Hopefully this will be of use to others who are new to the Deli world or thinking of buying.
Purchase and trip prep.
Before heading to BC, I did a ton of research online to figure out what I wanted to buy from what was available, and what my budget would get me. I learned very quickly that the top three sources for a Delica are Japanoid, Amazing Auto, and Five Star if you're on the Island. I actually ended up buying from Maximum Overdrive, simply because they had some good deals at the time, but I would only recommend them if you do A LOT of homework first, as they are not nearly as familiar with their vehicles as the aforementioned three dealers.
Once I had my van, I had a few things done right away. First, a sound deck that actually works in Canada, then a trip to CVI (definitely the best Delica shop on the mainland) for their Delica tune and a stainless exhaust system. The Delica tune made an already well running van even better. More power, smoother starting, etc. The original exhaust was still good but I decided to get the stainless first as last since Ontario winters eat mufflers alive!
My van came with some very aggressive 235/70R16 tires which will be great for winter but are a little much for summer highway driving, so I purchased some used Michelin Cross Terrain 225/70R16's in Surrey and had them installed and balanced at West Coast Alignment in Vancouver. They also did an alignment and new ball joints. The original ball joints weren't done yet, but once again better to get it done while it's in the hands of mechanics who know Delica's.
Then off to Squamish for rust-proofing at Duncan Auto Body. These guys are the Krown Rust Control shop in the region and it was a good excuse to check out the Sea to Sky route.
All of these shops were great to deal with and very accommodating as my schedule was fairly tight. Prices were very reasonable for all work done.
The trip home.
The drive across Canada was spectacular and relatively trouble free.
I had some time to give the van a good shakedown in the Vancouver and Victoria areas before leaving so I was confident everything was good to go.
One of the first things I noticed was that the van was much more comfortable on the highway than I had been led to believe. While Delica's definitely lack high speed passing power, the van had no problem cruising at 120km/h while still getting very good milage. I would find my speed creeping higher when I wasn't watching the speedo. This may be partly because of the higher seating position than I'm used to which makes one feel like the van is moving slower than it really is. In the end I averaged 21mpg, which is very respectable considering the mountains, the weather, and the fact that I had it matted much of the time.
With the tire size that I'm running the odometer clocked EXACTLY on par with the test markers in Alberta, so I assume that the speedo was quite accurate as well.
I hit some nasty weather in the interior of BC. First, just before descending into the Okanagan, and then the really crappy stuff between Fernie and the Crowsnest. I was a little leary about climbing through the Crowsnest in a blizzard but with the van in 4WD it was like driving on dry pavement. Also, using the shifter to gear down on the steep descents was an awesome way to keep from sliding as a result of braking. Very impressive handling I must say.
Most of the prairies were nice but uneventful until I got to Regina. The temperature had fallen to -25C and of course the one thing that I had been dreading, happened. The van wouldn't start in the morning; not even a cough. When I asked the motel owner for the phone book to call for a boost, he said he'd give me a cord to plug in my block heater. When I told him I didn't have block heater he looked at me like I had three heads. So did the tow truck driver, and the guys at Wilkinson's Diesel where the van ended up. Ahh, life on the prairies!
It turned out that my glow plugs weren't getting power due to some loose wiring. A few hours later, Wilkinson's had me fixed up and had installed a pan heater for me to boot. Better safe than sorry. A big thanks to Wilkinson's. Word is they're the best diesel shop in Regina, so if you're ever stuck there look them up. Mine was the first Delica they had seen but they were not intimidted by it in the least. Great service!
I had planned on sleeping in the van all the way home but I hadn't counted on the weather being so brutally cold, so I had a dilema. I couldn't stand the thought of blowing a bunch of cash on motels, so I decided to try parking for the night with all of the truckers at the Husky in Winnipeg and sleeping in the idling van with the rear heater on. I figured if they do it, why couldn't I (just don't tell my Green Party colleagues)?
I had one of the best nights sleep ever! Not only was I snug and warm, but I got a great back masage from the subtle vibration of the seats in the back. What a great vehicle! Did the same thing the next night in Nipigon, Ontario.
The Ontario leg of the trip (almost half) was smooth sailing with the exception of a CRAZY
hitchiker and a bit more rough weather between Nipigon and Marathon. I had the extremely rare priveledge of sighting a large lynx crossing the highway in northern Ontario. Very cool.The Delica is a real head turner in Ontario where virtually nobody has seen them. The funniest moment was the gas attendant who was so busy gawking at my van that he was pumping diesel all down the side of the adjacent pick-up truck without realizing it.
All in all a great trip and a fabulous van. Tomorrow I get it registered here, so we'll see how that goes. Then I'll be installing the skidplate I picked up from fishslapper, outfitting it with a trailer hitch and roofrack, building an interior bike "box", and fabricating a treadplate cargo box to mount on the outside that will house tow straps, booster pack and cables, bungees, emergency kit, etc.
I'll post pics when I get a chance.
Cheers.
Call me BCDelica-less
