interested in Delica

[hammer]

Our friend JOEDELICA, has got us into this so hate to bug everyone but we have a few questions. Just blame Joedelica for these unanswered questions as he is in the bahamas lucky delica owner. we live in Gibsons on Sunshine Coast we see a few here and a couple for sale on a lot. Can anyone tell us why are the KMs so low on a 15 year old vehicle? Are they good on diesel? would love to go enviromental on this if we get one. Anyone towing a boat with theirs? we have a 18ft bowrider.
And thank you for your time, hope to be driving a Delica soon.
Regards,
Ham

[BCDelica]

Short answer:

Environment

Japan, as I'm sure you'll know suffers more than most countries from dreadfully congested roads in their urban areas. They also have fairly regimented holiday periods, which combined with expensive toll road systems results in potential chaos for those who wish to travel by road. A result of this is that the Japanese rail infrastructure is very efficient (lucky Japan!), although I'm sure if I was a commuter in Japan that I'd hate the way guards push passengers onto the subway trains. Still, their public transport is a real and viable alternative to travelling by road, especially added to the fact that their world famous Bullet Train (Shinkansen) will take care of most longer distance travelling requirements.

The result of the above is that Japanese cars generally are mainly used as short range shuttles, this applies to the sports supercars as well as 4WD's and MPV's. This in turn means that you can expect Japanese cars to do less miles per year (around 30 to 50% is quoted) than their UK equivalent, and apparently around 97% of 4WD models have never been used off-road (so why do they buy them?). Click here to find out how the average Japanese person goes about buying a car in Japan.

Second-hand Market

Japan has the second largest domestic automobile market in the world, with the five major manufacturers (Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi and Mazda) competing furiously for sales through large and comprehensive new and used car networks. To stimulate domestic sales, most automobile models undergo a full model change every four years with minor front and grill changes every two.

All new cars are sold with a three-year "shaken" (warrant of fitness) which must be renewed after expiration at an average cost of almost a £1000. A renewed "shaken" is then good for 2 years, but must be renewed every two years for the life of the vehicle. Consequently, most vehicles available on the used market are 3,5,7 and 9 years old as they are usually traded in or sold by the user when the "shaken" expires. Purchasing vehicles with 6 months or more valid "shaken" increases the value of the vehicle domestically and generally is more expensive than units with no "shaken" left.

Consumers in Japan must provide proof of parking space for each vehicle when registering new and used cars. This is mandatory and strictly regulated to the extent that in most areas police will physically measure the parking space to ensure it is appropriately sized for the intended vehicle. Due to acute land shortages in Japan, private parking costs anywhere from £60 to £300 a month for those who don't have space at their homes (the majority don't!). These types of costs make two-car families the exception and severely limit the number of cars on the road.

All these factors and others (including strict taxes) make new car purchases very attractive to consumers and contribute to sharp depreciation rates on used cars domestically. It is this very steep depreciation, which make used cars in Japan inexpensive enough to be viable for export throughout the world.

Condition of Vehicles

Japanese cars are virtually always low mileage, by UK standards, and the mileage can be relied upon. It would actually be very difficult to find a car in Japan that had done 12,000 miles per year - the British average. One rarely sees a vehicle with more than 100,000 kilometres (62,000 miles) on the clock.

Japanese cars have almost certainly never been driven hard. Even vehicles equipped with performance accessories such as spoilers, air dams and skirts were prepared by their proud Japanese owners for show rather than for being thrashed - Japanese road conditions and traffic habits just make fast driving impracticable.

Japanese drivers generally keep their cars in immaculate condition and well serviced. Before any dealer in Japan offers a car for sale (private sales are quite unusual) he makes sure it can pass the Japanese MOT (so-called 'shaken') which is very severe, and he has to be ready to support the car, since consumer protection is fierce. Accordingly a buyer doesn't have to be concerned about its mechanical condition. A car, which would be considered to be in 'fair' condition in the UK, is just junk in Japan and no trader would try to sell it to the public - to do so would cause them grief. New cars are inexpensive in Japan and because of their standards, cars are seldom driven when in need of attention.

Equipment Level

Cars sold in Japan generally have a higher equipment specification than UK equivalents. This often includes air conditioning (an expensive UK option) electric windows and alloys.

Buying Guidelines

There are however a few guidelines I would recommend to follow before leaping in and buying a 'Grey Import'

Always use a reputable/specialist importer that has knowledge and understanding of the problems of non-UK spec vehicles unless you are sure you are able to import the vehicle yourself, there is a lot of work involved
Always have the vehicle inspected by a recognised motoring organisation (if the company you buy from does not’t offer this as standard)
Always insist on minimum of 6 months warranty (a good warranty will cover everything except consumables i.e. brake pads, exhaust, tyres etc) . So make sure you check the inspection report thoroughly for impending problems.
Try to buy something, which has as many UK spec parts as possible (like the Estima) - this will inevitably involve doing some homework - try contacting other import owners or searching the net information.
Check that you can get insurance before signing on the dotted line. Insurance is not as hard as to arrange as it used to be. Insurance companies, as a rule have 'loosened up' when it comes to

Towing; other sites have given the tow rating at 3500lbs. Should pull your boat fine, but 120km/h on the highway might be hampered.

Welcome

[mararmeisto]

...[a]nyone towing a boat with theirs? we have a 18ft bowrider.
And thank you for your time, hope to be driving a Delica soon.
Regards,
Ham

RE: Towing with a Delica

I've been towing a tent trailer and a utility trailer, both under 1000kg, but mostly on the level. Up and down the Malahat even. It would seem most others are doing the same, BUT...

We recently went to Calgary and back with the utility trailer (loaded with camping equipment), four kids, two dogs and the both of us and the Rockies put Moon Machine through its paces. Granted, it was 35-40C some days as we were climbing through the Selkirks, but I think the weight had more of an effect on the engine than the temperature: never got to the red, but the engine did get quite warm, and the speed dropped way down (at times we were only doing 30km/h). Finally, the 'trailer' advertised in the accessories catalogue looks like little more than a large motorcycle trailer with a GVWR of 250kg (at least, that what I think it says, described all in Japanese and I don't read Japanese). Given the previous post, it would seem the Japanese don't have much of a requirement to be towing stuff around.

It's only an 85hp engine. It IS a diesel, but it won't have the response you might be accustomed to with whatever NA vehicle you've been towing your boat around with lately. Others are towing heavier stuff on a regular basis, but I don't think it's for very long distances.