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Cam_Man595
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| G Class pitfalls
I am interested in purchasing a used G Class. I am new to the G Class arena so I’m not sure what to lookout for. Can you point out some of the pitfalls to watch out for? I did a search but could not find what I was looking for. I will be using the vehicle as a daily driver mostly, but I would like to occasionally use the off-road abilities of the G Class. I have approximately $15,000 to spend. |
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mortinson
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Madrid, España
Vehicle(s): '98 G300TD LWB, '98 E300TD Saloon
Posts: 1355
| RE: G Class pitfalls
Please fill your profile and tell us where are you based. $ 15,000 can buy a very different animal depending on where you live |
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Cam_Man595
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: G Class pitfalls
I am located in Lexington, Kentucky. Central Kentucky is the cheapest place to buy a G Wagon, Right?  |
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mortinson
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Madrid, España
Vehicle(s): '98 G300TD LWB, '98 E300TD Saloon
Posts: 1355
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Cam_Man595 - 7/8/2006 10:40 PM
I am located in Lexington, Kentucky. Central Kentucky is the cheapest place to buy a G Wagon, Right? :)
Yeah, in your dreams.
Unfortunately for you, the US of A must be today one of the cheapest places worldwide to buy a post 2000 G-Wagen while at the same time it is one of the most expensive to buy a pre-1996 GWagen. Unfortunately your budget falls right into the latter, more specifically, I would say that 15 grand might buy you a decent 460 but not much more than that.
But I'd say that my fellow enthusiast at the other side of the pond (when you're loooking from this one that is) will be better prepared than my to point you in the right direction.
Best of luck
Edited by mortinson 7/8/2006 5:15 PM
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| Re: G Class pitfalls
You are going to have a hard time finding much with that much money right now. I would keep an eye open on eBay. There are often some 460's for a reasonable price. You will be able to find more pre-MBUSA for $25k-$30k. |
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Photoman
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: New Zealand
Vehicle(s): 280GE, ML500, 280SE 3.5
| Re: G Class pitfalls
interesting. I'm looking at getting myself a G. Here in New Zealand they are cheap. Not many of them here though. With our import laws I'm also looking at bringing one in from Japan.
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Cam_Man595
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Why are the pre-MBUSA G’s so much? Is it because they had to be imported? Or are they just that good? Do you anticipate the late models holding there value in a similar manner? |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| MBUSA vs pre-MBUSA G-Wagons
Cam_Man595 - 7/8/2006 9:42 PM Why are the pre-MBUSA G’s so much? Is it because they had to be imported? Or are they just that good? Do you anticipate the late models holding there value in a similar manner? Both...
To the person who originally paid $135,000 for their new G-Wagon, it still holds value. And to those who are selling their G-Wagon, people are still willing to pay more for the original Mercedes Quality. There is no doubt that Mercedes Benz (Daimler-Benz) held themselves to a much higher standard of quality before they merged with Chrysler and became DaimlerChrysler. Mercedes was known to take an existing model, and every year that model was in production, it got better-and-better. They also shared the best features and parts with their entire product line. This is why the instrument cluster, window switches, and other parts were identical (in most of the cars too) for 10+ years at a time. The same G-Wagons (W460, W461, and W463) have been in production for over 27 years. The pre-MBUSA G-Wagons where the last of these perfected G-Wagons before DaimlerChrysler changed to all of the digital electronics and gizmos. Most people also claim that majority of the new parts and interior have become "cheap" and less reliable. Most of the people on this forum instinctively know this. That is why so many of us jump up-and-down for a "Swiss-Worker" or a stripped down version (without all of those troublesome electronics). The foundation of the G-Wagon is Extremely Rugged & Reliable. Give us a basic G-Wagon and a reliable diesel engine, and we will drive it for 500,000+ miles. Then we will give it to our kids, and they will drive it for 500,000 more. To answer your question, this is why the pre-MBUSA G-Wagons are worth more... to us
Edited by Braingears 7/8/2006 10:44 PM
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ewalberg
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Past: San Francisco. Present: Germany
Vehicle(s): 2000 g500
Posts: 1887
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Braingears... are you tempting Thai??
Suffice to say none of these vehicles are free to own, so if you plan to pick one up, plan on regular maintenance and fuel costs. Great vehicle. if you read enough you'll find just about everything that can possible go wrong with the truck.... cept for the newest one. But anyway, i really really like these trucks... what i like about them is that they have been around so long you can get technical advice whether it's to do it yourself, or to make sure someone else does it right.
Keep your eye on clubgwagen also. I think the best way to describe it is that for 15k you can get a decent 460, but plan on making it a hobby car because it's better to attend to any issues early on than later. |
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Thai
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: MBUSA vs pre-MBUSA G-Wagons
Braingears - 7/8/2006 9:43 PM
The pre-MBUSA G-Wagons where the last of these perfected G-Wagons before DaimlerChrysler changed to all of the digital electronics and gizmos. Most people also claim that majority of the new parts and interior have become "cheap" and less reliable.
Cough...bullshit...cough. Unfortunately, the 2002-2003 G500s' electrical issues have been the main argument among the pre-MBUSA owners. Is it to make them feel better about spending $135K on their car?? I don't know. But, please note that even Marco, who once had a LEMON 2002 G500 and debated about this very question, is now coming around since buying a 2005 G. I would not hesitate to buy a 2004-up G500. I have no doubt that my 2004 G500 is AS IF NOT MORE RELIABLE than any G-wagens before it. In fact, my service records is probably better than most on this forum with the older G's.
You are basing "worth" of pre-MBUSA G's on what is said on this forum BY PRE-MBUSA owners! How bias can you get?!! It's a damn shame that most used car evaluation programs cannot give a value on early G.
