New Delica hopeful in Calgary

[JHelzer]

I've already made a couple posts but I figure I should make a quick intro.

I've been admiring Delicas for years and when I finally figured out what they were (Mitsubishi), I just assumed that a 4x4 Mitsu would be priced way up in the stratosphere and didn't bother checking into them more deeply.

Then on a whim, during a slow day at work, I turn to my reliable friend Google and end up here.

What awesome vehicles and what an incredible community you have going here. I have been very impressed with the breadth of knowledge on this site as well as the willingness of its members to answer questions and even show me around their vehicles.

So now I'm in shopping mode. The wife came with me to look at jaggedfish's Delica and just couldn't fall in love with the aesthetic. I admit it, I am whipped. But if the wife isn't happy, nobody is happy. She is very impressed with the 400s though.

So at the end of all the ranting, I'm looking for opinions. I want to follow the trend and jack up any 400 I get and I would really like to find one with a crystal light roof, wheel flares and a spoiler if possible. Of course the most important thing is to have a solid vehicle to start with. Should I just be patient and wait for the "perfect" vehicle to show up on one of the websites or should I look for a solid vehicle from a reputable importer (Mardy) and then camp ebay australia/uk for the accessories? I have a feeling that if I wait for a van that has all the right accessories that I will be limiting my selection and could miss out on a good Delica.

Also, a question I will also be asking Mardy. If a Delica is being imported and needs new tires and shocks regardless, do you all think it would be possible to get a lift/meatier rubber installed while the import servicing is being completed or would that mess with the OOP inspections?

Thanks a ton in advance and I look forward to eventually meeting some of you with a shiny new (to me) Delica.


John

[Mr. Flibble]

Also, a question I will also be asking Mardy. If a Delica is being imported and needs new tires and shocks regardless, do you all think it would be possible to get a lift/meatier rubber installed while the import servicing is being completed or would that mess with the OOP inspections?

Thanks a ton in advance and I look forward to eventually meeting some of you with a shiny new (to me) Delica.


John

I would not get too hung up on the accessories. Get a good van to start, accessories can be had later. I want a ladder for mine, but don't have it yet. Then again, I don't have a basket for it either yet! A few of the things I could not compromise on merited the van I got: I needed heated seats and wanted a limited slip rear diff. So, that pretty much dictated which van I would end up with (Royal Exceed). But that is another story.

Spoilers, Flares etc. can be had without too much trouble, and added to nearly any van. I know Mardy can change things up after the van comes over - I got more aggressive General Grabber tires on my Royal from him and I am glad I did so.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Welcome to Delica Canada, John .

Regarding "opinions" ~ you are sure to find some here... smiles.
I have made some observations regarding the L300 and L400 displacements. I have never driven an L400 but I have ridden in a couple and I figure that the L400 is a good highway cruiser. The L400 Space Gear sits like a pick-up truck with a forward engine mounted over top of the front axle. The Space Gear is a comfortable Machine to sit in and has many automated features. Basically that is all I can really tell you about the Space Gear but there will be others who will know more about them.

The Starwagon however:
The L300 is a mid engine machine with 60% of her weight over the front axle and 40% over the rear axle when she is without cargo. Which is a good balance and enables the L300 to haul a lot of weight. The Bali bomb, estimated at one and a quarter tonnes of explosive was delivered in an L300. The short wheel base of 88&1/2 inches between axle centres makes the Starwagon ideal for off-road situations. The Starwagon also has few automated features which makes them good in off-road applications ~ apart from the glow plug timer the engine (4D56T) has no computer. The track is six inches narrower than a Chevy pick-up which allows you to get into tighter places. The Starwagon has 28 degree clearance on either end of the vehicle and comes equipped front wheel skids that come in real handy when the step is a little higher than your axle, they also protect radiators and double as handy steps when you are trying to get into the wagon whilst parked on steep inclines. The Starwagon also has a very low centre of gravity, allowing the vehicle to list at very steep angles (I've only had mine at 40 degrees but I have seen one go to 50 before falling back to 45).

Delica Elevation.jpg (72.3 KiB) Viewed 3830 times

Falco.[/color]

[tonydca]

My personal experience after 1 year in the L400 camp. (Not to ingratiate myself too much with the 300 crowd... )

My driving is roughly 50% urban, 40% highway, and 10% dirt-road to occasional pretty bumpy 4x4 stuff.

I have 2 kids, and the motivation for the Delica was primarily 3-fold:

- Needed to haul more kids/crap than my old Toyota wagon,
- Got used to 4wd with the Toyota, liked it in the snow/rain, and wanted to get into more camping/offroad stuff,
- Living in the city, I didn't want a massive (wide) modern minivan for which driving/parking is a b!tch.

To that end, either Delica 300 or 400 meets my needs better than any other vehicle available. And I checked out a lot.

There are a couple of big reasons I am, however, glad I chose a 400 over a 300, mostly personal:

- Driving position: I feel much more exposed behind the wheel of a 300 than a 400. Visibility is not quite as good, but I like the idea that in a frontal collision, the engine will hit before me, rather than next to me. Crumple zones are your friend.

- 4WD flexibility. Unless I am grossly mistaken, the 4WD system on an L300 must only be used in situations where the wheels can slip when going around a curve, or else you risk drivetrain damage from windup. The L400 has a viscous coupling in the transfer case which allows you to use it on any surface up to and including dry roads without concern. I regularly pop mine in and out of 4WD on rainy days, and i *love* it. It turns corners like it is on rails, where in 2WD I can easily make the back end step out in the wet.

- Mo' power. With clean filters and injectors, my van will happily cruise all day at 110 kph, and only really starts to run out of steam over 130. I believe that a well-tuned L300 will also do fine at 110 kph, but I find the extra oomph is nice to have when you need it.

- Right-side kid exit. This is a more minor point, but the floor between/behind the drivers' seats on an L400 is flat, where on an L300 there is a hump to (I think) accomodate the engine compartment. In the wet/dark/snow, I find it nice that my kids can step easily from the middle row of seats and exit out the driver's door directly onto the curb, rather than having to go out the sliding door onto the road.

As far as off-road reliability goes, have a read through this thread:

http://www.delica.ca/forum/whipsaw-4x4- ... -8825.html

The rookie driving 174PCB is me. The vehicle far outclassed my own nerves and capabilites, and took what to me was a helluva beating with no ill effects. Remarkable.

If I were to want to do off-roading more serious than that, I doubt my choice would be L300 vs. L400; I'd be looking at Toyota LandCruiser vs. Nissan Safari.

So long posting, but in the end, getting a good starting vehicle is paramount IMHO; the rest will be personal preference.

[JHelzer]

Thank you for all the responses.

I'm going to pull my focus off of the accessories and start watching for a good, clean L400.

My heart still pulls to the L300's, but I need to be sensible as I will be doing a considerable amount of highway driving.

I get a huge kick out of the heavily modified (monster?) L300s that I am finding on the different sites. Would something as modified as http://www.terra2imports.ca/import-japa ... 176179.htm raise warning flags for you if you were looking for a Delica to import?

John

[BV1]

The modifications of that model does not both me, the price does.

I just bought (yesterday) my L400 Spacegear at auction in Japan, through Will @ www.jdmconnection.ca, check him out. He found me a low km Space gear with Crystal Lite roof meeting my requested specifications and price range, in less then a week.

Steve

[jaggedfish]

Hey John!
Good luck in your search for the perfect L400. Would be great if you can come out to one of our meets or excursions with a nice new bus! Looking forward to meeting you again! Cheers! Ian