I LOVED my vans but got rid of my last Toyota van a few weeks after going to the junk yard for parts and not being able to take the parts I needed because they were essentially soaked in blood.etc Supposed hit by a car then into a tree, it was DESTROYED. A freind was hit in the front in his Mitsu van and is recovering from broken legs now, combined speeds it was only about a 40 mph crash, van totaled.
All of the Nissan's have been destroyed because they kept catching fire. The ones they imported to the states had a slightly bigger engine and air conditioning and it was too much heat in that tiny engine compartment. Nissan bought them all back and crushed them
The reason you never see the Nissan is because they were all bought back and crushed by Nissan. Multiple recalls for engine fires doomed them. Only about 33,000 Van's were sold before the buy-back.
I've seen BOTH OF THEM in dealers (they sold better in Puerto Rico than Stateside), but there's little chance to see the Nissan Vanette on the street since they were RECALLED TO BE CRUSHED because as they were fitted a too large (NA-2.4L) engine for the little space it had and NOWHERE TO COOL (only from the bottom) and tended to OVERHEAT AND BURN. Only ones running Stateside maybe counted at < 100 if at that... At least both the Mitsubishi Van and the ToyoWagon did have some front grille to cool them somehow...
@@W0RLDSSMALLESTVI0LIN - these vans were more abundant when new in either Stateside coastal states or in the Island jurisdictions, not so much in Middle America...
1:25 I love the drama queen they hired to get into the van. All that shrugging and tapping of her head -- makes me feel like I'm back home visiting the family.
Especially the Nissan's since that van came under fire literally for engine fires. Nissan actually had to buy back those vans and have them crushed because the recalls that were issued didn't resolve the engine fire problem.
Hard to believe Mitsubishi still produces this van, called L300 in world markets. Even more unbelievable, they still produce the predecessor of this van, which debuted in the 70s. It's called the Colt L300
Oh, forgot about the predecessor: many of them too are still around! I fondly remember it, as I sat many times in it as a small child and remembered touching on quite a warm iron tube below the center seat! 😝😂
damieg82 yeah, but that’s not really surprising. The demand for these is there, and many other automakers are doing the same. VW produced the 60s Bus until 2014!
The Nissan van had a bigger (both in displacement and physically) engine than it was designed for, it was put under recall for engine fires and Nissan simply bought up and crushed as many of them as they could get their hands on.
Wow!! This brings back TONS of memories!!! My parents bought this 1987 Mitsubishi van Brand new. They were actually looking at a car on the lot, when they were ushered in to through the showroom, and into the salesman's office, this Van was on display in the showroom. Complete with blinds for privacy, as the rear seat turned into a bed, and the whole nine yards. My mother immediately fell in love, and the rest is history. The only thing I wasn't too fond of, was the fact that it was RWD. and we had(Back then) some terrible snowy winters. PS: It was also around the same time when they also had a STARION in the showroom. It was in the 90s that I was able to find my fav of the bunch, in pristine condition. a 1989 Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R fully spec'd out. Miss that car :(
You too huh? My parents had one as well, in white, just like the one in this video. They loved it until they had to drive it in bad weather - at one point my dad thought he was going to go flying off a bridge on a windy day, which is probably when he decided it was time to trade it in. That thing carried our family plus several friends or cousins everywhere in comfort for a few years though.
My dad also bought a white one with the same brown interior. I was with him in the dealership when we picked it up. I was about 10 years old at the time and I saw a Starion in the showroom. I was blown away by that car. I LOVE flared fenders on cars. I really do. The Starion and on the 80s M3. I got in the drivers seat and i was blown away. The seatbelt anchored to the door was something I've never seen before. The digital dash and climate control made me feel like I was in a spaceship. I loved how the seatbelts had TURBO on them. For many years I wondered what ESIR meant. The deep dish 16" wheels were also so damn beautiful. About 8 years later I bought my first car. It was a Mitsubishi Mirage non turbo. I still wanted a Starion but they were still expensive. At that time the new star was the Eclipse turbo. My base Mirage was slow but light. Later my dad bought a wrecked front end of an Eclipse turbo. He said we were going to transplant that engine in my Mirage. It took us a little over a year to do it but we made it happen. I had a turbo Mirage. The Mirage did have a turbo model but with a 1.6L engine. I had the Eclipse 2.0 turbo. That car was a hoot to drive. I blew away Hondas that pulled alongside me and yes, I blew away the mighty Starion. I played with 5.0 Mustangs but being FWD my Mirage just spun the wheels struggling for traction up to 2nd gear. But when it grips, it was a hell of a ride. I parked it in the street on a Friday night. Next morning the rear end was bashed thanks to an illegal alien driver with no insurance. Guy was drunk and didn't have a penny to pay me. My insurance deductible made it not worth to fix the car. I still remember the day that car was on the back of a flatbed being hauled off to a junkyard somewhere. To stop myself from being sad, I just told myself if that car didn't get killed, it would have killed me. 😄
There's a bloke in Australia who swapped a twin-turbo LS1 engine into a Mitsubishi van like the one in this video. The thing is so powerful that it lifts the front when he accelerates. And the funny thing is that he left the exterior totally unchanged.
My neighbor had the Toyota version when I was 16. I got to drive it a bit and will never forget it. Very satisfying driving position, seeing the road in front of you, what seemed like only inches away.
