Please could I have some help deciding on my first G!

I second the above.

The 460 G is a very simple beast – no electronics all mechanical – not much to go wrong – it should always get you home. The 280 engine is very reliable and the fuel injection is simple Bosch mechanical stuff. The diff locks are hydraulic and simple (make sure they work on any truck you buy) – the later 463s have a complex vacuum operation in fact the 463 is a lot more complex altogether. It’s also better fitted out and more luxurious and quieter to be in. But you’ll probably pay double for one.

It’s your shout however.

Take your time looking: I took over a year before I bought mine on ebay unseen – luckily it turned out ok. I looked at loads – a lot of dogs and some very high prices.
It’s generally always better and cheaper to by in good condition rather than attempt to “do it up�. I would say a full service history is a must for any Mercedes.
Check the condition of the front wheel bearings and front swivel bearings – they are rather expensive to renew. And the front wheel bearings are a weak point on the 460s – they just need to be serviced and replaced before they cause expensive damage: hence the necessity of the service record.

A G is worth what someone will pay for it as well as what someone will sell it for. Don’t pay a shed load of money just because someone tells you it’s rare. Yes they are rare but 460s are old and have very high fuel consumption plus there are very few out there who would want one they, can take an age to sell – which means you can go armed with a bag of cash and attempt to get a deal. Also repairs can break the bank especially if you use MB dealers – who generally haven’t a clue where the G is concerned. Luckily there is plenty of advice here.

I would have thought £5k is near the top for 460 and yes Caversham are over the top on prices – but some would rather shell out and look big I guess.

Good luck in the hunt

On a G that’s done over 100.000 or more you would expect that the wheel bearings would have been at least repacked with grease and adjusted if not replaced – mine had the had and receipts for the work. You don’t want to feel any play in the wheels when you have the wheel off the ground – let your mechanic or rac/aa person check it for you. If you run on worn wheel bearings you can wreck the hub and CV joint which is very expensive. Don’t worry about it unduly it’s just something to be aware of when purchasing a G.

LPG – though I have no personal experience of it I understand it can be difficult to set up on an older cars with no lamba sensor (normally only on cars with a CAT) also you can’t take it the Channel Tunnel.

My 280ge SWB auto normally returns about 13-15mpg though I have had 17 very rarely, so filling up hurts. If you drive in the London congestion zone a LWB 9 seat will be exempt the charge – if that helps.

You could post a wanted ad in the Gs Wanted page on this forum.

The 87 for £4950 is up there in price (just my opinion) – it would have to be dam good for that – the mileage would have to be right and have a good service history. 100k is low for an 18 year old vehicle – remember that the speedo only goes to 100000 on the G so if you see 40000 it likely to have gone round the clock. Things that might up the price would be sports seats, wood trim & A/C. Another thing that’s easy to check is to crawl around underneath and see if its looks like its had a hard offroad life – dents and dings underneath and lots of mud are tell tale signs (thou a steam clean could hide a lot).

Just take your time and use commonsense. Properly maintained the G will almost last forever.

Check out the 280 on this forum http://www.gwoa.co.uk/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2303

The part you show is a common rot problem on older Gs it’s called a console, part number A460 320 16 78 left and A460 320 17 78 right cost 34.44 euros in Germany as to the cost of fitting….. you would need to check. Left unattended the shock absorber will break it off.
Was it the one advertised on this board or the Autotrader one? Either way it’s a reduction in value I guess. Like you say not terminal just a price adjustment. From the photo I think you would be advised to get it replaced and the chassis rust proofed with something like waxoyl. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

If you stick to the BEST you can buy for the money you will be ok, dont rush. Everyone said it. There is ALAWYS a "dog" or whats called a friday afternoon car available, you have to wait a bit for the good ones. You were saying earlier about travelling I lived in Kent I travelled to leicester, newcastle, huddesfield, herffordshire, S Wales London outskirts 4 times and finally purchased from a member of GWOA in Devon about 4months down the line and probably a few thousand miles but I got a good one 80k miles full service history from MB It has got a few of the usual rust probs but has been well cared for you could see it immediatly, I wanted alloys and arches but i had to compromise. this one didnt have them but it was an excellent vehicle 3yrs later it has and it was fun doing it..
Truly the cars are bullet proof and extremly well built with excellent mechanics but like everything they have to be cared for.
Dont be put off by idiots that are probably jealous or dont know what the hell it is. "Set your sights high for the best you can buy"... :D IM A POET NOW!! :lol: