New member trying to decide if a Delica is a good idea for us.

A

Anthony. V

New Member
Hello all! Excited to meet you and hopefully use the collective power of current U.S. Delica owners minds to make up my own lol.

I've wanted a Delica from pretty much the moment I first laid eyes on one in the states, and yesterday evening the "Delica initiative" cleared the first round of spousal approval.

Thing is... our current adventure vehicle and the one that the Delica would replace is a 2012 Xterra that has been nothing but dead reliable for 50k for every outing without so much as a single hiccup.

I know as far as 25 year old vehicles go, the Delica is likely at the top of the list in terms of reliability, especially if cared for. But I'm struggling with it being over four times the age of our current rig, with easily double the mileage.

My primary "logical want" for the Delica over the Xterra is the ability to basically pull over, crawl in back, and camp pretty much anywhere. The xterra has a very nice RTT, but traveling for long duration the ability to "stealth camp" some nights would be great not to mention a space to escape the elements that doesn't force you to be stuck sitting in the tent atop the truck (Delica interior obviously more spacious than an RTT.)

So, the question I suppose: "is it worth trading the seemingly inherent reliability of a younger vehicle for the versatility of a Delica for long duration cross country travel in North America a logical choice?"

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated!! My heart wants it BAD but my head is struggling with it lol.

Cheers,

- Anthony
 
It's an old vehicle, parts can be hard/slow to source, it's a bit underpowered with a fairly low top speed... and how much do you like to work on your vehicles? There's probably a lot of little stuff that needs done to one when you first get it (seals, shocks, belts, etc).

I've had mine a couple of years now and it's never let me down (one close call when the front brakes died), but I don't think I would want one as my only vehicle.
 
sk66 said:
It's an old vehicle, parts can be hard/slow to source, it's a bit underpowered with a fairly low top speed... and how much do you like to work on your vehicles? There's probably a lot of little stuff that needs done to one when you first get it (seals, shocks, belts, etc).

I've had mine a couple of years now and it's never let me down (one close call when the front brakes died), but I don't think I would want one as my only vehicle.
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Thanks for the input!

Hard to source I think I could live with so long as it's not impossible.

Underpowered/slow I don't mind if I'm getting good MPG returns, and I don't have to drive dangerously slower than the flow of traffic on crowded interstates to get it. I'm thinking diesel is the route I'd go if we do this. The Xerra with the added drag of the RTT gets terrible fuel economy. Something like 14mpg on good days, less if there's stop and go or a bad headwind on the highway.

As far as wrenching is concerned I can handle basic maintenance stuff. Would rather leave my days of major roadside repairs behind me though, especially since my better half would always be traveling with me.

Brake failure is scary! Bad piston caliper seal or something?

It wouldn't be our only vehicle, we have a prius we use for commuting/ daily use, but it would be what we use for extended duration trips (weeks to possibly months) at some point. Much of which could possibly be in remote locations away from help or services.
 
I would take the delica over the nissan as long as you find one that was well taken care of. preferably buy one you can inspect rather than ship one sight unseen. Most of them i have seen have sub 100K miles on them due to Japans vehicle regulations and being a diesel will last you as long or longer than the nissan with basic maintence.
 
Anthony. V said:
The Xerra with the added drag of the RTT gets terrible fuel economy. Something like 14mpg on good days, less if there's stop and go or a bad headwind on the highway.

As far as wrenching is concerned I can handle basic maintenance stuff. Would rather leave my days of major roadside repairs behind me though, especially since my better half would always be traveling with me.
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I get around 20mpg from the automatic diesel (about 22-24 around town and 19-20 highway). Top speed reliably is around 65mph. It'll do a bit more on the flats and a lot less on steep climbs.

I've had newer vehicles have semi-major roadside breakdowns... I don't think there are any guarantees. IMO, if you keep the Delica in good repair and don't expect too much from it then it should be as reliable as anything else.
Anthony. V said:
Brake failure is scary! Bad piston caliper seal or something?
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Brake pad failure, metal to metal and seriously overheating in the mountains...
 
DustyDelica said:
I would take the delica over the nissan as long as you find one that was well taken care of. preferably buy one you can inspect rather than ship one sight unseen. Most of them i have seen have sub 100K miles on them due to Japans vehicle regulations and being a diesel will last you as long or longer than the nissan with basic maintence.
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Yeah, I definitely never want to buy anything sight unseen. Direct import I don't think would be an option anyway. I live in CA, and from what I can gather, the only way to register one here is to transfer it from another state, and even then it sounds like it can be a crapshoot?

