Hello! I am about to buy a Delica...

[Luisito]

Hello Everyone,

My name's Luis, and I'm about to buy a Delica... I've got several possibilities in mind, now trying to narrow it down. It looks like I'll be going with an L300 but beyond that I'm not sure. I'll let you know. I've been reading the posts on this site for several weeks, learning more about this - thanks for all the info and ideas!

I have a question. I just saw this van advertised, and I must admit I started salivating:

http://www.maxoverdrive.ca/main/index.p ... &Itemid=28

Would I be insane to buy this? Would it be chock full of technical problems? Or should I seize it up right now?

Anyway, just wanted to say hi - I'll be posting more soon.

BTW I'm an artist - and I've been having recurring fantasies of painting my van in all kinds of exciting ways! Here's my website!: http://virilesoulcreations.weebly.com/

[nxski]

That one has been advertised for a while. That's what the Delica community likes to call a pavement princess. As for the shape it's in, I haven't seen this in person but most dealers do a good job of making sure their vehicles are in good condition before selling them

[Luisito]

Yes, I looked on this site some more and saw the trail of discussion on the Monsters/Lifts...

I wonder why no one is going for it, if it is in good shape... Why do you stay on the lot, Princess? The mileage? The chance of things going wrong? Or is it just TOO MUCH? :)

[nxski]

I can only guess but the reasons I didn't buy it were
1. I wouldn't pay that much for any delica
2. It wouldn't be good offroad
3. If you're going to seriously modify a vehicle you might as well do it exactly the way you want it
4. It's a low roof model

[thedjjack]

lifted trucks are harder on suspension and drive trains.

I would get a private inspection done to make sure that the lift meets requirements. Anything lifted up or down 10cm requires a vehicle inspection. List all the modifications and have the inspector take photos and make sure it passes as lifted trucks tend to get a lot of inspection notices.

I have seen it in person but did not look to close to high for me.

[nxski]

lifted trucks are harder on suspension and drive trains.

I would get a private inspection done to make sure that the lift meets requirements. Anything lifted up or down 10cm requires a vehicle inspection. List all the modifications and have the inspector take photos and make sure it passes as lifted trucks tend to get a lot of inspection notices.

I have seen it in person but did not look to close to high for me.

Isn't your vehicle even higher than that? I know what you mean though.

[Luisito]

"I can only guess but the reasons I didn't buy it were
1. I wouldn't pay that much for any delica
2. It wouldn't be good offroad
3. If you're going to seriously modify a vehicle you might as well do it exactly the way you want it
4. It's a low roof model"

So you think $10,300 is too much for any Delica? So what IS a good price? The ones I've seen lower than 8K have all been problematic... it seems like $9-11K is the standard.

This is the one I'm looking at on the Island as my fave:

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... a_15008332

It looks to be in good shape and well cared for. Is this too much?


What's wrong (in your opinion) with the low roof? I guess low roof means there's no Crystal Lite ceiling?

I've also been looking into this sort of thing:

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... n_10847432


Thanks for your feedback, everyone... there's a lot to learn!

L

[nxski]

Those are just my reasons for not getting it. There is nothing wrong with the low roof, I just prefer crystal lite. The price is reasonable for a dealer but I was looking for a great deal and found it at $4000.

The first Delica looks to be in great shape but the second is a good price and has a 5 speed. If you font care about the transmission I would try to talk the first one down to $8000-9000 and then put in a 2" lift of Jfarsangs in for about $750 and then you have a useful lifted van with a lot of extras and for less than the monster one.

These are of course just personal opinions and I'm still not entirely sure what you're looking for.

[Luisito]

$4000 for a good Delica? Amazing! How'd you score THAT?

The seller of the first one, here on the Island is a nice guy, but he's not moving on price. I've been driving standard for years and it'd be nice to switch, plus I was reading on one of the boards that L300 auto is often seen as superior to the standard. The price is right on the white import - but I haven't seen it and I have some paranoia around imports that I haven't checked out (which may or may not be founded).

I'd like an L300 that isn't going to be breaking down constantly. I like the Crystal Roof. And in terms of mods I'm not looking for much - I'd like a roof cage and a ladder, and possibly a nice lift. All for $29.95! :)

L

[nxski]

Well, I searched for 7 months, found an honest guy who wanted a really quick sale and had reduced to $6000. I was then the first of 3 callers within an hour. Of the three I also lived the closest and was free that evening. I stopped by and looked at it and was told that the owner had discovered rust on the roof (a common problem with crystal lites) and that he'd been quoted $2000 to have it professionally repaired so he dropped the price by that amount. After barely a hesitation I agreed to buy it. Half an hour later a 4th person called and wanted to buy it sight unseen for $6000 but too late

If you can find any Delica in good shape mechanically, that what matters, there is a fairly inexpensive way of doing e everything. For example, I spent about $100 repairing the roof myself.

I've spent around $11,000 on the vehicle including the purchase price and this is what it looks like...

http://www.delica.ca/forum/hermione-s-m ... 10006.html

Just to give you an idea.

Also, if you haven't already, check the for sale section of this forum as typically people on this forum take good care of their vehicles.

[Luisito]

Wow, nice work! I like the roof cage, etc. Looks great.

How much did it cost to have the lift installed by Butch?

I can afford to wait a bit and see what presents itself... I'm selling my current car now:

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... a_15162211

It's going to be different driving a Delica.

[nxski]

It will be very different driving a Delica. That's a very nice car you're selling!

The install was $400 and then alignment was $100
I waited until my original shocks sheared off before putting the lift in so the way I see it the lift didn't cost much in comparison to buying new shocks and having those installed. My friends call that Nick logic though

[Luisito]

Yeah, it's an awesome ride... just not very practical! I want to do more camping and long-distance trips in the wilderness, plus I'm an artist and I need something bigger for canvases. If you know anyone who wants a sweet little sportscar...

I like the Nick Logic! You should trademark it. :)

[nxski]

That makes sense, unfortunately most of my friends can't afford anything more than a beater.

It turns out my biological grandfather (who I just recently met) has been using the same type of logic for much longer. Genetics are amazing!

[Luisito]

So I talked to Mardy today and he told me quite emphatically that most L300 Crystal Lite roofs get massive rust from the condensation, etc. Is that true in your experience? Is it better to get a non-crystal lite (e.g. low-roof)? I ask because I'm thinking of buying this one:

http://www.comoxvalleydelica.com/show58 ... _134600Kms

Or, CCAuto has a low roof for $7,000 which sounds appealing because of the price - and also because the potential lack of problems from the crystal lite.

Aw man, but I like the glass ceiling!

Any feedback is appreciated.