Looking for a new vehicle, Delica a possiblity. Teach me!

[audi4life20v]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a new vehicle as my daily driver. Right now I drive a pretty sweet 91' Audi 90 Quattro 20v but with over 300,000 km's she needs some work that I cant perform while driving her. So im looking for a new vehicle that'll get me 40km to work and 40km back from work on Alberta's winter roads while also being fun and unique.

I've read alot of delica's and kinda know what they are about. 2H-L 4H-L modes with a nice Turbo Diesel. Seems pretty intresting and fun, Honestly I have never gone off roading in a truck or w/e but I do love bush whacking and mudding on ATV's so I would love a vehicle with awsome off road capabilites. Also A good point for a vehicle for me is rareity and uniqueness both of which the Delica isnt lacking. With all this said I think the delica would be right for me as I dont really want a super fast car for a Daily, theres a reason I plan on keeping the Lil Audi ;D

Anyways I came here looking for infromation on the Delica world and customization. If anyone could please provide infromation on how they do offroad and how stable they are that would be wonderful. How does she handle the hard trails on stock suspention? How hard is it to find a good lift kit or how hard/how expensive is lifitng a Delica on your own? Or can just big meaty tires be fitted on a stock Delica to get a small raise?
The big kicker is how much more powerful is the L400 over the L300? I hear double the power but is it really that dramatic? My car now is 170 hp and close to 163 ft lbs of torque on a 3200 lb car with AWD. With the gearing on the delica do you think tis 200ft lbs could pull as hard as my car?


Anyways just want infromation DUMPED on me as I really like the idea of some Badass 4x4 japanese van that could out offroad your average ford exploder.

Thanks for the time.

Kyle.


Heres a link to a Delica I was lookin at.

http://www.terra2imports.ca/about/galle ... 3.jpg.html

160XXX kms and super clean. No roof rack or light bar anymore as they were stolen not shure if any pics show em though.
They want 13K but im not shure.timing belt adn water pump ect ect are done.


So tell me what you think, is it cheeper to buy a clean L300-400 then jack her up myself? or just proceed stright to go.

Thanks again.

[jessef]

The ad you posted is a lifted Delica. Lifted so high that stability is a concern, I don't care what anyone else says.

I have seen it in person and it's a great show vehicle but from a practical viewpoint, it isn't the best.

A stock Delica will outshine this one on small, twisty trails offroad and on logging roads.

The L400 Spacegear 2.8 have a larger tow capacity than the L300. Even then, it's not the best compared to it's gas equivalent. Twice the towing capacity ? After driving both, I would say that's a good assumption. Power difference is very noticeable.

Delica's are great vehicles. They are stable providing you treat them with care on slippery/icy conditions as the rear end being very light compared to the front end can swing out if not too careful. You can counter that with a few hundred lbs of weight above the rear axle. Short wheelbase vehicles are all the same for handling. They excel in tight turns/offroad but are a little more bumcheeks-puckered-in-your-seat on slippery conditions than longer wheelbase vehicles.

The Delica's are unique which is why many people love them. There are other options out there but they kind of come as a package. Diesel, true 4x4, seating/space capacity, unique look.

With that comes other things. They are a vehicle like all others on this planet and as such, some are lemons, some are average and some are great. Maintenance is key with diesels. Belts, oil/fluid changes are frequent and necessary.

The 2.5 engine is still being manufactured so that is a testament to a well built product. There are better, but it's good for what it is.

I would not advise to lift a Delica (L300) higher than 2" inches as it will drastically alter the driveline geometry, unless you're a 4x4 fabricator and have lots of time or $.

Lift kits can be had for under $500 and you usually need longer shocks to accompany the lift otherwise you'll rip the stock one's from their mounting points.

Cab-over driving is unique and not for everyone. I love it and miss it. Tons of visibilty is the key word.

Turning radius is good.

Tons of various models, options that come on these.

Personally, I would not recommend that one from Terra2 unless it's a show vehicle. It looks great but offroad, it may not be so well suited.