I'm based near Wellingborough, just East of Northampton. If you have any questions, fire them in the thread below, and I'll see what I can do. DM for contact details.
I'll be bringing this van to the Retro Rides Gathering at Shelsley Walsh on Sunday the 22nd of August if you want to see it without making a special trip.
Showcase thread here: forum.retro-rides.org/thread/215030/1991-toyota-deliboy
The time has come to move on with life and return to predominantly office-based working. This means that I need to swap one of my vehicles for something more suitable for commuting (if only slightly). The Deliboy feels like it will last forever, but adding 6000-8000 miles per year on top of the 5000 leisure miles I've done in the last 12 months will be hard work for a 30 year old Japanese delivery vehicle which should be enjoying a well-earned retirement from the daily grind.
A few bullet points to start:
216k km ~ 135k miles
1.5 litre petrol engine, single carb, with electronic ignition (Toyota 5K engine, timing is chain-driven).
5 speed column-shift manual transmission.
Separate chassis (i.e. body on frame).
Rear Wheel Drive.
Imported from Japan in 2015.
MOT until March 2022.
As far as I know, this is the only one in the UK (and probably unique in Europe too). Some mechanical parts (including the engine) are common with the Liteace van, so most service parts are easy to get hold of. I've sourced other parts easily in Japan, although as you would expect, some items are NLA.
This van served it's working life just north of Nagoya, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, in the service of 'Liquor Shop Ogawa'. It was basically an off-licence delivery vehicle, so it wasn't worked too hard. The livery is all original, and has quite a back-story to it. The 'Penguarri' on the driver's side is painted on, with the rest of the livery applied in vinyl.
The condition is pretty much what you see in the pictures. The body has some dents and scrapes and light surface rust here and there, but it's generally very sound, and areas like the wheelarches are completely rust-free. The chassis is completely solid. You can see a little light surface rust here and there, but it's in remarkable condition overall. It passed it's last MOT at the first attempt with no advisories. It once had welding on the chassis according to the MOT history, but I honestly can't tell where. The engine 'sweats' a little oil, but there are no obvious leaks, and you can only tell from looking at the occasional drip on the ground (the dipstick level doesn't change).
It drives very well. The column shift works well, although it can be a little notchy to engage when cold. Suspension is by torsion bars at the front and leaf springs at the rear, so it's bouncy but robust (and easily adjustable should the ride height offend you). The acceleration is adequate (gearing is short), and it will cruise happily at 60-65mph. Above 70mph the temperature gauge climbs just above half-way, and it starts to burn a little oil. I therefore don't drive it quickly, and it's a comfortable place to spend time. Having said that, I do wear earplugs on long journeys (~100 miles), as someone has removed the silencer from the exhaust, and it's quite loud in there at cruising speed. The driver's seat is surprisingly comfortable, and there's plenty of headroom. You eventually get used to all the people pointing and staring at you too...
In the last year, I have done (or employed a skilled person to do) the following:
Oil and filter changes.
New spark plugs and ignition leads.
Replacement of all (3) auxiliary belts.
Rebuilt front and rear brakes (new pistons, seals, pads, wheel cylinders, shoes, fittings, etc.)
New aircon compressor, and system converted from R12 to R134a gas.
Changed to steel wheels (Toyota Auris) and Nankang AW-6 all-season tyres (which are extremely good, even on a skidpan).
Added space-saver spare (also from an Auris).
Repaired the windscreen wiper mechanism with Hiace and Celica components (you can't tell by using it, as it just works).
Converted to full LED headlight units (replacing very poor aftermarket housings).
Raid leather steering wheel with correct boss and horn push.
Glow-in-the-dark gearknob (because I couldn't help myself).
Fog light in rear reversing lens converted to LED.
Reversing camera fitted, with monitor attached to ashtray.
Back door opening lever, Driver's interior pull handle and window winder and pedal rubbers replaced with NOS items.
Passenger side exterior mirror upgraded to later-spec double-unit (also shows front bumper corner).
New Heater blower resistor pack (back to 4 fan speeds now).
...plus lots of sundry other bits and bobs. Original steering wheel and gearknob will be provided on sale, along with a few spare parts (oil filters, some bushes and nuts, and refurbished original Deliboy wiper arms with new blades sent from Japan).
A previous owner has installed a radio-CD player with Bluetooth that links to your mobile device. The radio forgets what it's presets are, so I think the installation could be improved (at least it doesn't drain the battery). Alternatively, the original Japanese AM radio is in the glovebox if you want to go back in time.
Reversing monitor in action below. The 4 exterior mirrors are all very good, but it's good to see what's directly behind you:
This is as practical a vehicle as you can imagine, and it's helped me to move house and recycle many things. The load bay is 2m long by about 1.4m wide and 1.5m tall (not sure about the height, but I can't quite stand up in there). There is a folding cage which can swing into place to separate the passengers from the goods. Maximum payload is 750kg, although it wouldn't be very quick with that much on board...
OK, so that's all good news. What's wrong with it? Well, despite sourcing a new aircon compressor from the other side of the world, it's now not working, as the condenser has sprung a tiny leak. New condensers are no longer available, so if aircon in this van was a priority you'd need to either find someone to custom-build a new condenser, or adapt an alternative one to fit. The latter is probably easier (and cheaper). The only other thing that I can think of is one of the heater cable sheaths has split at one end. When you turn the heat up on the slider, you then have to manually flick a lever on the heater box with one finger to take the slack out of the cable. It sounds harder than it is, and I can do it while driving without taking my eyes off the road. The heater works really well, so I'd consider this a foible rather than a fault. That's all I can think of.
A brief(ish) word on pricing, as I'm sure you can appreciate it's not a case of taking the average of the other Deliboys for sale in this hemisphere (as there are none) and adding a fiver for haggle room. First of all, I looked at what it would cost to import one from Japan. The cheapest on offer from Goo.net, once you've accounted for all the shipping costs, import duties and VAT, could be landed in the UK for £9k. I seriously doubt anyone is that enthusiastic. Even lucking out and picking one up cheaper at auction (if you can find one there, they're pretty rare in their homeland too) would still cost a fair bit.
I looked at old mk2 Transits to get a more local comparison, and they're all big money now (£6k plus for something with some body metal remaining, up to whatever you think you can get away with). I didn't look at VW Transporters, as we all know how crazy the prices of those are.
I spoke to a friend who imports Japanese commercials, and he suggested he would price it at up to £6k.
Based on all of the above, I've priced it at £4.5k ono. I think it's a reasonable figure, and it would be enough for me to pick up what I want as a replacement (assuming I can decide what I want). If I can't get close to that figure, my back-up plan is to swap it with a friend for something equally silly, but lower mileage.
UPDATE 27th October - PRICE REDUCED to £3850ono
Right, you've done very well to make it this far. How about some more photos?
All the recent photos of this machine can be found in the following Flickr album:
www.flickr.com/photos/81033992@N02/albums/72157719728801235/with/51376408394/