Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club | L400 Model codes and what they mean....

Wow.. That's a bummer.. The guy (Jasper) joined to advertise his Delica for sale and his second and last post was to say it was sold and that is probably the last we will ever hear of him. What a waist of a good user name....He should have called himself "2 post seller" or some other through away name.. Cheers..

Are there any l400 LWB 4WD with 5spd? Someone told me manual is just available in the SWB version...

Also are there any high roof without crystal lights?

Most of the LWBs we see here are Supers or Royals and therefore come with auto transmission. If you look hard enough you will find a manual but they are rare and would probably been a special order from factory. You can order almost any combination you want. I have driven both man and auto and would choose auto every time, especially for off road. I have never seen snow let alone driven in it but the Japanese buy delicas for snow and 95% of them are autos. The Jaspers and Chamonix which are both cold climate pack models are almost exclusively autos. Most of the Chamonixs also have LSD. Shame about the horrible blue carpet that all the early model L400 Chamonixs have. The carpet in them is always an excuse to make a few jokes on our forum.
Yes they do make LWB without the Crystal roofs but they are not Supers or Royals but lower spec models. Even a low spec model has lots of features. They usually come with white steps and bars instead of chrome which a lot of members here respray to better suit the color as the white looks tacky on some colors. LWBs also come with 8 seats but only in low spec models without crystal roof. The extra 400ml of a LWB is very handy so I hope you find a good one.. Cheers.

You can get a LWB 4x4 in 5-spd

there were two in auctions last wed. One was crystalite and the other a low roof. I've only seen the one that Mardy brought in a while ago. Pretty neat. You can get them in both floor and column shift.

Thanks Stiful and Jesse for the info.


Well, I have a different opinion about that. It all depends on your ability to drive with manual. I would never ever prefer auto for offroading.

Most of our 4x4ing is done on beaches and sandy tracks where momentum is lost in a split second and that can result in loosing your delica to the incoming tide so the auto is brilliant. I had 4 manual L300s before i got the auto Delicas and have done many hundreds of miles on sand and sandy tracks and would never go back to a manual. There is enough stress in racing an incoming tide along a 50k beach on Fraser Island that has been churned up by hundreds of other cars without having to worry about being in the right gear if there is a creek crossing or washout on the beach to slow down for or go around. Snow may be different but I think it is strange that Mits makes almost all their "Winter Pac" Delicas in automatic..
If you can possibly get a photo of that LWB L400 with a low roof that would be excellent because as far as I knew there is no such thing. They are a bit like a Yeti.. People recon they see them but they end up being something else..
Cheers

I'd say that it is a couple of SWB models mistaken or advertised as LWB. Jasper can tell you all about that. If it is a column-shift manual transmission, it will be a 2WD model.

And like Jasper said, show us pictures or links to advertisements. They can tell us more than a bunch of words in a typical delica.ca post.


Yes and yes.

Have a look at http://english.auto.vl.ru/catalog/mitsubishi/delica/ for good guide on the Delica lineup. Follow the model codes, as the names can be incorrect. If there is no digit at the end of the model code, it is a plain standard roof or plain high roof. If the suffix is '1', it is a standard roof with the twin sun roof. If the suffix is '2', it is a high roof with the crystal lite roof. If you are good with Japanese, http://www.goo-net.com/catalog/MITSUBIS ... PACE_GEAR/ and http://catalog.carsensorlab.net/mitsubishi/ are better. Translators like http://ca.babelfish.yahoo.com/ and http://translate.google.ca/ will help.

Thanks for your info. That helps, but I'm still a little bit confused.
PF8W is the code for a l400 LWB, High roof, 2.8L Diesel, but is there a different number for High roof without crystal light?
Also what would be the code for Manual vs. Automatic?

There may be a code for the roof. Terrence would be your man. One thing I do know is if you are searching Japanese auction sites using PF8w will find you all the LWB Delis then you can see, on some sites at least, the options. It has been a while since i have been searching for a new Deli but the crystal roofs are something like CR(crystall roof) or SR(sun roof) in the option list and MT or man or something like that for manual transmission. You are going to have to be very patient to find a manual in a LWB. Most of them are luxury cars and came out with auto. Manuals are not at all popular and very uncommon in the LWB. They are about as common as 8 seats in a LWB. If you are after an manual because you "have always driven manuals" then you need to have a drive in an auto off road. If you have ever been driving a manual and been in the wrong gear or ran out of power, then you know how potentially dangerous that can be, having to reverse back down a slippery slope for example. The clever autos in Delicas are fantastic. They have buttons to press to take off in second so as not to loose traction in snow. I have had manual cars all my life and my previous L300s , 4 of them , were all manuals but I wouldn't go back to a manual in a fit now that i have done a lot of 4x4ing in an auto. You can lock them in low gears for steep descents, as long as you know what you are doing and have the right tyre pressure you will get places where so called "real 4wD" manuals will not go. Did you see the ytube link I posted with the Delica climbing the huge sand dune then the Toyota Lancruiser not making it. There could be several reasons for that but I suspect it was entirely the fact that the Deli was an auto. The landcruiser on such a long climb would have had to change down at least two gears and that would have been what stopped him. Sand shows no mercy . Anyway, find someone with a good auto and go play in the bush or what ever you have over there. I am sure you will love it. Cheers.

It will be easier to make sense of the model code if you open the first page in a new tab or window. Hold down <Ctrl> or <Shift> and click on 1 at the top or bottom of this page.

I'll take the 5/1994 release Delica Space Gear Exceed II as an example.

KD-PE8W-HSNHF… Transmission type=N… 5-speed manual transmission (Floor Shift)
KD-PE8W-HSEHF… Transmission type=E… 4-speed automatic transmission (Column Shift)

You can see the difference in the roof in the suffix, which is an equipment code, of the model code.

KD-PE8W-HSEHF… suffix=None… plain (high roof, in this instance)
KD-PE8W-HSEHF2… suffix=2… crystal lite roof

I think one of the things that confuses people is that part of the model code appears in the VIN (ie PF8W) but many of the options people are looking for only appear in the full model code which is stamped on the VIN plate, but doesn't always appear on auction sheets and the like.

most sales don't show you the model code, so you'll have to go by the pictures/descriptions given for most options, only the most basic part can be gleaned from the VIN itself (low or high roof, short or long wheelbase, 2wd or 4wd, panel van or passenger van, and engine type) everything else requires more info then you will find in the VIN itself. though it is likely stamped on the VIN plate.

Hey guys
Is there any way to read the model month in the 1995's auction sheet??
thanks
Wayne

Hi.. If you do a google IMAGE search on japanese car auction sheets you will find lots of pics of auction sheets. Some of them will show translation of what each section is for. You should always ask to see a copy of the auction sheet from the importer/dealer before agreeing to buy you Deli. Take particular notice of the "GRADE". I would not buy a Deli that was less than grade 4. Preferably 4.5. One of the most accurate ways of seeing the date of manufacture is to look at the label on the seat belts. It is easier than rummaging around in the engine compartment looking for the plate..Cheers..

Jasper, would you know what computer program there is where you enter the chassis number and it returns to you the model code, manufacturing date and major options fitted. I just thought of the Mitsubishi Computerized Automatic Parts Search (CAPS), but have not used it before.

Hi Terence.. No I don't sorry but Colin (C2) may know. I think he is back home in Japan now so he can find out for you. Cheers..