Thankfully looks like there are dealers here now stateside. One even goes as far as to say they'll "guarantee" registration or they'll take the vehicle back. Certainly reassuring if true.
 
sk66 said:
I get around 20mpg from the automatic diesel (about 22-24 around town and 19-20 highway). Top speed reliably is around 65mph. It'll do a bit more on the flats and a lot less on steep climbs.
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That sounds phenomenal compared to what we're getting with the thirsty gasoline V6 in the Xterra! I don't mind cruising at 65mph, being that's what we normally do now trying to conserve fuel. I think at best though, on mostly level terrain when loaded with gear for camping we only managed 16mpg at highway speed with no head or crosswind.

And yes, I agree even newer vehicle's aren't totally immune to catastrophic failure under the right (wrong?) circumstances.
 
Anthony. V said:
Yeah, I definitely never want to buy anything sight unseen. Direct import I don't think would be an option anyway. I live in CA, and from what I can gather, the only way to register one here is to transfer it from another state, and even then it sounds like it can be a crapshoot?

Thankfully looks like there are dealers here now stateside. One even goes as far as to say they'll "guarantee" registration or they'll take the vehicle back. Certainly reassuring if true.
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i was actually referring to dealers out of state. the guarantee is nice but there is always the possibility underlying issues the dealer "checked".

If youre in Ca i personally think the best route would be to find a nice one in oregon or washington. there are many up there. you will be able to see it in person, it was likely serviced and maintained regularly, and it will be considerably cheaper. If i were to get another deli that is what i would do
 
Anthony. V said:
That sounds phenomenal compared to what we're getting with the thirsty gasoline V6 in the Xterra! I don't mind cruising at 65mph, being that's what we normally do now trying to conserve fuel. I think at best though, on mostly level terrain when loaded with gear for camping we only managed 16mpg at highway speed with no head or crosswind.

And yes, I agree even newer vehicle's aren't totally immune to catastrophic failure under the right (wrong?) circumstances.
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Keep in mind that diesel costs about 20% more than regular unleaded in most places... it sounds like it might be about the same MP$. And the diesels can be temperamental to start in really cold temps (a common issue is the glow plug controller/system).

But they are really fun vehicles to drive/own IMO... just be prepared to get attention/questions everywhere you stop.
 
DustyDelica said:
The guarantee is nice but there is always the possibility underlying issues the dealer "checked".
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FWIW this is what I'm dealing with now. Had to have some subframe welding done that was overlooked. You can find more details in my post history but I'm 99% sure I bought from the dealer you're looking at.

For us, the Delica is a toy. One day it will go on long road trips, but with parts hangups we're not at a point where we can quite go there yet (furthest away we've gone so far is about 3 hours).

There are pro's. It's a pretty basic vehicle, old deisels are never really complex so finding someone who can work on it isn't too much of a problem. But what's happened a few times now is we've identified a part that needs to be replaced, and end up waiting a week or two for it to get here. When I realized my transmission mounts were shot it sat for about a month.

The thing to remember, is that while most Delica's you see have lower miles (ours is about 70k). That's not a promise of a good thing. You don't know where those miles came from. For example, was ours likely driven regularly for a decade or two, and then sat for 10 years. The problems we're seeing are all related to the vehicle having not been regularly used recently.

Be prepared for headache and hardache, but a damn big smile on your face when everything's going according to plan.
 
sk66 said:
Keep in mind that diesel costs about 20% more than regular unleaded in most places... it sounds like it might be about the same MP$.
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Excellent point! It's been a long time since I've looked at the cost of diesel compared to gasoline.
 
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knowing some good shops and places to get parts will be your best resource. Luckily I had a shop in town that specialized in VW vans and had seen delicas before. They were more than happy to work on issues i couldnt handle.

for example i noticed my 4x4 transfer case mount bolt was sheared off and stuck in the case. they fab'd a new mount and fixed the bolt in a few hours for a good price. I also had a hot rod shop in town who fixed some rust and sealed the frame in less than a day.
 
natematos said:
FWIW this is what I'm dealing with now. Had to have some subframe welding done that was overlooked. You can find more details in my post history but I'm 99% sure I bought from the dealer you're looking at.
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It is the same place.

And after digging through your and other members experiences on the forum I'm really beginning to wonder what this "inspection" consists of? I mean, a lot of this stuff is just inherent with an aging vehicle, but there are other things that it seems odd to me have been overlooked.