Not just overheating, but actually due to engine fires. After several recalls didn't fix the problem, Nissan bought them back at full Blue Book value and crushed them. But some owners opted to keep theirs anyway.
These two minivans, along with the Toyota Van and later Toyota Previa, are very interesting vans to own! They are, however, very hard to find in the used car market!
Johnny Mason in the late ‘90s I had an ‘85 Toyota Van. It was such a piece of junk; the engine loved to flood and did so at the most inopportune times. If it was raining, the windshield fogged up to 99% opacity. The steering felt like the wheel was attached to a stick in a bucket of wet concrete. The body was half Bondo, and I accidentally kicked the fender off the front driver’s side, meaning only to joke around. My dad ultimately scrapped it when it left him stranded after dropping me off at my dorm for the first time, the torque converter crapped the bed on him. I loved that thing; I miss it to this very day and will do so until I die.
@@RobCamp-rmc_0 I envy you! You actually had one of those vans! If I could get one of these vans, I'd have a turbo put on the engine! A turbocharged four-cylinder Nissan Van with an automatic transmission would be perfect for me!
This retro review is bound to be remembered as the “this crud” video because of what you heard her say when she got in the driver’s seat here. I can see it now. Thanks Motorweek!
I’m loving John’s pronunciation of any Japanese car - here we have the neesarn and meetsobeeshi mini vans - the meetsobeeshi uses the engine from the gollont sedan
my grandmothers 86 toyota van went to the scrap yard only10 years ago. due to all the hoses giving out and the pain in the butt access to fix those hoses in the engine bay.
Both vans are still going very strong and are very easy to find at almost any street in my country (Greece). Their names here are the Nissan Vanette Cargo and the Mitsubishi L300! Today's tiny piece of trivia for you! 😉
I worked for a Nissan dealership when these vans were being recalled. They were recalled and crushed. Sad because they were a cool little van back then. I saw some pristine ones with low miles being crushed. We weren’t allowed to even touch them.
Underrated Comment here. My barber had one before. His was a somewhat light colored purple over here in Boston. Although, i think his was the Toyota. And of course, be was Dominican. I heard these Van's are all over DR.
That little Mitsubishi van totally reminds me of a time I was walking to lunch in the business park I worked at in the very early 90s. As I approached some parked cars in the lot, I noticed an extremely attractive Latina(probably a sales rep) exiting one of the offices and heading to a Mitsubishi van(it was a customized van, like how the 70s full-size vans were) and as she entered the vehicle, she left the door open and then proceeded to reach over to the center console/floor area between the front seats......well, as she was wearing a very short dress, she showed her "goods" and I forgot I was going to lunch and went back to work with a huge smile. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've told this story in nearly 30 years!
Somehow the mitsu van was more difficult....it has the exact same door and seat..oh that's right! no manual in the mitsu version, john is too butt hurt to be objective...
@@captainamericaamerica8090 not more than the Ford aerostar and Chevy Astro from those eras Those were large death traps on half assed pickup chassis lol
Had a Nissan Stanza Wagon around this time and I loved it. Had sliding doors on BOTH sides which was really convenient for off-loading kids and groceries. Now have a Nissan Xterra S and once again I love it!
It’s amazing to see a test on the Nissan Van, especially if you’re aware of its history of catching fire due to the lack of proper cooling equipment during its conversion for the US market.
@@scdevon in the 80s Japanese companies were still on the rise and there was not much competition with other brands for the kind of cars that mitsubishi and nissan produced
@@scdevon umm Nissan is still a very large company, and own majority of Mitsubishi. They have had a bad time, specifically in the US, but they are rebuilding. They certainly aren't in decline.
I used to have the turbo diesel version of the Mitsubishi, known here in New Zealand as a Delica. The back of mine used to step sideways under braking like that too, always thought it was a fault with the brakes but I guess that's just how they are. Was very easy to get sideways around corners but also very easy to correct again. I converted mine to a camper, wound the boost up a bit and travelled the country in it and loved every minute. Mitsubishi sold the basic 2 seat commercial version of this van here up until about 2014 and there are still lots of them around.
When the Mitsubishi mini van was released it was an instant success. First released in 1980 they were very boxy but in an 8 seater or van types. After 3 months of release in Australia they were number one in sales and a waiting time of about 6 months to get your hands on one.n I bought mine at a crazy $6800.00 Aus dollars in 1980. After being chased by so many dealers I sold it back to a dealer for $7300.00 in only 8 months of ownership. Yep I got more than I paid for it. The New slightly face lift model included a high top roof increasing the headroom all over the mini van. The windowless model the also came in a longer wheel base for those bigger jobs. The models ran until the early 2000's when frontal impact did not reach safety standards but this same shape models are still available in the Philippines as the Mitsubishi L300
Virtually the 1st vehicle in us history that was recalled and scrapped due to inability to fix electrical issues...they are largely extinct.the follow up nissan axxess was a piece of work too....
Biggest problem was LACK OF COOLING (they didn't had any front grille for that, those only cooled from the bottom). Something that couldn't be repaired.
These cab forward minivans were quirky, yet nice. Mitsubishi should have brought the Delica name here, and the Access name should have went to this Nissan, instead of that tall wagon back then, that competed against the Plymouth Colt Vista.
