Not mainstream... but a classic

[Higgy]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-1987-Classic-Mercedes-G-Wagon-GD-Diesel/283194308939?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20180105095853&meid=d2416b227419431684551fe4d38d242a&pid=100903&rk=1&rkt=15&mehot=pp&sd=283194308939&itm=283194308939&_trksid=p2509164.c100903.m5276 ..... Nice. bit pricey tho, or is that the Norm

 

[flint]

Not quick and pricey for parts, but tough machines !

 

[Higgy]

Not quick and pricey for parts, but tough machines !

I loved that flint... remarkable man. And a great bond with his truck.. Keep it simple, No technology, I like his thinking..

 

[flint]

I had a W123 300D lhd with the same engine which I bought with many miles on it having been used for towing boats up and down from the Med. Had the injectors renozzled once and a broken spring or two, apart from that, just normal maintenance for many more miles of hard work.

 

[Higgy]

I had a W123 300D lhd with the same engine which I bought with many miles on it having been used for towing boats up and down from the Med. Had the injectors renozzled once and a broken spring or two, apart from that, just normal maintenance for many more miles of hard work.

I loved the old 300d.. Still want one.. I often have a look on ebay.. pretty rare now.

 

[flint]

Yes, sadly many succumbed to rust and being run on veg oil. There's someone down in Swansea (Mark Cosovich, nice bloke) who knows W123s inside out and sometimes has ones for sale, but not cheap.

 

[moggy1968]

Not a bad price, these go for serious money. If there was no landcruiser this would deffo be my truck of choice.
Toyota should be embarrassed about the parts support on old mercs, you can practically build one from scratch

 

[StarCruiser]

Not quick and pricey for parts, but tough machines !

Enjoyed that Flint, thanks for posting.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-1987-Classic-Mercedes-G-Wagon-GD-Diesel/283194308939?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20180105095853&meid=d2416b227419431684551fe4d38d242a&pid=100903&rk=1&rkt=15&mehot=pp&sd=283194308939&itm=283194308939&_trksid=p2509164.c100903.m5276 ..... Nice. bit pricey tho, or is that the Norm

Like others I had a 123 series , an 83 300TD Estate that is. Steady away it was but I sold it with 260K miles in it and it ran as well as it did the day I bought it with 110K on it. I had it from 91-97 then I bought my 1st 80 series.
The same engine in a G wagon gave 20+ sec 0-60 times but would last forever mechanically. Rust is an issue with all models of Mercs of that era.

 

[karl webster]

i have a lwb g wagon. 1986 i think.3L d. its in need of a fair bit of work but its nice to start and move around ever now and then lol

 

[Jacob100]

Poked my nose into this footballer’s special last week in Leeds. £140,000 and then some. Give me fourteen of Higgy’s tartan ones any day of the week.

 

[Waldamar]

I bid on one before I bought the 80 - good nick, lwb 5 door,it was in the Highlands. 99p start and it made £9000.00! I've a feeling/hope that good 80's and 100's will go the same way............................. [eventually!]

 

[Paddler Ed]

They've been climbing for about the last 5 years - they were always a bit of an oddball as the Mercedes UK only sold them via the Commercial vehicle side, not the car side.

I remember back in the late 1990's the green laners started to realise they were better than the Land Rovers as they came with 3 diff locks as standard but were still a bit more expensive then.

 

[Waldamar]

They've been climbing for about the last 5 years - they were always a bit of an oddball as the Mercedes UK only sold them via the Commercial vehicle side, not the car side.

I remember back in the late 1990's the green laners started to realise they were better than the Land Rovers as they came with 3 diff locks as standard but were still a bit more expensive then.

Funny how Jaguar Land Rover had "no choice" but to axe the Defender as it was too boxy for modern regs. yet the G-Wagon still keeps rolling off the line.............................

 

[Rob Cowell]

Funny how Jaguar Land Rover had "no choice" but to axe the Defender as it was too boxy for modern regs. yet the G-Wagon still keeps rolling off the line.............................

I don't think boxy is the problem. They didn't want to spend the money bringing that shape up to spec, and making it efficient to manufacture on a modern line. Look at the latest G-Wagons and they have rack and pinion steering, IFS, and a new chassis design. Merc sell more than of them than ever at what, £70K plus? Merc felt it was worth reengineering.

 

[Waldamar]

I don't think boxy is the problem. They didn't want to spend the money bringing that shape up to spec, and making it efficient to manufacture on a modern line. Look at the latest G-Wagons and they have rack and pinion steering, IFS, and a new chassis design. Merc sell more than of them than ever at what, £70K plus? Merc felt it was worth reengineering.

good point

 

[flint]

An article by Tom Sheppard (http://www.desertwinds.co.uk/index.html) about his G: http://www.trucktrend.com/news/163-news090302-mercedes-benz-g-class-will-live-through-till-2015/

 

[moggy1968]

Funny how Jaguar Land Rover had "no choice" but to axe the Defender as it was too boxy for modern regs. yet the G-Wagon still keeps rolling off the line.............................

It was canned because it didn’t make enough profit. The way it’s constructed is labour intensive so the margin was narrower than their other models, also because of its market segment.
It had nothing to do with safety, it’s was all down to the bean counters.

 

[moggy1968]

An article by Tom Sheppard (http://www.desertwinds.co.uk/index.html) about his G: http://www.trucktrend.com/news/163-news090302-mercedes-benz-g-class-will-live-through-till-2015/

He had a lot of problems with his, which, given his locations and solo travel could have put his life at risk. If anything it was a good example of the dangers of taking modern electronically managed vehicles into the Bush.

 

[flint]

Yes, if you read Quiet for a Tuesday (his book), he had to crawl back to Germany from Algeria in limp mode and then it took a virtual strip down to find the fault. Model before would have been a broken throttle cable at worst.