Help we want a Delica

[proudcaper]

Hi my wife and I live in Victoria BC and we are very interested in purchasing a delica. From everything we see we absoloutely love therm. We are going for our first test drive today and can hardly wait. We have a brand new family and want to make certain that we making the right choice. We are wondering about possible repair costs, availability of parts, english service manuals, general reliability and performance issues and mostly Transport Canada concerns. Any info you may have would be greatly appreciated.

[quadzilla]

Just bought one a few weeks ago and so far really happy. Repair costs seem to rival any vehicle, and if you are handy with a wrench, these are generally easy to work on. Marigold in Victoria is the place to go if you want a good mechanic. They have a lot of experience with Japanese imports. Parts are available from various sources on the Island and in the lower mainland. With the popularity of these vehicles increasing, access to parts is easier. Service manuals are available. Check the wiki area in this forum and jump to the other forums (UK and down under) for more great downloads. You can also get parts at NAPA and LORDCO (e.g., glow plugs, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter...) Any oil change place can change you oil, too.

Reliability? Did you see how many registered users there are? Provided the machine is in good working order, this should not be an issue. Although I have only had mine for a few weeks I talked to a lot of people and did a ton of reading before buying one. I liken the reliability to that of an early 80's Toyota pickup with the 22R motor. Bomb proof. I put over 500K on that engine before retiring it.

Transport Canada Concerns? Do you think that the government of Japan isn't concerned about its citizens? We North Americans have been importing Japanses-made vehicles for a lot of years, with Canadian consent - in fact - we have been building them. The only difference here is that the Delica is a RHD. The only thing that I have seen was the recent ICBC-commissioned report that suggested RHDs are 44% more likely to be involved in an accident and that the time to first incident was lower in a RHD compared to a LHD. There was no evidence to suggest that the total damage or potential for injury was any different when comparing a RHD to a LHD. However, the reporting of some of the statistics in that document were not entirely accurate; the document is available on ICBC's website if you are interested. Someone linked to it in this forum as well. Furthermore, from what I could tell, of the data that were anlaysed, none of the collisions involved a Delica. There is a post in this forum regarding a head-on collision at highway speeds between a delica and a grand am (I think) and the Delica faired very well (but was a write off - but neither the passenger nor the driver were injured, which is the most important thing).

So, make your choice, but make an informed one. I have two young kids, one in a car seat and I am confident that the Delica would be a great choice for a family. Not only are they safe and reliable, but they are cool as hell.

Good Luck.

[ExplosiveAbe]

Hey ProudCaper.

I too am looking for a Delica & had alot of the same questions. I found alot of answers in the "FAQ" section of this site. I think all the questions you asked are addressed in one way or another.

How did your test drive go yesterday, or are you a Delica owner now? I took one for a test drive yesterday as well (maybe the same one you did?) but want to check out a few more before making a final decision.

Anyway, good luck in your search if you haven't found anything yet & keep us informed if you find someone, dealer or private, who is cool to deal with!

[Schwa]

The only thing I've seen WRT transport canada concerns is that the Delica poses unnecessary risk to pedestrians because of the high impact point, same as most SUVs and trucks.