I love at the end where John says what we really like to see is one made that is front wheel drive. Well a few years later they were called the chevy lumina APV.
6:09 ALSO ON MOST LHD L300 vans as well, but in LHD converted JDM Delica vans in the Philippines, you only open the engine cover under the driver seat and parking handle brake at the right.
I love these quirky little death traps! I miss weird little features that used to be in cars. They were strange and not very American to drive, but I just loved these Japanese small 80s vans. Keep the retro reviews coming!!
I remember my dad taking me to the Nissan dealer looking at this same exact Nissan van and I thought the ice box w the ice tray was the coolest thing ever.
6:01 In Taiwan, CMC DELICA VAN (shorter version) have only 5 seater van with dual sliding doors but no 3rd row seating and comes with horizontal strut bars onto 3rd row windows and rear windshield.
Our family had the Mitsubishi van when I was younger. Cool seats that could move all the way around. Engine under the driver seat. Very quirky vehicle to say the least.
In Australia we got these as the Nissan Nomad and Mitsubishi Starwagon, the commercial van version Mitsubishi express version was available until 2013 with 1 star ANCAP crash rating
These vans were fairly popular in Australia where I’m from, the Mitsubishi in particular. I remember seeing quite a lot of them. Been a long time now since I’ve seen one though
2:27 that's something that Nissan seems to understand where most automakers don't. Opening the entire hatch can be cumbersome and annoying, while opening a piece of glass isn't especially when it's throwing something in or taking something out quickly. I loved it on my mom's 05 Pathfinder as a kid (and it was the only thing anyone loved about it)
It used to be that a true car enthusiast would want gauges instead of warning lights. It's like car guys today who say that all wheel drive is best and no car should have a CVT.
Cars weren't as reliable and that's an easy way to keep tabs on a properly running car? Notice most trucks still have those gauges these days. If you drive a car hard then you'll want to know what's going on vs waiting for the idiot light to come on.
@@oambrosia Yep, they were coming out of looser build tolerances and carburetors instead of EFI. Warning lights had a reputation for only coming on when it was too late.
I love the creativity of the naming. Boss: We're creating a new van for the US market. What should we call it that really encapsulates our efforts? Person 1: TranSporter Person 2: Cargovator Person 3: why don't we just call it a van? *silence* Boss: brilliant!
Super Cheesy acting, LOL! My family had the Mitsubishi van in Blue and it's true. When you drive this van and it's windy, the wind will move it. My dad drove it on a bridge and a gust of wind pushed it to the next lane. He hated it. Unfortunately, mom crashed the van... maybe for the better... Ahhh, the memories...
I ALWAYS used to laugh my ass off at that tester grumbling as she was getting into the Nissan at 1:25!!!! 3:06..........that's nearly 3 seconds SLOWER than my old '91 VW Vanagon Carat!!!!!!
I miss quirky yet practical Japanese family haulers from the mid 1980s. And then the 1990 Toyota Previa arrived to take engineering and weirdness to a whole new level.
Motorweek, When you would take those interior decibel readings, would you drive the same strip of road and have all the HVAC fans off as to not produce extra "white noise?"
I ALWAYS used to laugh my ass off at that tester grumbling as she was getting into the Nissan at 1:25!!!! 3:06..........that's nearly 3 seconds SLOWER than my old '91 VW Vanagon Carat!!!!!! At some point, I would love to see your Retro Review of the 1987 Mazda 323 so I can share it with my uncle. My aunt had a blue 1986 sedan.
As a kid during the 1980's I remember seeing these all over the road. They weren't as popular as the Dodge Caravan, the Ford Aerostar, or Chevy Astro van, but they were on the road.
When I was in the Navy and we were deployed to various Asian countries, these cool vans were literally everywhere. I remember the SEALs from various SEAL Teams had their vans labeled “Navy Band” over in southeast Asian. Haha. Great times!
Back when you could buy a minivan with a stick. I actually have a newer 90s model Mitsubishi Van. Back when these vans were out I had a 86 Dodge Ram Mini with a 5 spd. Just a caravan with no windows in the very back. It had the windows where the slider was and on the other side. Plus had one rear seat.
Both of these vans were fringe players, late to the game and woefully behind the best-sellers of the day. The Nissan Van and Mitsubishi Wagon may have resembled Toyota's Van but Toyota had been selling their van for a few years by the time these appeared, and they were hardly beating the domestic vans in terms of sales. Why would you choose any of these vans over a Caravan/Voyager, Aerostar or even VW Vanagon? Sure, that supposed Japanese quality but these vans had way too many shortcomings to make up for that. What we didn't need in the US in the late 1980s were more minivans with the cab over the engine, unsafe handling, and poor acceleration, not to mention clearly unsafe crash protection. Oh, but they all seemed to have that fridge by the front armrest... :) If you see one of these Nissan or Mitsu vans on the road these days, they are truly unicorns. Not big sellers in the first place, most were recalled and repurchased by the manufacturer, crushed by the mid-1990s. Of course some survived, but 30 years later there can't be too many of these vans around.
These were definitely popular, but it's one of those automotive fads that ends up being a head scratcher. Seems like too many compromises, strange and awkward design.
I had a chance to nab one on Craigslist for just $300 over in Lower New York/Long Island i think. This was just about a year ago. I was broke. As soon as i had the money finally, it was gone. Which was pretty ironic, since it was still on the listing for the longest beforehand.
