style.

Falco.

[punkrawker]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAhahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaman...............i once ate quick oats on a cold winter morning but they tasted funny so i toasted some eggos instead, since then i leave the grass(non 420 kind) and muelsi for the cows to eat so i can enjoy a nice tasty steak on the bbq with potatoes an corn all washed down with some delicous ice cold kokanee. If given the choice i would be back in the okanogan area in a heart beat but sadly work is in here for residential construction.

you BCers arnt to bad either, WAY more laid back style of life compaired to hellberta and hands down mo betta fishin,campin n 4x4 areas too. take a wild guess as to the total available wine tours in wineries, vineyards and orchids here to, hahahahaha

[Daddiohh]

I looked at that one too but really wanted the Crystal light roof, mine should be landing in Vancouver tomorrow, thanks to William at JDM Connection.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[pajerry]

I live in Calgary again, and I can say that they are still everywhere. I know of two delicas, a sweet swb prado, a safari and a few subaru's all withing a few blocks from my house. They're definitely out there. The population is similar, but there are many many more roads here, and many more cars. This year the amount of registered vehicles has exceeded our population! Maybe thats why you see less? I'm sure there are less per capita than in BC, but its probably still in the hundreds.

Its also a chicken and egg thing, if there were better shops and service there would be more delica's, but you can't open the shops without a larger customer base.

I have two pajero's, but will be selling one (I hope) to replace with a LHD only because insurance companies are making it very hard (expensive) to own a 20 yr old RHD vehicle.

For instance, when we moved a year ago we had to have two provincial inspections, both passed but with some difficulty and borderline bribery. Now the insurance company decided they require a full mechanical again regardless of passing a provincial inspection. So I forked out another 240 bucks only to have one fail for a 55 dollar ball joint (that had no symptoms of failure) and some rust on the tie rod ends. I love the truck and needed to replace my cv's anyways, so it has $800 of parts coming from rock auto this week to replace the whole front end anyway. Regardless, it would have been a $1800 dollar job at the mechanics for something that did not yet affect driveability or safety on a $4000 dollar truck. That alone would make me wary to import another.

[pajerry]

Here here...well said Mr. Fuji!

Agree with you on many points. I too work in the professional sector and the last thing I wanted was an asset that loses value the second it hops off the lot. Give me a used ride anyday. And the uniqueness of the Spacegear and Starwagon made me happier than any new car ever would/could.

Agreed, the most flack I catch for our JDM's is that they are not a new x or y entitlement mobile. Mostly from the in laws, but that's another story/culture.

[punkrawker]

i think its mostly guys who are in debt 70k for a plastic 4x4 that might see a mud puddle once a year while out mall crawlin or dads who got sucked into buying a mini van that dont like these vans........or anyone who is on the drivers side lane when you have a bunch of smoke bellowing out of the side dump exhaust.....oopps, sorry about that....

[FalcoColumbarius]

i think its mostly guys who are in debt 70k for a plastic 4x4 that might see a mud puddle once a year while out mall crawlin or dads who got sucked into buying a mini van that dont like these vans........or anyone who is on the drivers side lane when you have a bunch of smoke bellowing out of the side dump exhaust.....oopps, sorry about that....

Hahaha.... That is so sorrowfully true. I have to justify why I got sucked into this life long mortgage on a truck that has a total recall on it because of a faulty airbag computer or something. One of my favourites is some guy comes up to me and asks "so.... you got it chipped?" The first time I got asked that I had no clue what he meant. Now I take them 'round the back of the wagon and pull out my little slot screwdriver and tell them "This is my chip".

Falco.

[ChuckBlack]

Most red necks already have two quads, a snowmobile, a trailer to pull them, plus a camper, oh and it's pulled by a $70 000 pick up. They don't have time to try anything new and strange. Oh and plus they heard all the granolas in B.C are driving those cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side so the hell with that. If they are doing it in B.C. it must be crap.
Actually, I have no idea why. For myself, you get a unique vehicle, with low KM for a great price.

I went through William to get my minica, and that delica looks very nice!

Ha! Awesome Beausoleil!!!

[ChuckBlack]

I'm in St Albert, and let me tell y'all... 90% of people gives me the thumbs up, 6% gives me the strange look and some 4% are literally stopping me to ask where they can get one! I can say that for sure, the usual red neck will not, cannot and ain't interested in a Delica. A co-worker of mine disputed his point of view of Japanese crap and American Iron! Has I recalled, anything that is made in North America looses 50% of its value the second it leaves the dealership. Than by the time it reaches 2 yrs it is now worth 35% of its original purchase price. By the time it reaches 10 yrs it's guts will more likely be recycled and melted into another North American manufacturer!!! Quote me if I'm wrong but my Delica will be 23 years old now and I'v got no apparent rust, runs like a champ, solid like no others and it's value is greater that 3 yrs old King Ranch 450 purchased at $74,000

[Beausoleil74]

True, lots of people with talk to you in parking lots to find out what it is you are driving. I agree with you my 96 has had no issues and runs great. the Alberta winters did rust up my chrome bumpers but the body is good. Someone rear ended it last year and the insurance guy came to appraise it and asked my what I thought it was worth. I said it's in amazing shape and has low KM so I might be high cuz I love it but he agreed with what I thought. It was repaired with parts I found in BC and looks great once again. I agree with you I just can't spend 30-50 000 for the cars/trucks they try to sell here.