Tell me about Delica's, or suggest an alternative please?

This is our LWB delica

www.delicaclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42202

We Love our Delica. It's a great van. Try to get a LWB. They are about 40cm longer than standard. We have a 2m long bed full width
and still heaps of room.
We have done all up about 8000km in our Delica and really loving it.
Before we hit the road we had it checked and checked again and to be honest we spend a fair bit of money on it.
Some needed some by choice. We did need new shocks but did not need a 2" lift. That's the same for the tyres. I bought 31" 29" would have done the job too. I also had most rubbers etc replaced. All fluids are fresh, gearbox serviced etc etc
Next is cruise control. This will increase driving comfort heaps!!

Look for rust. This can be a big problem. We were very lucky. Cars don't really have big rust issues here in the land of Oz and I did not really check for it. Ours is rust free but I have heard some horror stories.

Cheers

Have a look on rodsn'sods. Theres one in the 'vehicles for sale' section on there with a Ford V8 in it!

I was curious enough to go and look for it...

www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/vehicles-sale/mitsubishi-delica-v8-monster-truck-ford-302-a-509154

I don't agree about the "thirsty beast" thing.
If I keep it around or just under 100km/h I get
about 8 km out of a liter of diesel.
I don't think that this is so bad at all.

Having said that, my car is not a daily. No short quick to the shop runs, no short distance runs.
no heavy traffic runs.
We do mostly (long-ish) road trips.

This is as set up as it is in the last photo.

I ran an L400 for a while, great car. Unstoppable in the snow and mud.
Look for rust on the front subframe and absolutely make sure you get to see the car before the current owner has started it that day.
The 2.8L Diesel engine has an issue with seals in the fuel pump, not an expensive fix, but irritating. You'll find it starts on the button but a couple of hundred meters down the road it'll die. Then you'll sit and crank for a few minutes before it fires up again and belches a huge cloud of smoke. Air is getting drawn into the fuel system, letting the fuel in the lines run back to the tank. Dash plastics are incredibly brittle, and any attempt to change the headunit will probably result in tears and a lot of gaffa tape.
Pop out side windows can pop out completely as the adhesive used in the factory gives up, however Araldite Glass Glue works well to fix this.
The 3 Litre V6 Petrol gets about the same MPG, doesn't have the same problems and can be LPG converted for cheap motoring.
Look at importing one yourself if you don't have to have one right this second.
Short Wheel Base cars need the headrests removing from the very rear seats to get them to lay flat, Long Wheel Base doesn't have this problem.


Apart from that, it's all Shogun based running gear and a blast to drive.

Don't get bogged down by the nomenclature "Chamonix, Exceed" etc, as being JDM it's entirely possible to get a base model XR with more toys fitted than a Royal Exceed.

I used to get mine to wheelie if I stomped on the throttle, then braked then hard throttle again to get the front end to bounce.
Increasing the ground clearance can be achieved by using heavy duty land rover springs on the front and adjusting the torsion beam on the back.

Some people fit the same header tank warning system that Bongo owners have, so if the plastic splits, you get an early enough warning to stop.
It's all pretty agricultural really. Before I got my Elgrand, I was looking at another, but I wanted a very specific specification, and couldn't find one in my price range
But my Elgrand is ace, so I don't care.

mazda bongo is the way to go , a friend bought one , full of toys and well kitted out

Is it that bad? Sure, when you can get low 30s MPG from a V8 Lexus or BMW.

Get a Mazda Bongo Friendee Freetop Two. Has an electric tent in the roof and 2 or 4wd options. My 2wd had a slippy diff. Brilliant bits of kit I miss mine. Be selective as rust can be a killer, and some had lots of manual option not electric, ie window blinds etc. front and rear air con, what's not to like.

wheel arches are a big problem , bongo club recommend s merc van rear wheel arch repair panel s , ive done them on a friend s van and they fit well , box sections behind bumper s , to watch to ,