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Is there anyway we can pay / donate to have actual specific reviews posted on CZcams.
7
1987 Mitsubishi Wagon (aka Delica)
0-60 in 19 seconds? That is going to hurt it in the weekend category.
And that is on flat roads, Imagine driving this up a steep hill.
The only other vehicle that was tested slower by Motorweek was the Pontiac Sunbird/Chevy Chevette. 30 seconds!
So basically a more modern Vanagon!
It gets a 1 in acceleration on the Doug score
Well it gets the same score as something that does 0-60 in 8 seconds. The doug score is garbage.
I love these old Japanese vans. Their quirks are just too numerous to count
I love these too! But I'd hate to see the crash tests...
I remember in tests that a hard panic stop in the Toyota could actually lift the rear wheels off the ground because it was so front heavy
Was risk of catastrophic injury an optional quirk or did it come stock?
*Doug demuro intensifies*
I LOVED my vans but got rid of my last Toyota van a few weeks after going to the junk yard for parts and not being able to take the parts I needed because they were essentially soaked in blood.etc Supposed hit by a car then into a tree, it was DESTROYED. A freind was hit in the front in his Mitsu van and is recovering from broken legs now, combined speeds it was only about a 40 mph crash, van totaled.
Somewhere in California a Korean family is still driving these vans.
The Mitsubishi looks like something the Science Patrol would be driving in a 1960s Japanese episode of "Ultra Man".
I think they own Hyundai Grace and kinda rare in states.
All of the Nissan's have been destroyed because they kept catching fire. The ones they imported to the states had a slightly bigger engine and air conditioning and it was too much heat in that tiny engine compartment. Nissan bought them all back and crushed them
“The wagon stops like a duck diving for it’s dinner” lol
"It takes to wind like a rooster on a weather vane" this Mitsubishi Wagon sounds fowl!
M C 😂😂
*its
I had to watch as I've NEVER seen either of these vans in person!
The reason you never see the Nissan is because they were all bought back and crushed by Nissan. Multiple recalls for engine fires doomed them. Only about 33,000 Van's were sold before the buy-back.
I've seen BOTH OF THEM in dealers (they sold better in Puerto Rico than Stateside), but there's little chance to see the Nissan Vanette on the street since they were RECALLED TO BE CRUSHED because as they were fitted a too large (NA-2.4L) engine for the little space it had and NOWHERE TO COOL (only from the bottom) and tended to OVERHEAT AND BURN. Only ones running Stateside maybe counted at < 100 if at that...
At least both the Mitsubishi Van and the ToyoWagon did have some front grille to cool them somehow...
Me neither, man, me neither
Ive been a car guy since i was a child and i never knew either of these vans had existed...never saw either..
@@W0RLDSSMALLESTVI0LIN - these vans were more abundant when new in either Stateside coastal states or in the Island jurisdictions, not so much in Middle America...
1:25 I love the drama queen they hired to get into the van. All that shrugging and tapping of her head -- makes me feel like I'm back home visiting the family.
Probably blamed a "man" because her unisex fitting jeans got a smudge a dirt on them.
Having the engine directly under the seat must be one helluva seat warmer!
The Toyota vans had theirs under the driver's seat, and I really didn't notice that much warmth.
it did
It's a standard feature!
Especially the Nissan's since that van came under fire literally for engine fires. Nissan actually had to buy back those vans and have them crushed because the recalls that were issued didn't resolve the engine fire problem.
I've rode in this van and used it in tropical weather, is actually not noticeable at all
Hard to believe Mitsubishi still produces this van, called L300 in world markets.
Even more unbelievable, they still produce the predecessor of this van, which debuted in the 70s. It's called the Colt L300
I can believe it. Mitsu's current lineup is...geriatric... at best
Oh, forgot about the predecessor: many of them too are still around! I fondly remember it, as I sat many times in it as a small child and remembered touching on quite a warm iron tube below the center seat! 😝😂
damieg82 yeah, but that’s not really surprising. The demand for these is there, and many other automakers are doing the same. VW produced the 60s Bus until 2014!
damieg82 ALSO HYUNDAI GRACE OF HYUNDAI H100
damieg82 ALSO DODGE 1000 can from Mexico
The Nissan van had a bigger (both in displacement and physically) engine than it was designed for, it was put under recall for engine fires and Nissan simply bought up and crushed as many of them as they could get their hands on.
indeed...Mitsubishi vans did not have that issue
Yep engine fires in the Nissan, there are a few still around
Wow!! This brings back TONS of memories!!! My parents bought this 1987 Mitsubishi van Brand new. They were actually looking at a car on the lot, when they were ushered in to through the showroom, and into the salesman's office, this Van was on display in the showroom. Complete with blinds for privacy, as the rear seat turned into a bed, and the whole nine yards.
My mother immediately fell in love, and the rest is history.
The only thing I wasn't too fond of, was the fact that it was RWD. and we had(Back then) some terrible snowy winters.
PS: It was also around the same time when they also had a STARION in the showroom. It was in the 90s that I was able to find my fav of the bunch, in pristine condition. a 1989 Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R fully spec'd out. Miss that car :(
You too huh? My parents had one as well, in white, just like the one in this video. They loved it until they had to drive it in bad weather - at one point my dad thought he was going to go flying off a bridge on a windy day, which is probably when he decided it was time to trade it in. That thing carried our family plus several friends or cousins everywhere in comfort for a few years though.
