I've got a 96 Mitsubishi Delica so I can't comment directly on the Expresses. However at work they have a fairly new Express, a 2011 model or something like that.

The funny thing is my van seems like a van from the 90s or even early naughties. The Express is like a van from the 80s.

Those Delicas are pretty much a Pajero with a van body dropped on top. Not a bad bus at all and pretty cheap. Go ok in the dirt, much the same as a Paj. The 3 litre petrol is the same as the Magna motor, pretty bulletproof and nice and torquey. Watch oil consumption on higher k ones. The 2.8TD is the same as the Paj, good old donk but a little underpowered for a bus of that size.

The secret with these grey imports is when you need a part, remove the part you need and go to Repco etc and hold it up and say "I need one of these" If you try to tell them you need an oil filter etc for a Delica chances are you'll end up with the wrong bit as it won't show up on their parts list.

Unless you go to a Delica specialist and then you'll pay 64thousand dollars for the oil filter that would've cost $6.40 from Repco. This is speaking from my experience with Nissan Terrano, aka Pathfinder but sharing very little in parts with the Oz model.

MavericK040 said...
As a mechanic, i personally hate mitsubishi's especially any that were built in Australia,

Delica's seem to go ok but i have never worked on one, but i will say that anyone i have ever talked to who owned an Express said it was a POS. and i would have to concur after working on a few.

ask yourself whats more important,

comfort ( engine and road noise are bad in L300/Express ) safety and reliability,

or

cheap to buy and cheap to fix ( which you may be doing allot of )

that said the Mercedes MB series vans are also rubbish but they were made by ssangyong.

if price is your concern, ide go with a half decent Mazda E2000 or Ford Econovan as long as it has at least some maintenance history and is in reasonable condition, as they are heaps better than a Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi build quality =

Great advice. Thanks. Yes, I have already had my eye on one or two E2000s and read good things about them.

ikw777 said...

Returning to Queensland soon and will be getting a secondhand van. Everyone will say get a Toyota Hiace, and with good reason, but they seem overpriced.

They are not overpriced. Being a Toyota quality built vehicle to start with, they hold their value.

As with most things, you get what you pay for.

A friend has a Hi Ace Super Custom (second hand Jap import) and it is a beautiful van with parts not being a problem.

Here is one for only $5,500. You can people move with it. You can fold the seats down and camp in it with surf boards etc under the seats or you can unclip or unbolt the seats if you want to shift shiz around.

www.carsales.com.au/?utm_source=carpoint/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=SSE-AD-1139203&Cr=14

but why do we keep seeing the same custon painted wicked campers all over Australia year after year?
as bad as they are,they dont seem to stop.
theter is a high roof one at our tip at the moment that was driven in still licenced and nobody is willing to offer scrap price

ikw777 said...

Great advice. Thanks. Yes, I have already had my eye on one or two E2000s and read good things about them.

I hope they fixed the problem, but the series of E2000 that I had seemed to have a problem with the sealant between the body and the roof and would develop rust all the way around the roof, and in a bad way.

A few visible spots on the roof really meant deep rust. I had this problem on mine, and now every time I see an E2000 I check out the same area and I have seen the same symptoms in a few.

Love my Delica, left at the airport for two weeks at a time and I know no-one will steal it while there are other cars to choose from. Always starts and runs well. Does 0-100 in just under a week, but will eventually get there, I'm happy

Btw, you can get rid of the excess smoke by blanking off the egr valve. Recycling the exhaust will not make the car run well!!