Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Hi there Internet

Brand new member and aspiring Delica owner. Been dreaming of a L400 Space Gear for some time now. The more research I do the more perplexed and frustrated I become that so few vehicles match the rugged usefulness and versatility of the Delica. Living in a fairly remote area it is very difficult to find a shop that will take on Delica repairs. Having had an uncommon Mitsubishi vehicle before, I want to avoid the trauma of unavailable parts and huge labor bills.

If there are any West Kootenay Delica owners out there, what do you do when your beast needs repairs?

I cant pull the trigger until I know I wont be left high and dry when I need repairs. And I aint no diesel mechanic. (I hear delicas are difficult even for pro. mehcanics to work on?)

PLEASE HELP! I LOVE THE DELICA SO!

Hey mgrady,

Fear not, it IS possible to live in the Koots and own a Delica. In terms of mechanics, I used to have a good one in Castlegar but he's no longer in business. Downtown Auto in Nelson works on Delicas, but my experiences with them have not been so good - and I've heard the same from others. Right now, I have a mechanic nearby who will do work and I'd bring it to him for simple stuff (brakes, ball joints, etc.) and for more complicated stuff I bring it to either CVI in Richmond or Coombs Country Auto on the Island.

I usually get my parts from Coombs as well, but there are also some crossover parts available from Lordco and NAPA (filters, brakes, shocks, etc.)

I also recently created a Facebook page for Delica owners/enthusiasts here in the Kootenays to connect. You can see it here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1477049985920117/ - Feel free to join up! It would be great to get enough people together to do bulk part orders, approach a mechanic about specializing in Delicas, have meetups, etc.

Best,

Colin

Hey Colin,

Thanks a lot for the reply. Good to hear there are some resources available for these things.
I assume you live in the Kootenays, do you drive all the way to Coombs to get your vehicle serviced?
How difficult are Delicas to work on at home? I have some basic experience with vehicles. Changing alternators, starters, rads kind of thing.
What kind of problems does one run accross owning these things? Anything fixable in the backyard?
What should I look for when choosing one?
Ever tried Nu-Tech Auto in Trail?

Thats a lot of questions. Im pretty excited this could be possible.

Joined the Group.

Bulk part orders, approaching a mechanic and meet ups sounds awesome. This could be the start of a movement.

Thanks again for awnsering.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Noticed you joined the group. That's great!

To answer your questions, I have only had my van into Coombs once, just recently when I took a trip to the Island with my family. But i was really happy with the service they provided, and I most often order my parts from there too. But I would probably only make a specific trip there if there was something major I needed done and couldn't get done elsewhere. It's definitely not a cheap or short trip to make.

We have family on the Lower Mainland, so we go there often and when I do, I usually book an appointment at CVI to have them give it a look over. They're also great folks to deal with and do very good work.

I don't do a lot of work at home personally, filters, oil, brakes and some miscellaneous other stuff are about the extent of my ability. If you've got some knowhow, I'm sure you could do some work yourself. I know lots of people do work on their own Delis and this site is a great resource.

In terms of what you should look at when choosing one, if you're buying it from a private sale, all the same stuff you would look when buying any used vehicle - have it inspected, etc. Otherwise, I recommend buying your van from a reputable dealer. Coombs sells vans and has a solid reputation, it would just mean a trip to the Island. There are also several other dealers on the Lower Mainland, and Mustang Connection in Armstrong is the closest. That's where I got my van, and Barry is a great guy to deal with. They just don't have the selection you find on the Lower Mainland/Island.

And no experience with that shop in Trail. Right now I have a mechanic in South Slocan who is willing to do some work for me. So far I haven't been in with anything other than tire changes, so I can't recommend just yet.

Hope that helps.

Best,

Colin