Mercedes G class

lim

Wondering if anyone knows anything about this model? My husband is German and drove these for years while in the military. He is very interested in purchasing one and is viewing one next weekend. It is a 1987 one so I know it is subjected to an annual NCT and regular tax bands but it will be a second family car (my husband does not drive to work) and would have under 5000 miles a year.

However, I just have a couple of questions to anyone who might know more about them..

1. Maintenance- my husband is pretty good at regular maintenance but are there any notable problems that are worth considering now?
2. Seat belts. There is a bench is the back of this model. Does anyone know how many people can fit on this bench and if seat belts are supplied?
3. Manageability/Reliability. We live out in the country and while we are on major roads it was a nightmare to get out last winter in the snow and we are hoping that this car might be a bit more manageable then my ford mondeo.
4. re-saleability. Is there any demand for this model?
5. Running costs. It's a 3 litre Diesel.. how good are they on fuel consumption?
6. Anything else worth considering or of particular interest in relation to this model.

I am a total novice when it comes to the purchase of an older car so would be grateful of any words of wisdom.

bijapos

1. Maintenance. The W460 has the aerodynamics of a wardrobe and has a relatively weak engine (88bhp) to move it along . They are very basic, that year has no electronics and has plenty of space to work on. Solid, simple old school Merc technology and easy to work on.


2. Seat belts. There is a bench is the back of this model. Does anyone know how many people can fit on this bench and if seat belts are supplied? Probably best to ring the seller to clarify this.


3. Manageability/Reliability. We live out in the country and while we are on major roads it was a nightmare to get out last winter in the snow and we are hoping that this car might be a bit more manageable then my ford mondeo. Yes, it is one of the best 4x4's you can buy for proper off road stuff. It has three locking diffs which help a lot too.

4. re-saleability. Is there any demand for this model? In certain countries yes, there is a big fan scene and they tend to have no depreciation at that age. Depends of course what you pay for it.

5. Running costs. It's a 3 litre Diesel.. how good are they on fuel consumption? Brutal. The engine has a lot to do. Expect 11-15l/100km depending on how easy you drive it, a lot more if you've a heavy foot on a long journey.

6. Anything else worth considering or of particular interest in relation to this model. They rust like a 70's Japanese car, and then some more. The engines tend to go because they get overworked. Check the diff locks are OK as they can be expensive to replace or fix.

If your husband is German then he should try to get info off German Mercedes or G Wagon sites. The model is called W460, loads of info out there on buying them etc.

This is one that shows how bad they really can rust.

http://www.w463.de/w460.htm

lim

Bijapos.. thank you so much. Really fantastic information. Will be armed with this when I see the beast next weekend!!!!:)

101sean

G-wagons make Land Rover Defenders look a bargain! In good condition they are worth at least half as much again as a similar age Defender and probably 3-4 times that of a Discovery. They certainly are tough, the Australian Army is replacing their Perentie Land Rovers with G-Wagons.

There's petrol ones in the UK and a Brabus version as well, not that will be of any interest to you!

Great info Bijapos, you missed the revolting tartan trim though

Fishtits

Can anyone detail the relationship between the G Wagon and the Peugeot P4?

(mods, can you make this a seperate thread if it crosses the drift boundaries... )

PS my only encounter with the G wagon was the MB Guard version... it was crap compared to some of the equivalent Land Cruisers (Stoof)

101sean

It's a G-Wagon with Peugeot engine and gearbox built for the French army

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_P4

MercMad

Check out www.needamerc.com based in Dublin. Everything you want to know about G-Wagens !!

lim wrote: »

Wondering if anyone knows anything about this model? My husband is German and drove these for years while in the military. He is very interested in purchasing one and is viewing one next weekend. It is a 1987 one so I know it is subjected to an annual NCT and regular tax bands but it will be a second family car (my husband does not drive to work) and would have under 5000 miles a year.

However, I just have a couple of questions to anyone who might know more about them..

1. Maintenance- my husband is pretty good at regular maintenance but are there any notable problems that are worth considering now?
2. Seat belts. There is a bench is the back of this model. Does anyone know how many people can fit on this bench and if seat belts are supplied?
3. Manageability/Reliability. We live out in the country and while we are on major roads it was a nightmare to get out last winter in the snow and we are hoping that this car might be a bit more manageable then my ford mondeo.
4. re-saleability. Is there any demand for this model?
5. Running costs. It's a 3 litre Diesel.. how good are they on fuel consumption?
6. Anything else worth considering or of particular interest in relation to this model.

I am a total novice when it comes to the purchase of an older car so would be grateful of any words of wisdom.

Do-more

A Danish army G wagon I passed earlier this week with the hood up and plenty of rust showing.

acmatman

hi, have a look at this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190534882590&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT this garage sells g wagons peugeot p4 and nissan patrols