Advice on 1992 300GD
Hello All,
As an ex-member ( 280 GE lwb reg D300 GYH ) who is now looking to get another G-Wagen - because nothing else comes near them.Could I ask for advice on a 463 300GD I have found locally .Its a 1992 model lwb with 40k indicated but actually 150k with good Merc agent history , current owner past 10 years - recently serviced.Has been very little used for past 18 months only fault is ABS light constantly on but I am assured by the owners local MOT garage that it drives and brakes o.k ( the battery would not charge up so a new battery was fitted and therefore I think it might be the ABS relay fuse ?).Has a few scrapes and one dent in o/s rear panel but overall straight and sound.I have no experience of the 463 model nor the 300GD.Is it the OM 603 engine - 6 cyl engine?
Has the engine got much life left in it ? Any other points I should check when I go to have a proper look and test drive this weekend? Price is good - around 4 - 5K because the owners do not use it now and feel it should go " to a good home rather than be left parked."I ha :? ve asked the same question of Jesus on his web site and think this could be same person as Mortinson ? If so , please accept my apologies for repeat request .
Many thanks for any advice you can offer.
300 engine, looked after good for 500k and more. at that price its a no brainer, BUY IT !
That is one of the most reliable Mercedes engines ever built. Not unusual to see them with 200K + miles assuming that they have been well maintained with regular oil changes.
Also 300 GDL 463s are also quite rare so keep that in mind.
Yes Jesus is Mortinson.
hi grummit,was your 280 the one with the 463 facelift?
anyhow the G you have found sounds a bargain if its running gear,chassis is straight.i have fitted that engine into my cabrio in n-cyprus and it runs superbly and is very economic considering it probably has a six figure mileage on it.
Yup its 6 cyl. I had one in a SWB. Brilliant engine albeit a little slow. But once its going nothing stops it.
I concur that at that price buy it. The money you save on it can be used to make what ever is not right right.
Hello John. Got your message too late at night yesterday, after I came home from a meeting of the Club Mercedes G España (precisely).
As the rest of the members advise, buy it. At that price and if that G is any good you cannot go wrong. I have that same engine in my 300 GDS manual and I am delighted with it. Yes, it is a bit slow if you judge it by saloon standards but it is smooth and sounds beautifully and can easily do mileages in excess of 500k provided that it is serviced properly.
The engine is the 6-cylinder OM603, structurally similar to the OM601 (4 cylinders, fitted to the W201 190D and W124 200D) and to the OM602 (5 cylinders, fitted to the W201 190D 2.5 and W124 250D) and fitted also in the W124 300D. All these three cars are the German's taxi driver favourites due to their economy, relative performance and trouble-free longevity.
Good luck
All these three cars are the German's taxi driver favourites due to their economy, relative performance and trouble-free longevity.
Good luck
Although I think not so much anymore as they finally figured out they can buy 3 cheap Japanese cars for the price of a Mercedes....
And Jesus "trouble-free longevity", your memory playing tricks again.
Tee-hee
Marcus
mortinson wrote:All these three cars are the German's taxi driver favourites due to their economy, relative performance and trouble-free longevity.
Good luck
Although I think not so much anymore as they finally figured out they can buy 3 cheap Japanese cars for the price of a Mercedes....
Yes, the problem is that the last of the W124 was made 11 years ago and Mercedes hasn't done anything else than cr@p lately!
Hi you did not say whether auto or manual ...auto is much harder to find and valued accordingly if manual the money is right on... if all works and no water leaks from the wiper spindles rgds
Hi All,
I went to see the 463 300GD car yesterday.Turned out the mileage was 210,000 but service history was good.It's an auto and has a sunroof.The bodywork not too bad - needs rear bumper and o/s corner plastic.The windscreen is damaged in the swept area and the abs light is on constantly.Underneath seemed sound with no rot in box section, sills or shocker supports.Interior is very dirty , usual torn drivers seat and their dog has savaged one of the rear jump seats.Footwells dry but damp carpet in rear by the door ( ? )
Made an offer which is being considered.
