- Off-roading is having a bit of a renaissance right now.
And there are plenty of different options
as far as vehicles go.
Everything from the tried and true 4runner to the Lexus GX.
And even though we slander it on our Instagram,
the Jeep Wrangler.
But there's one awesome Japanese turbo-diesel off-roader
that you might not have heard of.
That's getting a bigger, and bigger following every day.
And for some reason, one state wants to ban it.
Today on Wheelhouse, we're gonna find out
what makes the Mitsubishi Delica such a great Overlander.
Why it's taken decades for it to become so popular.
And why in the world Maine, of all places,
wants to banish it to the Shadow Realm.
(melancholy music)
Fire up E-bay motors cause you're probably
gonna want a Delica after this is over.
(bright music)
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- The Mitsubishi Delica is a little delivery van from Japan
that has become quite the coveted off-roading vehicle
for enthusiasts across north America as of late.
Fan forums and meetup groups, detail how to mod them
for camping, cargo or just getting around.
Now you might be thinking this is a quirky
little hipster van that people just build
to take out to festivals and show off
before they drive it back to the hotel for the night.
Dude, want to come back to my Delica
after Greta van fleet?
We can "toke" one up.
Yeah, no, I'm not a cop.
What are you talking about?
But I ask you, can even the most pimped out hipster van,
bring the noise with some roaring turbo diesel horses
and then get off the road to do this.
- Ah, that's the spirit.
- Yeah, didn't think so.
The Gen3 Delica AKA the L300
sits on a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV chassis,
for handling rough terrain,
though the front seats are placed right over the axles
to make sure you feel all that rough terrain too.
The short wheel base and high clearance makes it perfect
for tackling most terrain, short of rock crawling.
Engine options included a wide selection
of four cylinder engines available in both gasoline
and diesel units, up to two and a half liters.
So despite it looking like a kei van,
it's actually much more capable.
This is Michael and his 1991 Chamonix Delica L300.
He bought it from a guy in Florida who imports them
straight from Japan, and restores them, and modifies them.
His Chamonix came with aftermarket led light mods,
a snorkel, a stainless exhaust kit,
two inch lift, custom powder coated bumper
with a camera, mind you.
It has an AC upgrade and a whole lot more.
It's outfitted for camping if needed.
But Michael actually uses this thing as his daily driver.
- I drive this every day.
And like every single day somebody says something.
Guy next to me, he's like,
Hey, what is that?
- These beasts originally roamed the tight streets
and terrain of Japan before making their way across Asia,
the Middle East, Europe,
and even hopping oceans to get to South and Central America.
So they're a fairly common sight, outside of the US
but it's going to be a little tricky to snag one of
these off-road and cargo van beasts.
Not only because everyone else wants one,
but also if you want a true four wheel drive model,
you have to go JDM.
Canadians were able to start importing these things
15 years after their release.
So why are we in the US so late to the Delica-party?
Well, where Canada has a 15 year rule on importing cars
that aren't compliant to laws and regulations.
The US has a 25 year rule.
(fun music)
In 1988 the United States passed
the motor vehicle safety compliance act,
putting into place set standards of safety
and environmental regulations that all vehicles
in the country have to meet, in order to be road worthy.
In a nutshell Americans can legally important own
a foreign market car that doesn't meet safety
or emission standards in the United States as long
as it's 25 years old or more.
Making it a certifiable, collectible, classic.
One of the most coveted collectibles buyers are waiting on
to age into its 25th birthday is the Nissan Skyline R34.
(upbeat music)
But again, these cars can't be imported until they age out,
but they're in high demand and selling fast.
The solution? Find a JDM specific dealership
to import one for you and many are now offering
to hold the vehicles
until they're eligible for legal import.
And that means, yes, there are stashes of nineties loot,
just waiting to tear out onto American roads.
There's warehouses all over Japan,
from American dealers, holding onto these things.
Getting your hands on the wheel
of one of these performance cars won't be cheap either
with extra thousands tacked on for import services,
demand for used cars skyrocketing,
thanks to a shortage of new cars
and the general "cool factor" of these 90's vehicles aging,
entering into the equation.
Experts are estimating a R34 GTR will cost over 150 grand
by the time it's delivered stateside
under all legal requirements.
Yikes.
If that's outside your budget, it is for me
and speed isn't the most important factor,
but you do want a turbocharged, something or another.
Let me introduce you to the Delica.
See what I did there.
It's called bringing it back around.
(upbeat music)
A van, a truck, and an RV.
The Delica is an off-roader's dream.
Also a registration nightmare.
Specially, if you live in the great state of Maine.
Unfortunately with the rise in popularity
comes increased attention from regulatory organizations.
Remember these vehicles were manufactured in Japan,
which doesn't uphold the same safety
or emission standards as the US.
Not a problem for importing vehicles
25 years and older, right?
But importing a vehicle does not necessarily mean
getting it on the road.
So yes, Delica's of a certain age
can be sold in the US legally.
But this has nothing to do with registration
and driving it on roads legally.
And that is where the state comes in.
Registration of motor vehicles is a state issue.
So a state can impose any restrictions it deems appropriate
for keeping its roads safe.
And Maine has chosen to impose a way.
According to the assistant,
to the director of the BMV of Maine,
Mitsubishi Delica's cannot be registered in Maine
as they do not meet FMVSS
or Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,
DOT crash testing and emissions either.
This was very unwelcome news that arrived by way of a letter
mailed to Maine residents
who had registered Delicas previously
followed up with an email,
notifying them that their vehicle was no longer
legal on roads, leaving people more than a little confused.
(man shouting)
So we reached out to the BMV ourselves.
Here's what we know, Main residents who had registered
a Delica, were in fact, receiving letters and emails,
notifying them that the registration would be canceled
and that the vans would no longer be legal for street use.
They would also need to remove the vehicles plates
and send them to the BMV, effectively,
slamming the parking brake for anyone who didn't have access
to some kind of off-roading opportunity on private property.
This bummer of an email, went on to say, quote.
- [Man In Deep Voice] As stated above,
it has been our experience here
at the bureau that most of these imported mini-trucks
and vans that have had manufacturer certificate of origin
lists these vehicles as off-road vehicles,
we do not allow off road vehicles.
(laughing evilly)
What's that? Yeah, I'll be down in the sec, babe.
Anyway, my wife is making steamed salmon.
(laughing)
- The broad terminology and vague wording
also means that these regulations
and restrictions could eventually be applied
to other vehicles in more sweeping legislation.
The worry is that there are plenty of other JDM's
and imports that don't meet US standards.
And if states decide to start canceling registrations
on those, a lot of people could be out of luck
finding anywhere to drive their hard won,
long awaited collectables.
All of these could be at risk.
If JDM cars started coming under state-led scrutiny,
kicking the federal 25 year rule to the curb.
Basically, it may have started in Maine,
but this is a trend that could easily move into other states
and on to other vehicles.
For the time being, what are Delica owners in Maine
supposed to do now that they can't drive on Maine roads?
Well, some owners are fighting back,
posting about their efforts to get through to officials
on forums and encouraging other enthusiasts to get involved
before the dominoes start to fall in other states
and for other JDM cars.
So, I'm sorry to the drivers in Maine,
I guess it's time to find a friend with private property
that you can off-road on,
but for everyone else in the other 49 states,
if you want to Delica, now that you know what they are,
maybe check listings in Maine first.
That's depressing.
New shirt alert.
(laughs)
That's stupid.
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