Tell me about Mitsubishi Delicas.

[bl1300]

I hope you all can help me as I need to know a lot more about these machines as I am now actively hunting one.

It will be my work van. I need four wheel drive as a lot of my work is on farms and being able to get into and out of a field to fix someones tractor would be quite useful.

I need a vehicle that is large and able to carry about a mobile workshop of tools.

Oh and as its a work vehicle it needs to be reliable.

Am I right in thinking that a delica fits the bill in pretty much every respect.?

Can anyone with experience of the vehicle give me some idea of known faults and what to look out for in order to get a good one.

as penance have some delica porn.

[mk14dr]

*CALLING BRUCE TO THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE*

[Deleted]

L400s - the second pic, which is of a facelift L400.

Full-time 4x4 - no need to shift into 2WD for tarmac, though a 2WD mode is there to save fuel.

2.8TD suffers from failing seals in the pump, stretching cam chains, but is fairly economical and well known, shared with Shogun. EGR valve is another source of problems.

Post '97 2.8TDs are supposed to be better at coping with modern fuels - I used to put a couple of litres of unleaded in with a tank of diesel to get the seals to swell when mine was trying to play up.

I think there are some early 2.5 models - same engine as the L300.
There are V6 petrol ones. Really like the sound of those!
Rust, rust and rust. If offroaded, they often get cracks in the chassis above the bumpstops at the rear. If not rustproofed, they go pretty much everywhere at the front.
Parts not too expensive.
Look awesome with proper bullbars and big yellow spotlights.
Factory they're 2.1m tall - beware height restrictors. Lifted... They are only 1.7m wide though.

FWIW they do handle. 85mph on the A7, 28mpg average.

LWB models are available, seat configurations are not easily removed, so as a works van it's hard to "untrim" it - my Voyager proved to be a bit of a revalation yesterday, as I needed to load furniture so took the centre seats out and rolled the very heavy rear bench forward. The L400's rotating middle and fold-up-against-the-side rear seats don't provide anything like as uncluttered an interior.

Fascia panels get broken on the dashboard. Various trims available of course, I had either a flat tray, a gauge pod or a small flip-top cubby box in mine at various times. Column shift on the automatic so a nice clear floor at the front.

I mean, they're pretty predictable, no horrid surprises and couple of pleasant ones. Much as I love L400s and prefer the AWD on them, I think L300s look way cooler...

[ben711200]

It comes up on here quite a lot

Not having owned one, the only things I'd be wary of are fuel consumption and that I feel quite ill as a passenger in them

[jo0lz]

Having owned both, and loved both each in their own way, I would readily admit that I would not see either model as a 'daily'

L400's are a nicer drive on tarmac, have more 'toys', have better MPG from the later 2.8 DIEsel

L300's are stronger, thicker metal in the chassis, heavier on juice, older 2.5 DIEsel, best I ever got was high teens for MPG

Personally I think there are better choices for a 4x4 works van out there . . . .

Jo0Lz

[Soopahfly]

I want a facelift 3000 V6 petrol.
Same MPG as the Diesel, Cheaper fuel, can be LPG'd and none of the associated problems.

Although I'd love to do an L300 as Vanessa's Lunchbox.

[smellyferret]

Tbh Ben's link covers it

The L300 4x4 system will suffer from wind up if used on tarmac.
L300 :20-25 MPG, look for rust and play in the bottom pulley. I'd go for a non crystalite roof imho.
L400: Not much knowledge of these, but look for old/brittle header tanks, higher 20's mpg.

Both are tall vehicles so if you need to get into any low carparks there could be a problem.

Not retro, but a kangoo 4x4 may be an option?

[Deleted]

I think SVA slowed down imports of the facelift L400s - I don't like them losing the bullbars

I lived with an L400 as my main car for about 8 months, and I have to say it was generally very pleasant. Loved the driving position, the 2800TD's performance is impressive (8-up, 80mph overtaking things on the road from York to Whitby), the dual AC/heaters worked, the width meant it was easy to park. Ride quality on stock wheels and suspension was very impressive.

Here are some pics of my old L400:


(I'm allergic to dangling foglights and always have to fit recessed ones on imports).


The best you'll get load-wise in a Delica with centre bench. Captain's Chair middle row can slide back further, I think.




How could you not love that face?


Learn to use the parking mirror and you can be this precise!


Traffic Jam entertainment.

[matto]

Bought my L400 for a trip to Le mans with mates and a family holiday just over a year ago, planned to keep it for a few months then get something else but ended up selling the sensible family car and keeping it. It's been 100% reliable breezed through both mots, parts have been cheap, it coped great with the snow and the little off roading I've done but fuel consumption is awful. All the usual problems have been covered in other posts already, header tank, fuel pump seal, chain stretch and rust. Mine is the bottom spec Exceed with a low roof and is a little battle-worn so was very cheap to buy too.

If you're using one as a van then all the seats are very easy to remove, just a few bolts, and you'd have a massive load space.

[Soopahfly]

I miss mine Did you buy it?