I purchased this G-Wagen in Feb 2017 with the intention of repairing the rust and using it as an adventure / overland vehicle. It’s clear that I won’t have a lot of time to accomplish that in the near future, so I’m offering it up for sale.
Since I’ve purchased the vehicle, I’ve driven it approx 2000 miles. I’ve had the forward drive shaft rebuilt with new U joints, Installed a new Bosch battery, changed the oil, and done some general cleaning and maintenance to keep it mechanically sound. It drives great, starts easily, and doesn’t smoke, stutter, or hesitate. The steering is tight (although it’s no 911), and tracks straight down the road. The engine is fantastic. The transmission shifts smoothly into and out of every gear. The transfer case suffers from a misadjustment or bent fork, causing it to pop out of 4 low when a lot of torque is applied. It can easily be held in 4 low by hand. 2wd and 4 high function as they should. The speedometer is semi-functional in that it reads 10-20% low when checked with GPS. The odometer is inop. The gas gauge functions intermittently. All other gauges and indicators work as they should. The stereo sounds great. Doors all open and close easily and are well adjusted. In short, this truck is a very mechanically solid, rare, and capable vehicle that’ll make the next owner very happy.
The vehicle is located in Los Lunas, NM. Shipping is available, or I’m willing to drive it a reasonable distance for delivery after sale.
Some text from the auction when I purchased the vehicle:
This 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300GD is an early short-wheelbase model that was imported from Germany in 2005 and purchased by the seller in 2006. A rebuilt 3.0L five-cylinder turbodiesel mated to a manual transmission was swapped in by Metric Motors of Southern California in 2009 less than 20k miles ago. Now with significantly more power over stock, the seller has also addressed the suspension and other mechanical needs during his ownership. The vehicle does have some rust issues as highlighted below, and it is now being offered at no reserve with import documentation, recent service records, DVDs and shop manuals, and a clean Oregon title in the seller’s name.
During his ownership, the seller claims to have spent close to $20k on this 300GD including the engine swap. Other work consisted of a front axle rebuild, Bilstein shocks with OEM Mercedes springs giving a 2″ lift, a rear brake rebuild, and several other smaller projects. The majority of service records and parts receipts have been kept and will be included with the sale.
Rust issues are significant as detailed above, with several holes throughout the body. The seller states that he had planned to eventually take the body off of the chassis to repair it, but has since run out of time.
Interested parties are encouraged to view all rust-related pictures in the photo gallery below. The recently replaced Bilstein shocks are shown above, while the wheels are wrapped in matching Goodyear Wrangler tires. A crack in the windshield is also present.
The seller states that the manual transmission has a rebuilt clutch and works well in all gears. The transfer case needs to be held in place during 4WD Low to operate correctly in that gear. The odometer is inoperable and currently shows 42k kilometers with total chassis mileage is unknown. The seller also mentions that the rear bearing on the transmission has slight play and was told it could most likely be replaced without removing the transmission. All other features are said to be in solid working order aside form the occasional burnt fuse.
A rebuilt 3.0L 617 turbocharged five-cylinder diesel was swapped by Metric Motors of Southern California, which bumped horsepower from the stock 88 to around 125. Services during the seller’s ownership include a recored radiator, a cleaned and lined gas tank, and a new exhaust line fitted during the engine replacement. The engine is said to start easily and run well, and the truck has performed reliably since the engine swap eight years ago.
