Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Hi friendly folks!
been lurkin for a bit gathering as much info as i can and debating whether i should take the plunge in the delica world. i'm coming from the landcruiser world with 2 diesels (60 series and jdm 80series) and have owned 2 jdm's already. the famiglia is growing, 2nd baby on the way in february, woot woot. soooo, my lil dilema is whether i should move on from the bj60 and get a diesel 7/8 passenger deli and just call it a day. wife uses the 80 for work (it used to be mine) cuz it's auto and she loves it (after lots of convincing that it's strong, safe for kids, all wheel drive, etc...;), plan worked! lol) and i drive the 60.

so i get the whole diesel thing, the box with high roof and crystal light windows, relatively efficient motor, tonnes of room, etc..etc, i love it all! but i'm stuck on the l300 vs l400 thing. right now i'm siding with the purists that love the l300 cuz it's simpler, has character, yadda yadda, tigher turn radius, more room, etc..

just this aft i test drove a 5spd l300 and an auto swb l400. i get the threads on comparing the two and i see both sides for/against either rig, truck like/good view/bare bones l300 vs more refined/more power/drives like a car/no hump l400...which i have a good feeling the wifey will prefer. i like the idea of a motor infront for a more protected front end collision, but i like seeing the road too, kinda neat.

anyway, i can go on and on about trying to figure out which i'd like and need and will give us the most joy on our roadies and campin trips... and will continue reading...

so there's my quick intro! btw, i'm from s.ontario (the dreaded big smoke! lol) but have driven to wet coast a few times and love it out there and sometimes wonder why im still here. just last year we took our then 6 month old all the way to tofino and camped along the way....wish i had signed up sooner and got to know more peeps here then i coulda visited some of ya'lls and got to know these rigs more, next time!

oh yeah, i'm down with wvo and have my eye on a couple on the 4sale section... just crappy that we don't have to much to choose from around these parts. :(

i'm on waaaay too many forums, all i gotta say is the atmosphere, cammaraderie, and general "feel" around this forum IS the best i've lurked on, lol, no joke! this site has helped lots already just from lurking and i hope to get more knowledge and meet like minded travellers!

cheers.
romey
i ramble too much, crap. :)

delicat, thanks for the quick responses and all the great advice, hopin to get the right rig soon!

btw, i'm very curious about some non scientific stats about l300 vs l400 ownership....wondering how many l300 purists have stuck with it, how many have moved on to l400, how many went straight to owning l400s, or if any went back to an l300 from l400...? and how many own both!

i know the 300's have been around longer and there are still more out there, just curious. and is japan running out of good l300's, am i left with slim pickins and might need to look at 400s if i were to shop straight from auction? feels like i missed the big wave, and with all this rhd BS goin around and the big battle with icbc, and quebec's/pei's ban on rhd and general crappier jdm market compared to 4 years ago...?

I had the option of buying either one when I got mine. I went for the L300 because of it's roominess (although somewhat hindered a little by the hump, appearance, simplicity, durability, ease of parking, and help given by those who have already owned them for a while, adaptability, etc. I could go on forever about why I chose it and why I stand by my decision. That being said I didn't even consider the L400 because of it's 'soccer mum van' appearance. Every decision I made was biased and influenced because of that. There is a lot going for the L400 but I don't really want to list it or I may start rethinking my decision (doubtful but I don't want to take that chance)

a 2" lift and some more aggressive tires and soccer mom van no more.

thanks for the warm welcome fellas! i really liked jasfrangs thread on the 3 delis he was trying to figure out which to keep....based on that nice talk, i would've loved to have kept the l300 pop up and used that as a DD! lol.

one small thing i noticed is that i've seen some moving on from delicas and lookin for pajeros or other suv's and they have families...feels like i'm going the other way...(and the only thing i can think off is better offroadability, even tho delicas can hold their own on the trails) the 80 series we hope to keep for a loooong time, most i've ever spent on a vehicle, and ihave always bought used and have never owned anything newer. i'm also thinking about jimmying up 3rd row seating, or at least one seat for the inlaws to fit...and we can live with that, maybe i should just stay that way and f'get about the van for now and wait till the kids are older (but i'm afraid we'll loose the battle to the rhd/15yr rule import eventually!)....but i love the room and the swivel seats, and windows everywhere!!!