@@notsureigaf Isn't it grand to reminisce?
My dad also bought a white one with the same brown interior. I was with him in the dealership when we picked it up. I was about 10 years old at the time and I saw a Starion in the showroom. I was blown away by that car. I LOVE flared fenders on cars. I really do. The Starion and on the 80s M3. I got in the drivers seat and i was blown away. The seatbelt anchored to the door was something I've never seen before. The digital dash and climate control made me feel like I was in a spaceship. I loved how the seatbelts had TURBO on them.
For many years I wondered what ESIR meant. The deep dish 16" wheels were also so damn beautiful. About 8 years later I bought my first car. It was a Mitsubishi Mirage non turbo. I still wanted a Starion but they were still expensive. At that time the new star was the Eclipse turbo. My base Mirage was slow but light. Later my dad bought a wrecked front end of an Eclipse turbo. He said we were going to transplant that engine in my Mirage. It took us a little over a year to do it but we made it happen. I had a turbo Mirage. The Mirage did have a turbo model but with a 1.6L engine. I had the Eclipse 2.0 turbo. That car was a hoot to drive. I blew away Hondas that pulled alongside me and yes, I blew away the mighty Starion. I played with 5.0 Mustangs but being FWD my Mirage just spun the wheels struggling for traction up to 2nd gear. But when it grips, it was a hell of a ride.
I parked it in the street on a Friday night. Next morning the rear end was bashed thanks to an illegal alien driver with no insurance. Guy was drunk and didn't have a penny to pay me. My insurance deductible made it not worth to fix the car. I still remember the day that car was on the back of a flatbed being hauled off to a junkyard somewhere. To stop myself from being sad, I just told myself if that car didn't get killed, it would have killed me. 😄
@@Mr-Clark Wow!!! What a story... Yes, glad it was METAL being crushed, instead of YOU..
I love these 1980s Japanese vans but I love the two-tone exterior color combination on the Nissan GXE Van. These vans are ultra rare in USA.
Doug Demuro would have an coronary over these.
Quirks and feeeeatures
Didn't they all get recalled because they had a tendency to catch fire?
@@fisqual The Mittsu had an issue where the engine harness could catch fire, and there was a buyback. 1987-1990
@@jamaltaylor2315 - so the Mitsubishi had THAT kind of BUYBACK RECALL as the Nissan had? They did burn as the NA-2.4L only cooled from the pavement...
@@jamaltaylor2315 Thanks for the info bruh.
“Oh crud!”
-sporty test lady
There's a bloke in Australia who swapped a twin-turbo LS1 engine into a Mitsubishi van like the one in this video. The thing is so powerful that it lifts the front when he accelerates. And the funny thing is that he left the exterior totally unchanged.
Yeah the plumber van thing. White one. They actually upgraded the suspension so it doesn’t wobble all over the road when accelerating.
Dude, that's fucking awesome.
@ 0:12 sizable dent above the headlight
Yeah I wonder how
Probably from his driving
It was the 80s so nobody noticed
Yep, they obviously learned those "extremely long stopping distances" the hard way!
My neighbor had the Toyota version when I was 16. I got to drive it a bit and will never forget it. Very satisfying driving position, seeing the road in front of you, what seemed like only inches away.
Yup, I can relate. I rode shotgun with my dad on the Mitsubishi and the view is pretty good! I miss that van...
"The Mitsubishi takes wind like a rooster on a weather van!" 😂😂😂
The Mitsubishi I remember seeing them here in the US. The Nissan, I don't.
Nissan recalled them due to overheating issues and bought them back from customers, so it's a miracle if there's still any of them in private hands.
@@LouisSubearth That explains it. Thanks!
I had one back in 2008, it was a1987 model, love it so much but engine broken and the mechanics can’t fix it( dealer’s mechanic)
Not just overheating, but actually due to engine fires. After several recalls didn't fix the problem, Nissan bought them back at full Blue Book value and crushed them. But some owners opted to keep theirs anyway.
I used to see these Nissan Van's from time to time when I was a kid in the late 1980's. I thought they were cool.
These two minivans, along with the Toyota Van and later Toyota Previa, are very interesting vans to own! They are, however, very hard to find in the used car market!
Johnny Mason in the late ‘90s I had an ‘85 Toyota Van. It was such a piece of junk; the engine loved to flood and did so at the most inopportune times. If it was raining, the windshield fogged up to 99% opacity. The steering felt like the wheel was attached to a stick in a bucket of wet concrete. The body was half Bondo, and I accidentally kicked the fender off the front driver’s side, meaning only to joke around. My dad ultimately scrapped it when it left him stranded after dropping me off at my dorm for the first time, the torque converter crapped the bed on him.
I loved that thing; I miss it to this very day and will do so until I die.
@@RobCamp-rmc_0 I envy you! You actually had one of those vans! If I could get one of these vans, I'd have a turbo put on the engine! A turbocharged four-cylinder Nissan Van with an automatic transmission would be perfect for me!
I know a lady who actually has one! I was very impressed! I'll check Autotrader and see what they have! Thank you!
The Japanese off-roader version of the Mitsubishi van (Delica Star Wagon) is sick and should've been imported.
