Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club UK™

[carljbray]

Hi All,

my first post here, so apols if this is the wrong place,or thing to do
I've been looking at a L400 Chamonix 3.0 V6 just appeared locally in my area, at a used car dealer, 121k miles on it - a Japanese import, it was imported in 2018 and had done about 50k when it arrived
just trying to do some due diligence on it - it's listed at approx £7k GBP
concerns are
- the mileage - 121k total with 70k of it in the UK in approx 6 years
- general age of the vehicle - originally 2001 - although the condition appears good, inside and around
- I've heard about hidden rust issues - although to my untrained eye it doesn't look particularly bad considering its age - the worst rust is on the underside of the bonnet, plus some corrosion on a section of the exhaust - before the silencer (perhaps catalytic convertor, i'm not sure - will attach a picture)
- in the past 4 or 5 MOTs there have been advisory mentions of near and off side trailing arm bushes starting to split (not sure of severity of this), and uneven wear all four tyres - although most recent MOT was an all clear aside from a rear fog lamp.
- also mention in MOT of slight play in offside rear anti roll bar droplink bushes
- Oil in the vehicle appeared low, although engine was cold so might not be accurate
- the vehicle started okay by the dealer, but later i tried to start it myself, and it appeared to have gone flat - engine turned over briefly, followed but tapping noise - possible just a flat battery, from being sat on a forecourt perhaps

I would welcome any thoughts, and will attached some pictures including of the underside, in case it shoes any of the classic rust issues, others have mentioned

Many thanks,
Carl

[Google]

[carljbray]

is it possible to post pictures on this forum?

[Lewis]

Yes you can.  This post explains how to do it:- https://www.MDOCUK.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12958

Read the blue linked item at the top of the page as it mentions about restrictions, which are part of the anti spamming settings in place.

HTH  
_________________


Copyright is retained for all my photos. Please don't copy them without asking permission
Do not blindly go where the path may lead you. Go where there is no path and leave a trail that others may follow!
ルイス

[andyman]

The milage recorded may actually be kms - which is low. There are 2 ways in which imports can be converted to miles, 1 is electronic, which will change the speedo to mph and the odometer to measure miles travelled (only since the conversion.) 2 is with a dial face overlay, which will have MPH written on it. This leaves the odometer recording kms travelled. You'll know which you have if you take a sat nav with you on a 2 mile test drive and record the starting odometer reading.
If it has no service history, assume that you will need to have the timing belt and plugs changed, as well as fluids and filters, unless you can ascertain that they look recent and clean. Don't forget to check the colour/condition and level of the auto transmission fluid. It should change up and down smoothly and logically.  At any garage, they will charge you a few £hundred for all that. Stood on level ground, the engine oil reading will be most accurate when cold. If it has been stood on the forecourt for several weeks, the battery may have run down, been charged for your viewing, but be now incapable of holding a charge for any length of time as they deteriorate quickly if left flat. Negotiate with all these potential costs in mind, including replacing the perished suspension bushes, which you'll need to cost up. At £7,000 and the description so far, it sounds like it may have come to a point in its life where a lot of age related jobs may need doing at once, - possibly a reason why the former owner has decided to move on. While the low mileage, tidy looking bodywork and interior. may suggest that £7,000 is reasonable, if you are not doing the work yourself, the bills may soon start to mount up just to make sure you have protected your investment. I would seriously consider paying someone who knows these vehicles well to give it a thorough once-over. All of the above, I'd say to anyone buying any 23 year old vehicle, but most vehicles of that age won't be asking such a high purchase price. If you are in the midlands, there is an excellent Mitsubishi mechanic in Dudley who has rescued many a rotten Delica for its devoted owner, many of whom have had a nasty surprise on that score shortly after buying. Chassis legs rust from the inside outwards; a tiny scab on the outside may be the first outward sign of the rot that lies just under the surface. This why you need someone who knows these vehicles.
_________________
Andy C L300 Super Exceed - over 100 smiles per gallon!