Since I’ve had my first Delica for about a year, it is without a doubt the best 4×4 available. When I initially received it, I gave the engine a thorough overhaul, and it now runs like new and can handle any terrain. Nothing compares to these cars, which have been in our family for almost 8 years. The only drawback is the fuel efficiency, which can be pretty bad when traveling over long distances at 70 mph on the highway. However, for a 2.8 liter turbo diesel, they are superb on slower roads. I would advise any prospective purchasers to purchase one!
In This Article...
Are Delica trustworthy?
Delica ownership, particularly in Vancouver, has skyrocketed. By 2009, there were 1,000 of these rugged-looking tiny vans on the road, and as of today, the Canadian Delica owners club’s forum membership is getting up to 8,000. Specialty importers, devoted mechanics, fan organizations, parts experts, and customizers exist. However, not everyone seemed to adore them.
When I pull up, mechanics have came running out and said, “Oh no, don’t work on those things,” Strain laughs. Remove it now! ‘
The cause? Outside of the lower mainland, finding parts for Delicas can be difficult, and no repair shop wants to be overrun by a broken-down anomaly from the Japanese market. But overall, the Delica is a dependable and strong device. Considering its age, I suppose.
What makes Delicas so well-liked?
There are many aspects of the Mistubishi Delica that people seem to miss, even though they may not be the most well-known or attractive cars.
The vehicle is a cross between a four-wheel drive Pajero/Montero and a regular van, which makes it the ideal choice for adventurers who enjoy exploring and spending the night in their vehicles.
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of the Delicathe majority of people also aren’t familiar with it. The four-wheel drive van has only been available for purchase in Japan since the 1980s. However, the rate of importation into Chile, Australia, Canada, and the UK has skyrocketed over time. Yet why?
These are the primary causes for which so many people are beginning to import Delicas, and which led us to decide to modify ours into a 44-home vehicle for traveling the globe.
Comfort
Delicas are actually highly advanced for their years because they were created and made in Japan. A few benefits of driving a Delica include heated seats, electric mirrors, automated headlights, a sizable sunroof, arm rests, and flexible seating.
The extremely plush seats and roomy interior of the van give you the impression that you are traveling in a luxury car rather than some random car that resembles a toaster. Perfect for exploring and taking lengthy drives.
Four-wheel drive
The Delica has a 3.0 V6 petrol or 2.8 turbo-diesel engine option and shares the same drive train and traction system as the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. With low-range gears and the same central differential lock used in all Mitsubishi four-wheel drives, Mitsubishi Super Select provides traction for it.
This means that compared to its siblings, Delicas are just as competent of four-wheel driving, if not more so. The suspension and a portion of the chassis, which were created to meet van-specific criteria, are the only features that set the Delica apart from the other 4x4s in the Mitsubishi lineup.
This implies that during our trip, we will be able to take Vanda pretty much wherever we choose. Watch the video above to see what a Delica is capable of!
Vehicle for eight or tiny home for two
In a Delica, eight passengers can fit comfortably and with room to spare! When Alex’s whole family came to visit us in Australia, we first got Vanda to transport them about. With temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius in the middle of the summer, 8 of us traveled in Vanda very pleasantly with no issues.
But if you don’t have a large family, the Delica offers enough room to turn into an incredibly cozy campervan for two. When designing a house in a Delica, the possibilities are endless. Check out this makeover, which has it allan inside kitchen, an outdoor shower, a pop-top roofand more.
How many kilometers can a Delica go?
An old, unclean engine that hasn’t had regular oil changes will start to lose compression, produce higher EGTs, leak oil, and smoke about 250,000 kilometers. It will continue to run indefinitely, but it won’t be very pleased.
Is the Mitsubishi Delica reliable off-road?
The mechanical base of the Mitsubishi Pajero helped the third generation of the Mitsubishi Delica stand out as a unique minivan with a solid off-road reputation. Despite being formally imported into the country from 1987 to 1990, the Delica was only offered with a gas engine and rear-wheel drive.
The Mitsubishi Delica’s top speed.
Beginning in July 1968, the Delica light commercial cab-over pickup was put into production. In keeping with the previously released “T90” Canter (January 1968), it was given the chassis code T100. Its greatest speed was 115 km/h, and its maximum cargo was 600 kg (1,323 lb). It had a KE44 1,088 cc engine that produced 58 PS (43 kW) (71 mph). A passenger van and a cargo van were added to the lineup a year later in response to customer demands. The ‘Delica Coach’ passenger van had three rows of seats and could accommodate nine passengers before it was decommissioned in 1976. In 1969, the engine was improved to 62 PS (46 kW).
A significantly updated version known as the Delica 75 debuted in March 1971. The T120 featured a modest grille in place of the early Delicas’ bare metal front, and a new 1.4-liter Neptune (4G41) engine with a 64-kilowatt (86-horsepower) rating was introduced to the lineup. The 600 kilogram (1,300 lb) variant of the truck may have continued to use the smaller 1.1-liter engine, but if so, it soon completely disappeared.
The Delica underwent a redesign in the fall of 1974 that included a new nose with a lot of plastic cladding and double headlamps that were now located below the swage line. Since this was the only engine available, it was now just known as the “Delica 1400.” (mention of a Delica 1200 is most likely apocryphal, perhaps an issue of confusion arising from the “120” chassis code). 1976 saw the addition of a one-ton truck with a longer wheelbase (T121).
This vehicle was commonly referred to as the Colt T100/T120 in export markets. In Indonesia, where “Colt” evolved to mean minibus, it was a huge success. Since Mitsubishi controlled the market, the T120 was manufactured until 1982. In February 1991, a Suzuki Carry Futura that had been rebadged brought the nametag back to life. For their fiberglass-bodied “GS2000” truck, Record, a Greek producer of agricultural vehicles, copied the Delica T120 design (even utilizing the same windscreen).
Are Delicas 4WDs?
Since then, many have arrived in the United States and are now in the hands of owners. I spoke with Matt Farah, host of The Smoking Tire podcast and owner of Westside Collector Car Storage, Andrew Groves of Miscellaneous Adventures, and Andy Lilienthal of Crankshaft Culture to gain a deeper understanding of that experience, as well as how people found their cars and why they like them. They are all proud Mitsubishi Delica owners.
According to Farah, owner of a 1991 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon Exceed Turbo D, “I originally wanted a van-type vehicle to use as a cool, affordable, and interesting shop truck and airport pickup vehicle for my customers at WCCS, but I bought it about six months before we actually opened and my wife started driving it. She advised me to go buy an other shop truck if I wanted one since this was now her vehicle.
Lilienthal, who owns a 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear, said: “The Delica offers a true 4WD system with a two-speed transfer case paired with the adaptability of a van platform. No domestically manufactured vehicles readily do this, and particularly not at a Delica price point.