I just saw a lifted Delica last week!
I'm seeing more of them in the U.S. now thanks to the 25 year import regulation.
i saw one in the US, the Chamonix edition which is kinda cool
Claudio Bizama Hyundai Grace?
Claudio Bizama How about CMC Delica 4WD van from Taiwan (5 seater) with dual sliding doors??
This retro review is bound to be remembered as the “this crud” video because of what you heard her say when she got in the driver’s seat here. I can see it now. Thanks Motorweek!
I’m loving John’s pronunciation of any Japanese car - here we have the neesarn and meetsobeeshi mini vans - the meetsobeeshi uses the engine from the gollont sedan
for some reason americans pronounce nissan as neeeeesan lol
They didn't report the 1/4 mile times because it still hasn't got there yet.
Measured by a CALENDAR?
Almost there, another 2 years.
Lovin' these Retro Reviews. Thanks for posting all these.
19 seconds 0-60. Imagine with 6 people on board
I am trying to figure out why the Nissan is 6 seconds slower that the Mitsubishi with similar power and weight
Rob Kenna I've owned 3 of these and I somehow think their figures are incorrect. I remember them as slow but not that slow, it really makes no sense.
Zero to sixty...eventually.
@@JohnnyBfromPeoria haha. I have that sticker on my 4cyl wrangler.
@@robkenna2795 it has to be the Gear ratio
YES finally the deadly cab over minivans! Loved these! Can’t find a one on the road today.
Joes Golden Garage u see those Mitsubishi’s occasionally here in Germany, but I’ve never seen the Nissan
They're great for accidents because you'll always be first on the scene!
Grünkohlaktionär I think they only sold 7 of the nissans
my grandmothers 86 toyota van went to the scrap yard only10 years ago. due to all the hoses giving out and the pain in the butt access to fix those hoses in the engine bay.
@@timex513 thers's 2 Toyota vans here in cal east of L.A 50 miles
Both vans are still going very strong and are very easy to find at almost any street in my country (Greece). Their names here are the Nissan Vanette Cargo and the Mitsubishi L300! Today's tiny piece of trivia for you! 😉
They’re gone in the US. The Nissan was bought back by the company due to engine fires
@@christopherwaits7852 Really???
Its not cargo. Its Nissan Vanette Largo. I think it's the JDM version.
I worked for a Nissan dealership when these vans were being recalled. They were recalled and crushed. Sad because they were a cool little van back then. I saw some pristine ones with low miles being crushed. We weren’t allowed to even touch them.
must have for any 1980s Dominican bodega owner 😃
The brand is strong
Underrated Comment here.
My barber had one before. His was a somewhat light colored purple over here in Boston.
Although, i think his was the Toyota.
And of course, be was Dominican.
I heard these Van's are all over DR.
That little Mitsubishi van totally reminds me of a time I was walking to lunch in the business park I worked at in the very early 90s. As I approached some parked cars in the lot, I noticed an extremely attractive Latina(probably a sales rep) exiting one of the offices and heading to a Mitsubishi van(it was a customized van, like how the 70s full-size vans were) and as she entered the vehicle, she left the door open and then proceeded to reach over to the center console/floor area between the front seats......well, as she was wearing a very short dress, she showed her "goods" and I forgot I was going to lunch and went back to work with a huge smile. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've told this story in nearly 30 years!
What a coincidence! I just got to see this exact year of van in real life for the first time! god there so small but maaaaan are they cool!
if i recall Nissan ended up buying back most of those vans because of fires.
really? i didn´t know that
@@pablofernandez9212 Yes cuz in the USA a bigger engine was needed.
Not all a lot of them still out there driving around. A friend of mine has one they daily drive.
Fire
Those wagons used to be the ambulances in the Philippines back in the 1980s! Especially the Mitsubishi wagon...
Dick Sucker And also Hyundai Grace or H100 vans in the 90s.
1:25 John: ITS GETTING INTO THE VAN THAT’S THE PROBLEM! LOL
Somehow the mitsu van was more difficult....it has the exact same door and seat..oh that's right! no manual in the mitsu version, john is too butt hurt to be objective...
You can even hear that one tester complain about how difficult it was to get in.
I wouldn't risk getting my clothes dirty while getting in lol
In S.F., I saw a white Mitsubishi van modified for overlanding, fully lifted and it even had a movable ladder. Sweet!
Thats not modified thats a factory 4x4 Delica somebody imported. They are over 25 years old now and can be imported.
I love those 80s japanese vans.
They are crap😣😤💩💩
@@captainamericaamerica8090 not more than the Ford aerostar and Chevy Astro from those eras
Those were large death traps on half assed pickup chassis lol
@@MrCarguy2 Astro vans are still used. A great van. They are sought after.
@@captainamericaamerica8090 What's your point?
We had the Mitz 1989 van and it was a trooper. Drove it from Dallas to Toronto and back and it ran like a champ.
Had a Nissan Stanza Wagon around this time and I loved it. Had sliding doors on BOTH sides which was really convenient for off-loading kids and groceries. Now have a Nissan Xterra S and once again I love it!
I remember these during my childhood in the 1980s. Watching this review makes it clear why my parents chose Dodge Caravans.
The dent on the hood was caused by a butterfly strike in the drive thru..lol
Look at that interior on the Mitsubishi! THE ACRES OF BROWN!!!!!!