I have also viewed the Green 280GE swb LPG converted one (in Dorset ) .It's really good mechanically and the body is super apart from the rear quarters by lights .The owner is very open and knowledgeable .However , I really would prefer a lwb but they are not easy to find.
Hi please read my PM .......
At that sort of money it would appear to be a bargain, usual price being around the £8K mark for a good example. So in theory you have around £4K to play with. However from what you say that could soon get eaten up. ABS maybe a £10 sensor or £1000 plus, who knows? Torn drivers seat indicates lots of jumping in out which equels lots of stop start use? Damaged trim would indicate to me lots of money and or difficulty getting replacements. So in reality it may not end up being a bargain. Just my opinion.
Thanks for reply Russ,
As you say one can easily spend a lot of money on these things .The seats are reclaimable at fairly low cost since it's only one edge of the drivers squab that is worn away and the top edge of one of the jump seats that has been eaten by the dog. Bodily the problems are fairly minor. The ABS is a potentially high cost and is my main concern. Mechanically it seems very sound and has been regularily serviced.My offer has ( I hope ) taken all these issues into account ,so I have to wait and see.
have you driven it?
i have owned many G's all 460's and always wanted a 463.however when i went and drove a few 463 lwb's last year i was dissappionted to say the least! i also drove a 460 lwb and that was even worse! i think personally a mint 460 drives nicer than an abused 463,even though the 463 is far superior.
but the point is finding a good one,whethter its a 460 or 463.
i paid top dollar for my 280 GEL(TOO MUCH IN THE EYES OF MANY)but i hope i will have no ghosts in the closet in the long run.sit down and calculate the costs of repairs in the worst scenario and add up the figures.you will be amazed that what looked a bargain may end up similar to a CLEAN 463.i am not trying to put you off in any way ,just hope you get the best for your money.
rgds hus
Hi Russ ,
Drove it around the lanes near where it is based and it performed very well indeed - smooth engine ,even braking ,no clicks on full lock,diffslocks seem o.k. However,before parting with any money I will take it up to speed on a major road.I agree with your assessment of the need to balance a low initial purchase price against the " sorted and on the road " cost.I think this will apply to all Gs once over a certain age / mileage since one never can tell how it has been driven / used and the only guide one has is the service history and the current apparent condition. I often think that we enthusiasts are conducting a "Holy Grail" type of lifestyle - continually searching for the perfect G-Wagen ( 928 / 911/ DS23 or whatever.)I hope to get an answer from the owner this weekend .
Thanks for the advice .....its good to get such knowledgeable feedback and helps one to temper the initial burst of enthusiasm!
my G had an initial price of £8000!
the owner,mr hunter(a proper gentlemen)was i think 71 years old and very set in his ways.he wasnt in need of the money it was obvious and would have ended up giving it to his grandson as promised.
after driving it and realising the 78,000 miles were genuine,i took a thorough look at the bodywork and saw that living on the coast had taken its toll!!!
yes it did have a downfall and i was able to knock a £1000 off the vehicle.
ok,i changed the shocks out of my crazy habit and the coils are here soon aswell,but other than that all is fine.
the moral here is that you get what you pay for in life and its always best to be aware of this.. good luck!
ps ( i have already had offers above £10,000) but the only place this G is going is next to my cabrio.!!
This thread should be moved out of this section.
I have one of these superb Gs, if you have any specific questions let me know. Let us know whether your offer is accepted.
Mine has 218K miles
Moved to "Buying advice"
Hi All,
Just an update .My offer seems to have been accepted and since the offer was based on certain bits being fixed ( ABS and windscreen) as soon as they are finished I will , hopefully , be collecting it . Assuming all goes well I will post a few photos.I have also decided to rejoin the club.
Thanks again to all for the informed and useful comments.
Regards
Grummitt.
looking forward to seeing photos as always :wink:
hope you enjoy your G :!:
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Hi all,
Thanks for the advice so far.No my 280GE was not the facelift one .It was RAF metallic blue with recaro seats ,tinted windows , front hitch, ex-Kashmirian Embassy and Derek Moore - Sold to Glenfidditch Estate for the Grouse shooting ( I joke not !).
Is the 1992 300GD the 6 cylinder engine ?