MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
The wife pointed out one for sale locally, M reg 2.8 diesel, 100k on the clock, looks decent enoug for just over £1k.
not a bongo, but maybe better than a bongo?
I may go have a look, check the underside for holes etc.
any good as a bike/small camper van?
(I've always thought the delica looks nice, in a kinda post apocalyptic go anywhere tour bus way)
smaller inside than a bongo ,
taller and less stable than a bongo
similar fuel economy to a bongo
20 + years old so pay attention to corrosion on underside - its a monocoque so any damage is structural.
They were good (and quite common at events)as bike busses 10-15 years ago how ever they were also known for their rust back then as most/all are imports and were not under sealed from factory.
only one ive seen upclose in the last 5 year or so was a green M reg 2.8 and it was a total nail. - the lad paid 750 for it and it didnt even make it to its next MOT before repairs exceeded value by a large factor.
Had the misfortune to be following one yesterday in North Devon - it looked like it wanted to fall over at every corner
i assume thats the shape your looking at ? - thats what the guy i know had. Tehre are still some good ones around though - came across a guy on harris the other week with out who was having great fun with his.
personally i prefer this shape even if your knees are the crumple zone 😀 - which until i gooogled them there thought were still on a ladder chassis but it seems not.
Friend of mine had one for camping and moving band stuff. They loved it but swapped out for a Transit after a couple or years.
Theirs was called 'Jose Deliciano'.
I'd echo the above points.
It's probably a grey import, so check undersealing too as well as damage from mucking around offroad (the Japanese don't grit their roads so don't underseal their vehicles).
Not sure how the seats work in terms of folding to form a bed – worth checking. Also worth looking into what engines it shares parts with – a Bongo diesel is basically a Ford Ranger lump turned 90 degrees, so there's plenty of spares.
As a sidenote, I think they look awesome too. We bought an auto freetop Bongo tho. 😉
most of spares shared with the pajero and shoguns of the time so should be cheap enough.
based on that they will probably like cylinder head gaskets so pay attention to temperature adn get it good and hot on a long test drive.
I used to want one, then may mate bought a Pajero (similar if not the same chassis) I spent some time with it, I've not wanted one since.
They've now got a Bongo tho...
cheers all. Trail_rat yes it's that top shape, apparently more stable than they look driving them (we're not talking rascal instability!)
would need a very good check for rust.
well, food for thought.
I came --> <-- this close to buying one about a decade ago but bought a Toyota Hi-Ace camper instead, which is still going strong.
They are fantastic looking things and I rode in a few in NZ, but as others have said most will be very rusty now.
Owned 2 in the past. My 44 mile commute to Aberdeen is the only reason I got rid of the last one.
The 7 seater is the best one IMO. 2 middle captains chairs go 360°, and together with the rear bench, fold flat(ish) for sleeping.
Rear bench splits in two and folds up out of the way. Seat base on captains chairs also folds up, and with the seats pushed forward you have a large area for shifting stuff.
We had one as a camper and bike wagon in NZ for the last year before we came back. cracking fun, not great on the highway but then neither is our T5 camper now. I might dig out a few photos when I get home for you...
Oddly, Tom 'Wookie' Ford of Fifth Gear and Top Gear Mag 'fame' tweeted only last night about "scratching a Delcia" inch and today a STWer called 'LoveWookie' is asking about them...
Very happy with ours. Drives ok. It's not a hot hatch so don't chuck it into bends but fine for cruising and motorways. Excellent off road. Huge inside for something that is still easy to park. Can get 4 in with 4 bikes and all kit. It'll take 8x4 sheets of wood. The seats easily unbolt for use as a van or compact camper, or fold flat for an emergency camper.
We been to the Alps, round Scotland, West coast of Ireland in it. So far, so reliable. Engines and mechanicals are reliable and easy to get parts for. Just keep the coolant system in good nick. Rust is the killer so find a good one. Sills. wheel arches and subframes. Not brilliant on fuel but it'll run on cooking oil so works out ok (70p a litre).
If this one dies we'll go straight out and get another one.
Here's ours in camper mode. Full size double bed. Bikes and boat under the bed:
Oddly, Tom ‘Wookie’ Ford of Fifth Gear and Top Gear Mag ‘fame’ tweeted only last night about “scratching a Delcia” inch and today a STWer called ‘LoveWookie’ is asking about them…
Top sleuthing
Nick what is the boat and how do you find it ? Looking for something I can paddle near while the wife's wild swimming both for safety and so I can get exercise as I can't stand swimming in open water 🙂
It's a sevylor Colorado. Very happy with it. Doesn't paddle quite as well as a rigid boat but it's nice enough and very convenient being able to stash it under the bed or in the boot of the car. Taken it in sea. Ok in small waves. Also ok in mild white water too. It's a nice boat. It's a two person (although will take three) so you can get away with a much smaller one if it's just you.