And to boot, i can find parts much easier. I don't have to scramble around. Any TSB or recalls will be easily handled. My electronics all work as advertised. My safety features have worked so far, with the exception of the airbags which i do not want to test anytime soon. 
Edited by Thai 7/9/2006 7:53 AM
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| MBUSA vs pre-MBUSA
No need to get into another pre vs non-pre-MBUSA discussion/argument here. If it continues, I'll lock the thread. Then the OP won't really get his questions answered. |
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ewalberg
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Past: San Francisco. Present: Germany
Vehicle(s): 2000 g500
Posts: 1887
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Oh, also check keiser motors... it seems he might have a couple on hand... but priced a little higher...
http://www.keisermotors.com/inventorytext.cfm
One point worth making is that in this price range you're most likely looking at the 460 series (and there's plenty of people here that would also argue that the 460's are as good as the g-wagens ever got)... as you may notice with these trucks, they're versatility breeds a WIDE variety of owners and what they want/need from the trucks vary accordingly.
i think you need to get over $22k before the 463's start coming into the picture... usually in the high 20k's at least. Cabriolet's tend to pull a premium since they're particularly rare. |
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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3186
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Here is the Club GWagon URL for G's for sale:
http://www.clubgwagen.com/classifieds/ads.php
Mark |
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bwillie
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: G Class pitfalls
In Colorado I have found pricing to be opposite. The pre-2002 have been going for a more reasonable price. I think that in this area most of the people driving them want all of the electronic toys (nav, climate control, etc) so the market for the others has dropped.
If you are mechanically inclined look for a good foundation and do some work yourself. You can find some "fixer up" models for well under $10k that just might need the typical rust spots repairs. All the panels are still available so it is an easy fix.
Good Luck |
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Cam_Man595
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: G Class pitfalls
This is all great information! Thanks. When I go to look at a G Wagon for sale, what should I look out for? What are the worst (most expensive, most difficult) areas to fix? Are there some areas that are easy fixes? Thanks for your input. |
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gwagen460swb
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Vehicle(s): 280GE SWB, Toyota Highlander, BMW530i, RR HSE
Posts: 513
| Re: G Class pitfalls
First and foremost, I highly recommend going to visit the seller and their G in person. It is better to pay $300 or more for a plane ticket to your destination. If the vehicle is not what you are looking for, then you can simply walk away. Your $300 (or whatever you spend for airfare) will be better than any future repairs.
Obviously, the first sign to look for is rust. Some rust might be just surface rust and an easy repair. I have seen other Gs that required $7000 to repair rust--good example are the axles. Axles are not cheap to replace. Ask about the condition of wheel bearings and springs. Look at fuel tank. Fill it all the way full and look for any leaks. Remember, these are metal. A replacement could set you back $1800. There is a place in Pennsylvania that can reseal them for you for $300 (which includes shipping). Make sure your brakes (pads, rotors, hoses) are in working order. You are not only dealing with a 2.5 ton vehicle, but also dealing with your life and perhaps someone elses'. Watch for any electrical glitches. Make sure spark plugs are good and are all firing properly.
Make sure you have a local mechanic who is familiar with the G. In fact, provide them with a copy of your owners manual and repair manual. Do not be afraid to print off opinions from others on this site and share that with your mechanic.
I was very fortunate. I needed my fuel lines and brake hoses overhauled along with a tune-up. This cost me $700. That, believe it or not, was my major. Oh yeah; make sure fuel filter has been replaced. If you have read quite a few topics on this site, you will notice that a bad fuel filter has been the cause of many Gs not starting up. I replaced a 48-month battery (that lasted 51 months) with a 84-month battery: $80. Now I am about to replace the regulator in my alternator. Cost on this one still being determined.
If there is anything I have forgotten, others will chime in. And of course, I will let you know too. Part of the fun in a G is finding your first one. |
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Johann
Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: Centurion, South Africa
Vehicle(s): 1999 LWB 290GDT 1981 SWB 240GD+ Cabrio 2015 G63
Posts: 259
| RE: G Class pitfalls
Good buying advice from GWOA
http://www.gwoa.co.uk/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=172
http://www.gwoa.co.uk/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=171 |
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Ed Mclass
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Vehicle(s): 1958 180a, 2010 GLK, 2000 G 500, 2005 SLK 350
Posts: 1215
| RE: G Class pitfalls
I just sold my '86 280 GE last fall. Take a look on E-Bay. Rust will be the main issue at that price. Also, take a look at www.eurotruck-importers.com. Sean has a couple there. He is just outside Atlanta.  |
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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3186
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Along that line if Sean at Eurotruck importers does not have one that you like he can help you import and find a nice 80-81 model from Europe. (The model year reflects the 25 year no need for DOT or EPA requirements).
Give him a call
Mark
Edited by Inkblotz 7/12/2006 8:20 PM
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gwagen460swb
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Vehicle(s): 280GE SWB, Toyota Highlander, BMW530i, RR HSE
Posts: 513
| Re: G Class pitfalls
Cameron,
It looks like you are not far from locations with available Gs. As far as I know, there is still a beautiful 1987 red LWB 230GE available from Vanessa Cram in Asheville, NC (4.5 hours from you). a lot of folks have been talking highly about the 1990 blue LWB 300GE in Knoxville, TN (3.0 hours from you).
Sounds like the second one will be better for you. A 230GE LWB will be very sluggish. Like I said before, I recommend a 280GE for SWB and a 300GE or 300GD (diesel) for LWB.
Both vehicles and contact information can be found on clubwagen.com. |
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