Looking to purchase L400 ASAP!

[NeilthePeel]

Hello Delica people!

New to the board (and yet to be a Delica owner) and my girlfriend and I want to learn as much about these cool vans as possible - particularly what to look for when buying one (common issues/certain year models to avoid etc.), and who *not* to buy from. I can see lots of heated exchanges between dealers and users on the internet forums, but figured coming here and getting involved could help clear the air on some things. Not to mention I can't wait to get one and join the club!

So far we've been in touch with Shogo at Japanoid in regards to a third party inspection, and have a good vibe from him.

We've test driven two so far - one was covered in rust, the other was great but sold before we had a chance to even make an offer.

The goal is to camperize, but our budget now is around the $10,000 mark. I understand the rare fully camperized editions are pushing $20,000 (?)… So off the bat, I'd like to get a bed and a heater in there - I have a feeling there should be some great info here about these kinds of mods.

As far as dealers go, Rising Sun seems to dominate CL with lots of great looking, low mileage units (albeit in transit), but some searching I've done for reviews of them has come up with some pretty nasty exchanges from a few years ago. I'm taking it all with a grain of salt at this point and would love to hear about anyones experiences with them.

Thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to hearing about how to navigate this process.

Edit: Is 75,000 Km's on a late 90's unit really plausible? I've heard the term "Odometer fraud"… The lower the K's, the more I'm suspicious. What's the word on these incredibly low K's?

[Firesong]

I purchased my latest 1998 L400 from Steven at RSI. Had it just over 1 year and still
running fantastic. Remember that few people come back to say awesome, more come
to complain. Recommend him fully. Been dealing with him for years. Tip, be straight up
with him, don't play the phone and ask for something for nothing if you are intending to
buy elsewhere or trying to get other people's/shop's prices down. He will shut you down.
And that's where the hard feelings come in.
Steven picked me up at the airport, helped me get the insurance to drive the van and
it was exactly as described. Ask lot's of questions, don't assume anything.

He's one of the best for parts and service. My opinion. No doubt you will get others
good and bad opinions about everything (fair enough).
For more info PM me.
Firesong

[MardyDelica]

hi, neithepeel,
as a customer you have the right to shop around either thru a dealer or private sale.
not all dealer will shut you down when your shopping a delica , its part of the business.
as a dealer I cannot control the way you want to buy your dream car.
when customer asking me and inquire about purchasing a delica, I guide them to which way they want to choose.
there are many ways to make a deal purchasing a delica.
in the end customer will be the one to make decision. you are the boss.
even I waste time talking to a customer and in the end they decided not the buy from me.
that's part of doing the business. your decision will be a much more important when purchasing a Delica
hope this help you finding a new delica for you.
Cheers:

[NeilthePeel]

Thanks very much Firesong and Mardy!

I can understand that we're more likely to read negativity on the net than positivity as the satisfied people are out there having fun in their vehicles while someone with a mechanical problem is stuck at home and frustrated... Only one thing to do at that point - jump on the net and get nasty!

We'll be heading out to RSI this week to check out their stock.

Cheers!

[EricE]

Look for one from a private owner who has had it a couple years , although dealers go threw them well as Mardy did with mine gremlins show up. Get one from someone who has already fixed them , they can be pricey and you will get a better deal in the private market .