Have a real hankering after a Delicia, I really like the look of them, I just need the money to buy one! Maybe next year.
They rot , They all rot , & when you get one it will rot too.
My bruv has/had one , it's an awesome vehicle. Bit small inside & heavy on the juice but I love driving it. Shame its now borked with rust underneath. He's just tracked down another shell that seems good & the running gear will live on. Its super comfy to drive & my motocross bike fits in standing upright suprisingly.
Oh & they rot.
If you’re near Skipton buy my mates bongo. He’s just had the sills replaced so it’s good to go!
cheers nick
looking around it appears that seveylor were bought out by coleman and then cheapened... the boats you got 5 years ago are far superior to current boats apparently - valve failures are common and not replacable like they used to be 🙁 - lot of money for a disposable boat
Has any one mentioned delicias rust yet >?
It's not just that they rust, it's that they rust and they're not land rovers so owners don't just accept that it's completely normal to have to replace 10% of the vehicle every year.
Well in their defence rust is usually terminal thanks to a monocoque design with lots of seems nooks and crannies and weldinnof the monocoque requires partial stripping of the interior so t doesn't just get incinerated.
I wouldn't thank you for bringing me a Felicia to repair.....
No body wants a Felicia --autocorrect .....
Delicia
Fun fact, Delica is a compound abbreviation of "Delicate Carry"
How will the new MOT rules affect these? They look quite draconian on emmissions etc, bearing in mind the govt clearly wants to legislate all old cars off the road to stimulate the economy.
Fun fact, Delica is a compound abbreviation of “Delicate Carry”
I suspect that is a BackroJapronym. Toyota Hilux Invincible is a compound abbreviation of Hi-lights in Vince's Salon.
Yes it clearly wants old cars off the road by giving free road tax and no not to those that are very old.....
Mean while if your cars not broken or got any bypassed emissions or a remap to roll coal then you should be fine.
How will the new MOT rules affect these? They look quite draconian on emmissions etc, bearing in mind the govt clearly wants to legislate all old cars off the road to stimulate the economy.
Quite like this particular vehicle, but overall I'm delighted that this will reduce the number of smug cheapskates droning on about bangernomics.
They should be fine if running properlyHow will the new MOT rules affect these?
Delica in ski mode, camping at Broken River
Delica in bike mode, camping in Nelson
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Bimbler wrote,
Fun fact, Delica is a compound abbreviation of “Delicate Carry”
Is it not "delivery car"? Coudl be an urban myth but that's the one that you see repeated everywhere.
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Or Deli-car for meats, cheeses and preserved vegetables with fancy crisps and artisan bread. Very STW.
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<p>Dafek is with this site? Doesn't show anything then... grr.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, how do you store the bikes under the bed nick?</p>
That old style Delica reminds me of a trip into the vast wilderness of Mongolia and being wrapped up in a sweaty foetal position on the vast grassy expanses with an extremely dodgy tummy whilst the Delica was repaired... due to my semi delirious state, I can't quite remember the nature of the mechanical complaint.
The trip came about after some Swedish girls who were staying in the same hostel as me were invited on an adventure by some Mongolian dudes who dealt in birds of prey and they in turn invited me along to keep them safe.
After a few rituals with vodka and gifting a 20kg sack of rice, a family living in a ger in the middle of nowhere took us in. The man of the tent then went about arranging dinner; a freshly slaughtered sheep. I'll always remember the warmth that radiated out as he sliced it's stomach open whilst I held the still twitching front legs (it was already dead, but the nerves were still doing their thang) he then deftly butchered it on the floor of the tent, pulling out lungs, kidneys and all sorts of stomach gubbins, all steaming, dividing them between bowls and buckets, depending on how useful they were.
All the while, the Swedish girls looked on aghast... being vegetarians, they were preparing their own meal on a camping stove a couple of feet away!!
What with there not being a whole lot to do, the next day I went for a walk and climbed a bloody great mountain... being as I was gone for about 7 hours, when I was decending into the foothills, I found there was a search party out for me on horseback; they thought I'd been attacked by wolves!!
I've probably got a pic of me being ill by the Delica somewhere, but for some reason, I doubt that's hosted online...
as consolation, here's a pic of an open air pool table next to a big wheel:
There was also a sweet-ass pedal monorail thingy in the same park, but being as it was the days before digital photography was commonplace, I didn't manage to get a good pic.