Rusty Delicas....

[Stiful]

G'day. As i have already said somewhere i have never seen snow but I do know that putting SALT on the road is a good way to help minimize it. They do this in some northern islands in Japan and as a result rust is common in some areas. I have seen rust on some cars here and it is a bit disturbing that someone would even bother buying a Delica at an auction with any rust AT ALL as it is not difficult to by 94 model L400s without it. I would strongly suggest asking if the auction sheets for these cars are available before any negotiations are entered into. If the auction sheets make any reference to rust the "GRADE" will plummet very quickly. I would recommend not buying without seeing an auction sheet with a minimum of grade 3 1/2 if you satisfied with a cheaper Deli but preferably 4-4 1/2 for a good one. A Delica with rust can cost as little as $700 or less. If you go to sites in Japan like TAU.co.jp (Total Automobile Utilization) wrecker/breakers or what every you want to call them, you will find lots of crappy Delis for almost nothing. It is not worth buying these low grade Delis with rust. We have dealers in Australia that import Delis that are so rusty that they get condemned as soon as they come off the boat. It doesn't matter to the dealer cause the car only cost a couple of hundred $ to buy and a few more for the boat ride. If they can sell a few $700 for $17,000 it pays for the ones that don't make it.
Cheers..

[jessef]

I agree.

I've seen what I would like to think is almost all L400's in BC so far.

I have yet to see an L400 with rust on it.

I have yet to meet any importer who would bring in an L400 with rust issues.

Surface rust is another story. That's very common on most JDM's that sit for any period of time in Japan before they are exported.

[Green1]

Unfortunately the quality of the auction sheets isn't what it once was, and even a "4-B" doesn't mean it's not falling apart with rust and all chewed up inside... the ONLY way to know what you're actually going to get is to have someone you trust inspect the vehicle before bidding, the auction sheet alone simply doesn't cut it any more.

The other option of course is to buy from a reputable Canadian importer, they will likely give you all sorts of photos of the vehicle's condition, and you can flat out ask them if there is any rust. If they say there isn't any, and you find that it's covered in rust, then you should be able to get your money back.