It’s amazing to see a test on the Nissan Van, especially if you’re aware of its history of catching fire due to the lack of proper cooling equipment during its conversion for the US market.
the nissan looks more like a prototype than a car in stock
Nissan and Mitsubishi are in decline now. What a waste. Mismanagement has consequences
@@scdevon in the 80s Japanese companies were still on the rise and there was not much competition with other brands for the kind of cars that mitsubishi and nissan produced
@@scdevon umm Nissan is still a very large company, and own majority of Mitsubishi. They have had a bad time, specifically in the US, but they are rebuilding. They certainly aren't in decline.
80s mom has some sweet velcro hi-tops
I used to have the turbo diesel version of the Mitsubishi, known here in New Zealand as a Delica. The back of mine used to step sideways under braking like that too, always thought it was a fault with the brakes but I guess that's just how they are. Was very easy to get sideways around corners but also very easy to correct again. I converted mine to a camper, wound the boost up a bit and travelled the country in it and loved every minute. Mitsubishi sold the basic 2 seat commercial version of this van here up until about 2014 and there are still lots of them around.
When the Mitsubishi mini van was released it was an instant success. First released in 1980 they were very boxy but in an 8 seater or van types. After 3 months of release in Australia they were number one in sales and a waiting time of about 6 months to get your hands on one.n I bought mine at a crazy $6800.00 Aus dollars in 1980. After being chased by so many dealers I sold it back to a dealer for $7300.00 in only 8 months of ownership. Yep I got more than I paid for it. The New slightly face lift model included a high top roof increasing the headroom all over the mini van. The windowless model the also came in a longer wheel base for those bigger jobs. The models ran until the early 2000's when frontal impact did not reach safety standards but this same shape models are still available in the Philippines as the Mitsubishi L300
Virtually the 1st vehicle in us history that was recalled and scrapped due to inability to fix electrical issues...they are largely extinct.the follow up nissan axxess was a piece of work too....
Biggest problem was LACK OF COOLING (they didn't had any front grille for that, those only cooled from the bottom). Something that couldn't be repaired.
Back in the day I recall the electrical junction on the driver side corroding and causing fires....maybe that was the Toyota van...
These cab forward minivans were quirky, yet nice. Mitsubishi should have brought the Delica name here, and the Access name should have went to this Nissan, instead of that tall wagon back then, that competed against the Plymouth Colt Vista.
The 1990 Nissan Axxess was a better model to have than the Nissan Van. Plus, they weren't crushed. Works for me.
I love at the end where John says what we really like to see is one made that is front wheel drive. Well a few years later they were called the chevy lumina APV.
Keep it under 45 mph , you and your family will love it !
6:09 ALSO ON MOST LHD L300 vans as well, but in LHD converted JDM Delica vans in the Philippines, you only open the engine cover under the driver seat and parking handle brake at the right.
There are no two vehicles I would ever have any less interest in owning...but it's MW Retro, and I'm all over that shit every time.
Lol.
I love these quirky little death traps! I miss weird little features that used to be in cars. They were strange and not very American to drive, but I just loved these Japanese small 80s vans. Keep the retro reviews coming!!
I remember my dad taking me to the Nissan dealer looking at this same exact Nissan van and I thought the ice box w the ice tray was the coolest thing ever.
Jeremy clarkson coming in with the Mitsubishi screaming “sports van! Behold my genius.”
Nissan Vanette in Philippines my dad used to drive one and I can still the interior smell of it ❤️❤️
Lol that's quite the crumple zone up front.
6:01 In Taiwan, CMC DELICA VAN (shorter version) have only 5 seater van with dual sliding doors but no 3rd row seating and comes with horizontal strut bars onto 3rd row windows and rear windshield.
I loved those style of vans back in the day, hell I still love them.
Our family had the Mitsubishi van when I was younger. Cool seats that could move all the way around. Engine under the driver seat. Very quirky vehicle to say the least.
In Australia we got these as the Nissan Nomad and Mitsubishi Starwagon, the commercial van version Mitsubishi express version was available until 2013 with 1 star ANCAP crash rating
These vans were fairly popular in Australia where I’m from, the Mitsubishi in particular. I remember seeing quite a lot of them. Been a long time now since I’ve seen one though
2:27 that's something that Nissan seems to understand where most automakers don't. Opening the entire hatch can be cumbersome and annoying, while opening a piece of glass isn't especially when it's throwing something in or taking something out quickly. I loved it on my mom's 05 Pathfinder as a kid (and it was the only thing anyone loved about it)
I'm looking for a fridge for my car. They had an ice maker back in the 80s...... We have gone backwards.....
1:21: everyone take a drink.
Never had either, I had the Toyota van! Now that was a sweet little machine
What’s the obsession with early motorweek with a volt meter and oil pressure gauge?
80's infotainment
It used to be that a true car enthusiast would want gauges instead of warning lights. It's like car guys today who say that all wheel drive is best and no car should have a CVT.
Probably OCD...obsessive compulsive disorder
Cars weren't as reliable and that's an easy way to keep tabs on a properly running car? Notice most trucks still have those gauges these days. If you drive a car hard then you'll want to know what's going on vs waiting for the idiot light to come on.