anyway, the one plan was to have the wifey use the delica for her longer commute to work and I back on the 80 (bc shes has outdoor parking and i sometimes ahve to go underground).... for trips with just us 4 the 80 will be nice....since the inlaws are gettin older (and don't like to drive) and we'd like to take em along some long trips (plans for maryland/florida next summer) so one ehicle is perfect for it....then i started thinkin about all that weight, 4 adults, 2 kids, gear and AC on and maybe it'll be a bit of work for the 300. that's when a lwb 400 will prolly come in handy, or even a shorty for that matter...

based on my wife using the van, i could prolly sell her on the 400 more than the 300, i have a feeling she'll get freaked out about beeing so close to the front and seeing the road and having to steer the rig like a truck vs soccer mom like 400...well the son will hit soccer soon, literally she will be one!

but i myte still consider a low roof!! sheesh!

well, as we approach the holidays, at least i should be fortunate that we at least have 2 rigs that can get the job done and i really shouldn't whine...

Welcome Romey,

I think you would enjoy an L400. My brother has a gasser LWB in Ottawa that his 3 kids call the monster van. It has a 2in lift, 2nd row captain chairs, high roof and large tires. With the kids (all under 5) and a newfy dog, the family still has room for luggage, the wife doesn't mind him 4x with the kids, and it is great fun to drive.

I am bringing in a swb L400 in January that I got using Steve at Sastrad - great service and very prompt/helpful. I don't think you'll get the soccer mom feeling, whenever I have driven it in Ottawa I get the Wow that's a cool azz vehicle where can I get one!

Have fun in your search

Don

Hey Romey!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Delicas! If I may add my 2 cents worth... I just sold my P25 L300 after 3 years of ownership. It was a great vehicle to drive and has been very reliable for me and I will miss her greatly. I am now moving over to the "dark side" (as some refer to it) and have a loaded L400 on order from Mardy at Amazing Auto.
Some of my thoughts are... the L300 is definitely the more rugged, truck-like rig to own. Being over the front wheels when off-roading is nice as you can easily see to guide the drivers side wheel over obstacles. The L400 is no slouch off-road either and, while it has the rep as a "soccer mom" van, my goal is for it not to look even remotely like that. The L400 can look as agressive as the L300 with the "right stuff".
The change for me is related to the fact I recently relocated to Calgary from Vancouver and we still have a vacation property on the Sunshine Coast that we take road-trips to get to. The added power of the Spacegear's 2.8 is expected to enable us to have better travel time on the Coquihalla while hauling gear with us. The L300 was more than capable but lacked power on the big hills and you have to let the van tell you how fast you can go to keep temps where they need to be and not over-work the motor.
The approach and departure angles are better on the L400 short wheel base... I installed one of Jfarsang's 2-inch lift kits in my L300 which definitely helped the approach angle... my L400 will get the same treatment.
Obviously you have done a lot of research so far... I CAN say my wife prefers the look of the L400 (less utility-like) and she is now more excited to try it out for camping and road-tripping. We are hoping the new bus will be ready while we are on the coast over the Christmas break so I am hoping to be able to add some more thoughts if I get a chance to test the off-road abilities prior to the road trip back to Calgary.
Thanks for tolerating my ramblings... helps me in my time of need as I am Delica-less until the new one is in my hands. Withdrawals!!!!
Cheers!
Ian

Great post Ian as always.... I did a year and a half research on the delica before I bought the l 400.... a mate of mine awns a l300 I liked it a lot except the engine power.... I've done some mods to increase the power and to make it a bit more efficient. I tend to haul motor bikes, mountain bikes, ski gear friends when we go climbing, I've slept in it many times winter summer and the van is truly AMAZING... my friends l300 is just as capable but lacks the grunt to climb those pesky hills.... even backwards as I demonstrated on one of our outings...... you will enjoy your beast but make sure you grease and oil often and it will last a LONG time....

I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder 'cause I hear lots of people going on about the 300's being under powered but personally I have never felt that about mine... Heaps of power - power to spare... More than it needs...

One other option to throw at you.

