1979 LHD ex german border police.

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Patrickc
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Joined: 01.04.2017
Location: Galway, Ireland

Hi all,

I have a garage here in Ireland. One of my customers is a German ex pat and he has a 1979 LHD 280 G wagon. He has had it since 87 and apparently it was used by the german border police. It seems to have a factory fitted auxiliary heater and it has a hatch in the roof also. He wants me to get it running and driving, and he wants to sell it. I'm not too concerned about getting it running, it was driving up until a few years ago.

 

Although I would love to have a G wagon, right now I have too many projects as it is. What I'm wondering is, what's it worth roughly. I know it is impossible to say without seeing it. Basically I'd like to know if it makes any difference either way, to the value, being a non civilian model originally. 

 

It's quite rusty on the body and the right hand rear shock mount is broken off the frame.

 

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Theo
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Joined: 28.01.2010
Location: Guildford
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Re: 1979 LHD ex german border police.

I have no idea what it is worth but judging by the pictures it is a full restoration project.  There is demand in Germany for the very first 280 Gs and the border patrol history should add to its attraction (nearly all early 280 were sold to the border patrol or special forces).  Judging by the pictures, I would expect that the buyer's main interest will be the frame (as the chassis number/ VIN is on the frame) and he will source a cabin in a better state from a donor car.  [On earlier restorations, people first stripped/ sandblasted the cabin only to then realize that it would be uneconomical to restore the cabin.]    

prwales
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Joined: 30.05.2007
Location: West Glamorgan
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Re: 1979 LHD ex german border police.

It's the real deal, the top hatch removes any doubt so a historically important vehicle to many Germans but possibly to ex squaddies here as Britain's border patrol swapped from RR's to using G-Wagens too. As an every day vehicle though the 280 is very thirsty. Hard to value, without the top hatch it would be a scrapper or a donor vehicle for recycled parts.

 

 http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/119687-1979-Mercedes-G-Wagon-280GE-*old-enough-to-be-importet-to-the-US*