Hi everyone, I'm looking get my hands on a Delica, in the years 90 to 95 range.
My main question and concern is the reliability of this vehicle.
I looked in the site but could not find any specific forum on the topic.
So, what can be said about the Delica's reliability?
Are there "lemon years" out there.
What should be avoided? What is a recurrent issue with those models.
Should I go for one that has already been owned by a fellow canadian? or look for one imported from Japan?
Any help-tip is welcomed.
I love the truck, I dream of owning one...and in Quebec on top of that...they're more rare than Ferrari's!
Tom1976 wrote:
Hi everyone, I'm looking get my hands on a Delica, in the years 90 to 95 range.
My main question and concern is the reliability of this vehicle.
I looked in the site but could not find any specific forum on the topic.
So, what can be said about the Delica's reliability?
Are there "lemon years" out there.
What should be avoided? What is a recurrent issue with those models.
Should I go for one that has already been owned by a fellow canadian? or look for one imported from Japan?
Any help-tip is welcomed.
I love the truck, I dream of owning one...and in Quebec on top of that...they're more rare than Ferrari's!
Thanks,
Thom
They are very reliable if they have all the proper preventative work done when they get to Canada and you do the regular maintenance. As for owning one in Quebec you might want to check the local laws, there was a law passed there a little while ago banning the import of RHD vehicles, it was supposed to be a test but I'm not sure if that test is or ever will be over.
-you can't import anything newer than a '94 at this time (Oct '94 at date of writing), so you'll have to wait for that '95 you've got your eye on.
-the ban in Quebec is temporary in that it was for 180 days (not sure when that's up), and I think it was for new registrations only, unless it was for work, etc, etc. I don't know if it would apply to a vehicle already in the province. Best to check up on that. How close to the border of Ontario do you live? Do you 'live' in Ontario (I've heard that one works for licensing and insurance, why not inspection)?
-as for a previously-Canadian-owned one vs. one direct from Japan, again, your call. Most are entering the country at the coastal ports of entry - Vancouver, and I thought I heard of one into Halifax - but some importers are willing to ship/truck them inland. I opted for an importer to handle all the paperwork, but there are plenty who've brought in their own vehicle, so it doesn't seem too difficult.
As for dependability, read more here on the forum. There are good stories and there are some bad stories, a mix I would peg at 80-20. Most of the 'bad' stories centre around importing hassles, just-landed maintenance (or lack thereof), inspection nightmares (don't let Canadian Tire inspect your ride), and poor mechanics.
Personally, I've had my van for two years and replaced the alternator (it looked original, so I figured that wasn't too bad - 17 years usage). The importer did a lot of what I call just-landed maintenance, so I got a pretty good van right from the start. Other than that, oil changes, a new set of tires, a wheel alignment (that was one hell of a forestry road!), and a couple of bulbs in the door lights. Very dependable, good on fuel (about 20mpg or 9 km/litre), so I figure for a 2 tonne, 85hp, 4 cylinder diesel, 4WD, seven passenger van I'm doing pretty good. There were no comparable NAMPOS so I looked overseas and haven't been disappointed.
I would agree with what has been said except for "9 litres/km". I assume that was meant as 9 litres/100km. To get 9L/100km you would need to be drafting a big truck on the highway....downhill! For normal driving you are looking more at +11L/100km.
My experience:
I bought mine from an importer that does the compliance stuff but nothing much more than that. I have had mine for over 2 years and have replaced the turbo and the alternator. I also did a preventative maintenance package which included: new rad and hoses, new belts and pulleys, water pump, thermostat and valve adjustment. This should take care of most of the preventable things (I hope).
All in I paid $9500 for the van and then have put in around $3000. When you start to look around at prices you will see vans for under and over $10,000. The ones under generally (I did say generally!) have not had as much preventative maintenance done. The ones that are over (in the +$12,000 range) generally (again I said generally) have had the preventative maintenance package that I described above. If the seller can't prove that it has had most or all of the work done as described then I would walk away and find one that did.
If I were to buy one again I would buy one that is in the +$12,000 range assuming it had all of the preventative maintenance as described above. Otherwise you maybe driving around in a ticking time bomb...maybe a little dramatic, but I know there are users on this forum that could tell some preventable horror stories.
For a 17 year old vehicle I would say it is reliable. Things will go wrong with it for sure though, but if you get the stuff replaced/fixed that can cause an engine to be replaced then the repairs should (I said should) be limited to non-catastrophic repairs.
To answer one question about my location, I'm 30 minutes away from the ontario/quebec border.
I'll go the car commission and inquire about imports from Japan before making a move of course.
If you guys are curious, the 2 closest trucks (I see them as mini trucks!) I have had my eyes on are here on Kijiji...a test drive on those puppies would require a 7 hour drive.
Truck #1 http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z161718682
i tell you, I'm torn...the 7-8 hour drive to be disapointed or ordering it through BC (where most of them are sold) and pay a higher price. Don't know.
First thing would be to get my answer from the Quebec legal part of things. Then I'll move on from there...I just can't take driving a Jetta anymore...I'm convinced you guys understand.
It is currently impossible to register a RHD vehicle in Quebec. it is officially a temporary ban set to expire this month, but I think the likelyhood of the ban becoming permanent is extremely high due to the complete lack of any opposition to the temporary ban.
Several people have asked about reliability recently, and my response is "Define reliability!"
If your standard is the clockwork reliability of a current Toyota or Honda, you will be disappointed.
If your standard is a relatively simple old-school vehicle, you will be just fine. I think of the 1965 Ford station wagon that was the first family car I drove in my teens, big block V8, drum brakes, over-assisted steering, bench seats, crappy radio and all.
Get a good one and look after it, and you'll be fine. These are 15 year old used vans, and they must be approached accordingly. You can't treat them like appliances, you must look after them. Get a good one and it will look after you.
DelicaMark wrote:I would agree with what has been said except for "9 litres/km". I assume that was meant as 9 litres/100km. To get 9L/100km you would need to be drafting a big truck on the highway....downhill! For normal driving you are looking more at +11L/100km.
-Mark
Nope, I meant 9 kilometers per litre (will edit other entry), and I put it that way because how many litres/100km doesn't mean anything to me. I don't travel in 'hundreds-of-kilometers', the gauge reads 'kilometers' and I fill the tank with 'litres'. So the natural distance per quantity works out as kilometers/litre - same as miles/gallon. But that's just me.
