Toyoda 170 diff (T-series) centres fit. Although now LSD for those are out of production ...

Hitachi makes differentials for many makes.

I've read on here someone was talking about Suzuki H175 diff centres fitting H165 diffs, has anyone actually done this. I'm not worried about axle sizes as I intent welding the diff up anyway so I could just weld in the std H165 side gears in a suzuki centre if the centre will go in the housing.

Vanettes have the build plate under the right front seat beat on the B pillar if they are A series, & under the right front seat if Z powered (there's a little flap in the carpet/vinyl. This will tell you the ratio the van should have. the A12 Vanette had a 4.89:1 H165. The A15 van had either a steel 4.11:1 H190 or an Aluminium 4.625:1 H190 with axles the same size as the H165. The Z series vanettes had 4.11:1 H190s for manuals or 4.375:1 H190s with the large axles. Front diffs from a 4wd ******* (can't thing of their name but they're shaped like a Toyotya 4runner) are 4.625:1 & I have found some 4.89:1 diffs in larger vans.

Yeh the only thing that worries me is that this car will be competing in mud and water ALOT and I need it to be reliable and my concerns are with electrics on the newer engines.

All the engines are good. Newer engines are better.

Are the Z series engines any good, would it be 2.0lt. Did the Vanette come out with a CA engine?

Vanette with A15 = H190 diff
Vanette with A12 = H165 diff with 4.875 ratio
Thinking a 89 vanette will be to new a model for the H165 diff.

It should say on the ID plate/sticker.

L-series never came with 8-plug heads. Z-series and CA-series did.

and would that be an "L" series engine in it?

Look on the ID plate underbonnet or the ID stick on the door pillar. It will have the code

HC43=H165, 4.3 ratio
HE43=H190, 4.3 ratio