If you like your 80 then you may consider a Nissan Patrol (Safari in Japan).

It seats 7 people, is taller inside than a lowroof Delica, same fuel economy 10-12L/100km , bulletproof (literally) drivetrain and engine and is like a tractor offroad.

Just something to throw in the mix.

yeah, this whole "soccer mom" label is kinda gettin overrated, lol. i really don't mind it at the end of the day, and like i said, my wife WILL be THAT soccer mom literally, haha.
been going through all this in my head as i drive the 60 and just this eve the 80 with wife and kid. i have my 2 year old in the middle of the back seat of the bj60, i hop in in the morning and close the door as i strap him in and warm up the rig, while there i twist around and hop in the drivers seat cuz i'm too lazy to get out and walk around.... this got me thinking about the l400s.... when loading kid in the cold, i can hop in and close the door and just walk into my seat through the "isle", that's nice to have.
the way my son's car seat is bolted in the jdm 80 (left side, perfect for looking over to see him and away from the tbone side), we (and more my wife as she's 7 months prego) still find it hard to lift him over and strap him in. when the little one arrives, she/he will be in the middle/rear facing back seat, so i'll have to carry and reach over to the middle and snap in.....

having a big sliding door and room to step in/out and shut the door before strapping them chitlins in is nice to have... on the l300, i'd have to get out again and jump in on the other side...hmm....i'm gettin it now...

sssso, the 80 can stay as our more adventurous family rig when it's just the 4 of us...and say an l400 can be the longer road trip family rig with possibility of taking cousins and inlaws. then really, bj60 got's to go!

i think a lwb would be a tad overkill and the larger turn radius might stress the wife out! i can see us gettin bye with a swb and using a roof rack for camping gear, or even a rear hitch/basket for more stuff..

i was THIS close to goin the safari way almost 4 years ago. i totally get it and if it weren't for less oem/aftermarket support and fear of getting body damage and not having any safari's around to salvage fenders for (and that 12 litre sump and 2 oil filters!), i went with the 80 knowing there are gassers all over the US...and i did come from a nissan pathfinder as it was my 1st suv, so brand wise, i really tried...
it's been great owning cruisers and hangin out on mud. the guys from our local club are awesome too.

i could still go for a safari tho! doooh! haha. don't tell crushers!

there's just no comparing the robsutness and strength of the 80 compared to the l400 i drove, but it's apples to oranges. i feel the 80 is now overkill but with it's awesome mileage, awd, and offroadability, well, we just love it.... as it racks up the miles (stilll only 130K kms) and gets closer to movin on...i plan on wheelin the sucker! she's done some mild stuff tho and wow!

the l400 will be that much better than an odyssey or sienna cuz it's diesel/4x4/high roof and fun factor blows everything else out of the water.

with regards to power, i'm sure i can live with the l300, especially that we're flatter this side of the continent and i fgure if lots of you guys can get away with it and are content on the coq and all the mountains, so could we. just pyro and keep egt's down, etc..

funny how the delicas have also earned the term "bus"....guess from all you x vdub fans huh? :)

i have to consider the wife's needs and funny, now i'm beginning to like the 400s more...i think?!

(i really write too much, sorry fellas! haha)

tried some searches but didn't find any. anyone know what these (l300 or l400s) retailed for when new? just heard back from our statefarm agent and they have no records, for obvious reasons. all i told them was they can go for 10 to 12G's nowadays...so i can't quite get an insurance quote. they have already insured my then, hilux, and now 80 series landcruiser (i guess they had 4runners to compare it to and a US gasser 80)...

delicioso! wrote:tried some searches but didn't find any. anyone know what these (l300 or l400s) retailed for when new?...

Not sure how accurate but this site gives some numbers. Seems reasonable, though I have to wonder why an insurance company would care what a vehicle sold for 15 yrs. ago in a land half a world away?
Regarding this ad you referenced, don't believe the 128hp/232 ft.lbs. figure (unless that particular 4D56 has been hopped-up). I think the 105ps spec'd at the site I've referenced is more accurate based on my butt-in-seat dyno. The other ad's L400's 125hp/217 ft.lbs. seems appropriate. FWIW - I'm quite happy with my '92 L300 5spd. Happy shopping!