Help Needed please,,

2 replies [Last post]
Mon, 21/06/2004 - 13:51
nasher
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Joined: 20.06.2004

I was wondering would you be able to help me out? I dont have any experience in Mercedes G-Wagon.

I recently noticed a few Mercedes G-Wagons for sale. They were D and C Reg models. I am just wondering how reliable they would be saying they are so old. I was told they could be uncomfortable and slow and would "eat" fuel.

I have never been in one and know no-one who owns one here in Ireland. I am not looking at one for work purposes,, I recently sold my car and just thought it would be different/Cool to own a G wagon and use it for every day purposes. Maybe try and do it up as best I can with Dark glass etc etc.

If you could give me any help at all please,
I am scared of buying one and it costing me more in the long run than my car.

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Mon, 21/06/2004 - 20:08
#1
mortinson
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Joined: 06.11.2003
Location: Old beehive, Madrid, Spain
Help Needed please,,

Nasher,

I am here, first and foremost, to try to promote the G-Wagen. Having said this, I feel compelled to advice you that you gather as much information on the G as possible before you commit any cash to this adventure.

If you expect to be able to run a G-Wagen for less money than your current/previous car...... forget it. Unless that is, that your previous car was a Ferrari F-40, Rolls Royce Camargue or something like that.

G-Wagens car either be newer or older. When they are newer, they rarely go wrong, but they cost a fortune in purchasing them (some £ 50,000) and insuring them. When they are older, they can be snapped for little money (say £ 2,500) but unless you are certain about the provenance they can go wrong and when they do they cost a fortune to put right. I know because I spent in excess of £20,000 over eight years on my previous G-Wagen, only to let it go last year for a mere £ 3,000 when the car was at its best.

G-Wagens can also be petrol or diesel. When they are petrol they are not too quick but consume an amazing amount of petrol (say 15 mpg). When they are diesel they are even slower if only slightly more frugal (20 mpg). The only possible exception to these rules are again newer G-Wagens, like the petrol-powered G500 which is pretty quick but still consumes a lot of petrol, or the G400CDI which is as quick as the G500 but more economical. But then again you're talking of 50 grand.

Don't get me wrong.... like I said, my hobby is to promote the G-Wagen. It is a lovely car to drive. It is ample. It is comfortable. It is imposing. It is rare. It is amazing off the road.

But you have to find a nice one at the right price. And this entails a lot of shopping around, given the amount of old, tired examples that there are in the market.

Start here to decide which one is your ideal G-Wagen:

http://www.g4rce.net/engl/index.html

You can also visit my personal website.

Good luck

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Mon, 21/06/2004 - 20:40
#2
guerdeval
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Joined: 07.11.2003
Location: cornwall
old and reliable

nasher, it is possible to find a good old one if the mileage and history can be verified, I have a 1984 (Areg) 300D lwb which has cost less than £200 in repairs over the last 3 years, will return 26mpg,starts first turn of the key (even after its 6 Month winter lay up) and I would trust it to take me anywhere (albeit slowly), it has 126k miles from new so just cos they're old they can still be good, sadly it looks like a bag of s--t.

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