Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

So you've just bought the most awesome futuristic (as imagined in the '80s) star wagon. It's about 25 years old. It might not have been maintained properly. What should you do to bring it up to scratch?

ENGINE
Change the air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, oil, and coolant.
Check power steering fluid- change if dark or smells burnt.
Check that the timing belts have been changed in the last 80,000km
Check for oil leaks from the rocker cover, intake pipes, alternator.
Clean the battery terminals and electrical connections in the battery compartment.
Unplug each of the fusible links and clean the spade terminals.

DRIVETRAIN and SUSPENSION

Change oils: front and rear diffs, gearbox/automatic, transfer case.
Flush brake and clutch fluid.
Remove and clean front brake calliper sliding pins, apply clean silicone grease, reinstall.
Check transmission mount rubbers for cracks
Grease the driveshafts' U-joints
Grease front suspension ball joints, steering joints.
Check anti-roll bar mounting bushes.
Check subframe/cross member to chassis mounting nuts are tight.

BODY
Check for dampness in the front footwells
Refill front and rear windscreen washer reservoirs (you have to find them first )
Find the fuel filler flap release- it's above the handbrake- and make sure it works.


..there must be other things?

- remove bolt holding in spare tire (likely rusted in) and check spare tire. [You don't want to be doing this when your 1000kms from home with a flat].

Excellent. Which makes me think of:
-Check toolkit and hydraulic jack (usually in the left rear pillar behind the access panel)

Suspension... shocks, flat leaf springs, bushings, etc. Most seem to be worn out...
Water pump with the timing belt.
Replace battery/batteries if at all questionable... seem to eat alternators/rectifiers when they go bad.

- remove bolt holding in spare tire (likely rusted in)

Funny story:

Picked up "Wilson" in Edmonton and drove him home to just north of Ottawa with no issues. Drove to work in Ottawa and back daily for two weeks with no issues. Pulling into a parking lot, bump over the curb, hear a crashing grinding god-awful noise and thought, "Jeezus H, Mother Mary and Joseph, the transmissions fallen out!!!".....

Spare tire bolt had come unhooked from the basket and dropped the tire onto the middle of the road. The bolt was bent and the bolt rusted on.

I picked up the tire (of course) and soaked the bolt for a couple days in release oil, cleaned it up, straightened it, re-assembled it and made sure it was screwed down TIGHT.

Yup, funny story, that...

Check brake lines for cracks.

Replace the oil line to the alternator. The flexible one with a bolt.