@@oambrosia Yep, they were coming out of looser build tolerances and carburetors instead of EFI. Warning lights had a reputation for only coming on when it was too late.
I love the creativity of the naming.
Boss: We're creating a new van for the US market. What should we call it that really encapsulates our efforts?
Person 1: TranSporter
Person 2: Cargovator
Person 3: why don't we just call it a van?
*silence*
Boss: brilliant!
"Mitsubishi Wagon"
Even when it's not even designed to be one lol
I lived my childhood in a Toyota and Nissan minivan. We called it the spaceship. 😂
Super Cheesy acting, LOL! My family had the Mitsubishi van in Blue and it's true. When you drive this van and it's windy, the wind will move it. My dad drove it on a bridge and a gust of wind pushed it to the next lane. He hated it. Unfortunately, mom crashed the van... maybe for the better... Ahhh, the memories...
I ALWAYS used to laugh my ass off at that tester grumbling as she was getting into the Nissan at 1:25!!!! 3:06..........that's nearly 3 seconds SLOWER than my old '91 VW Vanagon Carat!!!!!!
I'd love to see one of those go through current U.S. crash testing.
It would be UGLY.
That’s why we don’t have them.
Nothing from this era would be pretty..
I haven’t seen one in person in so long I can’t remember. I remember wanting my parents to get one as a kid.
The Nissan was recalled early on for Engine Fires and were bought back and crushed by Nissan.
E Meyer - Explains why I had never seen one.
Not all of them.
I miss quirky yet practical Japanese family haulers from the mid 1980s. And then the 1990 Toyota Previa arrived to take engineering and weirdness to a whole new level.
I like these little cab over vans. I've always wanted one I kind of a gagged a little bit when he said they wish they were front wheel drive.
I have a 87 Nissan Van XE 5spd pretty cool little van.
Motorweek,
When you would take those interior decibel readings, would you drive the same strip of road and have all the HVAC fans off as to not produce extra "white noise?"
Doug would a field day with these all quirks
Wow! Amazing these were ever brought to market.
We still use Nissan largo van 🤗🤗🤗🤗
I ALWAYS used to laugh my ass off at that tester grumbling as she was getting into the Nissan at 1:25!!!! 3:06..........that's nearly 3 seconds SLOWER than my old '91 VW Vanagon Carat!!!!!! At some point, I would love to see your Retro Review of the 1987 Mazda 323 so I can share it with my uncle. My aunt had a blue 1986 sedan.
As a kid during the 1980's I remember seeing these all over the road. They weren't as popular as the Dodge Caravan, the Ford Aerostar, or Chevy Astro van, but they were on the road.
Such creative names
When I was in the Navy and we were deployed to various Asian countries, these cool vans were literally everywhere. I remember the SEALs from various SEAL Teams had their vans labeled “Navy Band” over in southeast Asian. Haha. Great times!
At 1:26 that lady never seemed so pissed off about getting into a vehicle before.
Back when you could buy a minivan with a stick. I actually have a newer 90s model Mitsubishi Van. Back when these vans were out I had a 86 Dodge Ram Mini with a 5 spd. Just a caravan with no windows in the very back. It had the windows where the slider was and on the other side. Plus had one rear seat.
The Nissan's side door sounded very tiney like one of those old tin storage buildings.....LOL
Do the 1993 Nissan Quest and Mercury Villager.
8:18 - Toyota Sienna: "Give me 9 more years"
LOL!!!!
I could only dream or hope for practical minivans as full electrics or phevs. VW ID Buzz is the only thing that comes to mind.
Motorweek averaged 3.5 metaphors per van description.
Nissan: Now *You’re* the Crumple Zone!
Both of these vans were fringe players, late to the game and woefully behind the best-sellers of the day. The Nissan Van and Mitsubishi Wagon may have resembled Toyota's Van but Toyota had been selling their van for a few years by the time these appeared, and they were hardly beating the domestic vans in terms of sales. Why would you choose any of these vans over a Caravan/Voyager, Aerostar or even VW Vanagon? Sure, that supposed Japanese quality but these vans had way too many shortcomings to make up for that. What we didn't need in the US in the late 1980s were more minivans with the cab over the engine, unsafe handling, and poor acceleration, not to mention clearly unsafe crash protection. Oh, but they all seemed to have that fridge by the front armrest... :)
If you see one of these Nissan or Mitsu vans on the road these days, they are truly unicorns. Not big sellers in the first place, most were recalled and repurchased by the manufacturer, crushed by the mid-1990s. Of course some survived, but 30 years later there can't be too many of these vans around.
In Sweden, the Mitsubishi van was called Cosmos :)
These were definitely popular, but it's one of those automotive fads that ends up being a head scratcher. Seems like too many compromises, strange and awkward design.
I had a chance to nab one on Craigslist for just $300 over in Lower New York/Long Island i think.
This was just about a year ago. I was broke. As soon as i had the money finally, it was gone. Which was pretty ironic, since it was still on the listing for the longest beforehand.
Must own one of either of these
I love the kooky design aesthetics of the 1980s. Although I do not miss super slow 0-60 times (19 seconds!!??).
I own a Mitsubishi van like this one. Was a very nice van. Was able to carry about 8 persons. Was a very reliable van
Nissan: What should we call our new van?
Me: I have a great name!
Nissan: Let's hear it.
Me: Let's call it the Van.
Nissan: Great!