A couple of newbie questions

[Regdunlop]

Hi everyone,
I have a couple of newbie questions that hopefully you can answer.
1. what is the standard ground clearance on a delica? And does it differ from one model to another? I don't want to do any serious off-roading with it but I do want to make sure that it will get me in and out on the beat up forestry roads here in Alberta and in the Kootenays.
2. I don't yet have a vehicle picked out, but if I need to get an out of province inspection done here in Calgary can you recommend a shop to get this done at?
Thanks!

[Erebus]

If there is no lift kit, then ground clearance depends almost entirely on tire size. The largest tires you can safely put on the stock 6" x 15" rims are 235/75R15. Bigger than 31" tall tires and you may have to start doing mods to the wheel wells, front steps, mudflaps, etc. Can't think off hand what ground clearance you get with 235/75s, but it is around 8". Approach and departure angles are good, breakover angle not so great -- the lowest point is the transfer case, and it has no shielding. The gas tanks do have skid plates, but the radiator isn't protected, recommend creating skid plate for more serious offroading. Anything you would call a road should be no trouble at all, and most trails shouldn't be either.

As for OOP, depends on whether you want a thorough check, or just want a signed piece of paper. It also depends on whether the vehicle you get is already complianced, or it still needs it.

My importer Luxury Imports, used Pro-Star Auto & RV, 2705 5th Ave NE 273-3300. They passed it without the headlights being changed or DRLs being installed, but with the understanding that LI or myself would do it ASAP (which I did). They didn't do any compliancing, but LI normally does it all, so not sure how they would react to someone off the street.

Pro-Active Automotive also in the NE, does lots of work on RHD vehicles. I would guess that they do OOP inspections, and can also do the compliancing.

[turf'd]

I've had some work done by Pro-Active Auto, and while the work they did (installing an inline coolant heater) was good (I think) the work they said they did but didn't do left something to be desired. They do inspections, and most likely compliancing as well, but you're going to be paying a lot of money for it, and you have to book a ludicrous amount of time in advance.

Pretty much any garage can do an OOP inspection, and as long as you have a decent vehicle you should be fine.

I think it would be much less hassle to get the vehicle already complianced and ready to go (new headlights, DRL, etc) from a dealership - most are in BC. Plus then there's a chance for a warrantee and servicing and you get to take a trip to BC, which is always a treat.

[Erebus]

I've had some work done by Pro-Active Auto, and while the work they did (installing an inline coolant heater) was good (I think) the work they said they did but didn't do left something to be desired.

Hmm, interesting. I wondered too about some of the stuff. Not sure that my inline coolant heater is doing anything. Glad I'm not the only one being suspicious. When they did my timing belt, I had a hard time finding out whether they replaced the pulleys, bearings, tensioner, balance belt etc. Still not sure exactly what they did.

[mararmeisto]

1. what is the standard ground clearance on a delica? And does it differ from one model to another?

Ground clearance from the Russek Repair Manual is 190mm or 195mm. As one of the others wrote though, that height means nothing if you're trying to crest a hill and you get hung up on the middle - we call it hogging in the Navy and it can ruin one's ship (break it in half even).

As for the approach and departure angles, it looks like 28 degrees for both (from the L300 General Spec pages listed on the Wikipages).

[Erebus]

trying to crest a hill and you get hung up on the middle - we call it hogging in the Navy and it can ruin one's ship (break it in half even).

It's called breakover angle in vehicles. Depends a lot on tires, and I don't think the Delica does too well on that.

As for the approach and departure angles, it looks like 28 degrees for both (from the L300 General Spec pages listed on the Wikipages).

Unless you have a trailer hitch. Best thing you can do is get rulers out and check your own vehicle.

[mararmeisto]

Unless you have a trailer hitch.

Don't like my trailer hitch? Or is it the tennis ball covering my hitch ball?

[Erebus]

Just that it affects departure angle. I've got hitch on mine. Not as much a problem as the one on my Caprice -- it had a negative departure angle. Trailer hitch would hit the sidewalk just leaving my driveway. Six inch clearance, and it was about 4 feet behind the back wheels. Serious problem.