Mulling about purchasing this van, any advice would be great

[north54]

Hey all,

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1990 L300 Starwagon Exceed 4x4 diesel 2.5L turbo with an automatic transmission. Crystal Lite roof model with shades and sliding rear passenger windows. Moonroof, brush bar, winch, alloy wheels, turbo gauge, fog lights, AC, and ignition timer.

The seller has had the engine professionally rebuilt with about 170,000km on it after the rebuild. I've seen it, it runs well and the body is in great shape. He would like $4500.00 for it.

This will be my first van if I choose to purchase it. I'm kind of over my head when it comes to these vehicles and I'm not knowledgeable enough. I know there aren't any photos to ponder but is this a good deal?

Any help is greatly appreciated, Thanks

[eastywesty]

Here is a pretty decent buying guide of what to look out for:

http://www.mdocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=

[FalcoColumbarius]

Forty-five hundred bucks is a great price. Find out where the vendor had her serviced. Eastywesty has a good link in his post, Mystery Machine has quite a wealth of knowledge in matters of the Delica. Another good link is the "To Do List On Newly Acquired Delica", which you can find in Delica Wiki in Delica Canada Technical. Gives you a check list of what may need to be done ~ but also give you a sort of tour around the vehicle. Also get to know this site, in particular Delica Canada Technical in the Board Index ~ many good threads to peruse.

One really positive aspect of the Starwagon is that they're not run by computers, therefore fixable without über expensive tools. Starwagons also have a great deal of space in them. They look small until you park a Caravan beside them then they look much bigger. They weigh around two tonnes and given that they are diesel you need to warm them up in the morning and drive them accordingly. Always cycle the glow plugs when you start the engine.

I've had my wagon for over five years now and she's been the vehicle of my dreams.

Falco.

[TardisDeli]

i LOVE L300's. But, if you live at North54, then beware diesel in the winter needs to be plugged in to electricity to keep the engine warm for anything longer than a couple hour stop. You might need to install a block heater for this, if van is from vancouver. sometimes a gas engine (oooh nooo) is better in cold areas.

1990 was the transition of models. are the headlights square, or swoopy round. square is the older model. you might get a newer model for the same price.

is the seller active on this forum, if so, you can look up all their posts, and see what problems they had. if they werent active on this forum, why not, so did the know what they were doing with any repairs they did if they werent asking expert advice from this forum.

much as i love the l300, if you're not mechanically inclined you might prefer to buy a more common vehicle that can be repaired at any cdn tire store.

where is the vehicle, maybe one of us can give a 2nd viewpoint.
where are you, you should meet any one of us active forumites, crawl over our van for an hour and learn heaps about them before buying.

you really need to start van when it is very cold. the seller might have started it an hour or so before you got there, so the engine was still a bit warm, which makes it start much easier.

look carefully for rust on a 1990. underneath at the rear wheels, on the back door below the window. my 1991 has almost no rust.

you should take it to a mechanic or bcaa for a pre purchase inspection, as 4500 is quite a lot of cash.

you are welcome to send me a pm private message if you want to ask questions off the forum.
cheers christine.

[thedjjack]

older model is better the headlights WORK....mine lights the road up like a search lights (hella lens)...

Crystal light roof is known to rust out from the inside out..

Diesels more work to start in the cold...compression is key to cold weather start...I always thought a air intake warmer might be a nice add on for cold climates...

Personally I would buy a 1989 L300 with a camper top but of course that is only because mine is for sale :)

[north54]

Thanks for the help all! I took the van to CVI for a pre purchase inspection. It needs a bit of work but I'm happy I can do most of it on my own.

I'm going to buy it for a fair price that reflects the work that needs to be done.

The van has some flaws but I'm glad I can have something to drive while I do repairs/restorations.

BTW I really love the color, 90's decals, fog lights and winch! I'm slowly getting addicted...

I'm sure you'll be seeing me on here soon with more questions...

Cheers

[eastywesty]

Congratulations!! Nice looking rig.

[almac]

Hey all,
I have an opportunity to purchase a 1990 L300 Starwagon Exceed 4x4 diesel 2.5L turbo with an automatic transmission. Crystal Lite roof model with shades and sliding rear passenger windows. Moonroof, brush bar, winch, alloy wheels, turbo gauge, fog lights, AC, and ignition timer.

it has a winch?
any chance you can post a few pics of it, and how its' mounted?
thanks