I can't remember if it was you or another member but someone was missing seat belts and turn signals. How thorough is an inspection to let that slip through the cracks?
 
Also just wanted to add you guys seem to have an excellent community here! You all have been super forthcoming with your ups and downs and it is VERY appreciated!! It's encouraging to know if I decided to take the plunge there's good knowledgeable folks to turn to for advice.

Full disclosure, digging through tech threads here and other places has thrown a bit of cool water on the fire, which might be exactly what I needed right now.

A lot of things are beginning to remind me of another car once near and dear to me, my 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE. To this day, I tell people it was one the most fun cars I've ever owned (16 in total over the years ) but I'll be damned if I didn't spend more time under it than in it lol

I was a mechanic full time at one point (albeit briefly) in my life, so I don't mind too terribly wrenching on stuff. Just not sure I've got the time/ patience to tackle a big project before it's even ready to hit the road (long distance) semi reliably.

That said... damn, I stil kinda really want one lol
 
DustyDelica said:
knowing some good shops and places to get parts will be your best resource. Luckily I had a shop in town that specialized in VW vans and had seen delicas before. They were more than happy to work on issues i couldnt handle.

for example i noticed my 4x4 transfer case mount bolt was sheared off and stuck in the case. they fab'd a new mount and fixed the bolt in a few hours for a good price. I also had a hot rod shop in town who fixed some rust and sealed the frame in less than a day.
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Who?
 
Regardless of your vehicle choice you've got to a) be so happy with it that even when it has problems you'll still want to drive it and b) understand its limitations well enough that you're never really operating it outside its designed performance envelope.

For a no holds barred stealth camper nothing beats a repurposed EconoLine Ford IMO. Seriously, parts are E A S Y to find and most of what you'll need to do has about 200 youtube videos to help you get it done and done right. Work on the interior a tad and you can have yourself a rolling penthouse. Find a 4x4 version and you'll be able to go everywhere a MMC can roll and then some. All versions of the E-series will have a higher top speed than a Delica pushed to the max, with a tail wind, on a flat track ... coated with teflon.

All that out of the way, you'd be driving something that is dollars to donuts much less cool than a bull-bared, lifted Delica. See item a) above.
 
Anthony. V said:
I can't remember if it was you or another member but someone was missing seat belts and turn signals. How thorough is an inspection to let that slip through the cracks?
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That was me. And no idea. The turns signals weren't missing, the bulbs were just unplugged from the housing with tape over the holes. It's the easiest thing in the world to inspect. Is the turn signal working? No? Oh we should check the bulb. Oh the bulb was unplugged.

Done.

What's even crazier, is that I know they did the hard work. The A/C compressor is brand new (caused delivery to be delayed by a week), and the timing belts are 100% fresh. So I know they looked at some stuff.

I had it in to have some work done (literally only picked it up moments ago) and had the mechanic give a very thorough inspection. They found a few more things like the batteries are at about 20% of what they should be, and the radiator/top hose is leaking a little. I was also a quart of oil low but they weren't very concerned.
 
feetforbrains said:
For a no holds barred stealth camper nothing beats a repurposed EconoLine Ford IMO. .
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I actually very seriously considered these early on. There were a couple hangups though.

I'm shooting for a sort of "trifecta" of wants in my next vehicle:

1. Fuel efficiency. I would really like something that can beat the Xterra's dismal fuel consumption.

2. Can sleep in back. Just pull over and lie down. And no ladder climbing if I need to pee in the middle of the night (happens always). A bit more room to relax when the weather takes a turn outside.

3. 4x4 or at least AWD. Not into "hardcore wheeling" but there are a lot of great places at the ends of bad roads, and mild off road trails. I know in North America you can still get plenty of beautiful places without it, but I do enjoy our little offroad adventures.

So where the Ford would be lacking (in my assumption at least) was MPG. Another major sticking point was 4x4 price. People want A LOT of money for Quigley converted 4x4. Even old ones with like 150K miles they want $25K, and LOTS more for newer ones. That's even more unreasonable than the 25 year old Delica at around $15K in my opinion.

I know a 4x4 Sprinter or Quigley converted Transit van ticks all those boxes but again...$$$$ Don't have, and probably would never spend upwards of $60K for a bare bones commercial van with 4WD.

And that's where the Delica entered the picture. It ticks all the boxes. The only caveat... age.
 
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