{"id":9597,"date":"2021-05-20T07:08:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T07:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=9597"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:17:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:17:53","slug":"1985-mercedes-benz-g-wagen-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1985-mercedes-benz-g-wagen-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1985 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen – Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Mercedes-Benz G Class<\/a>, or G Wagen as many know it, has become something of a caricature of itself these days. Sure, it\u2019s laden with tech and you can get bonkers-fast AMG versions, but they sort of miss the point. The G Class was, when it was offered to the public, a machine to traverse the un-traversable. It was an answer to the Land Rovers, the Land Cruisers and the other 4×4 offerings of the world. It was a brave new foray for Mercedes-Benz. Sure, it had the experience of the muddy stuff with agricultural and commercial machinery like the Unimog. But would the same people who walked into dealerships for an S Class be tempted by the G? Yes, as it happened. Very much yes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The G Class had military roots (it was actually a suggestion from the Shah of Iran, who was a significant shareholder in Mercedes-Benz at the time) but it seemingly had unlimited civilian appeal. Customers loved the rugged, boxy lines, they loved that it was a serious off-roader and they loved that, above all, it was a Mercedes-Benz. Bosses at Range Rover looked on nervously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"G<\/a><\/p>\n

While the G Wagen, as everyone calls it now, is perhaps a bit silly with a \u201821\u2019 plate on it, there is no denying that the old school is still very, very cool. Buy a new one (for the price of a small house) and people will probably laugh. Buy an old one, though, and you\u2019ll be the king or queen of cool. A timeless design, the original without question is the best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

It might be a bit clich\u00e9 to say, but this is a proper \u2018once in a lifetime’ kind of car. Currently, with top-notch Mercedes-Benz specialists, Edward Hall, this 1985 W460 G Wagen<\/a> is a one owner from new car. No, really. It was a demonstrator for Woking Motors of Walton-on-Thames before being sold to the people who would have it until recently. It still wears the original dealer plates, and the keys even retain the \u2018demonstrator\u2019 tag.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"G<\/a><\/p>\n

A 230GE, it\u2019s fitted with a 2,299cc inline-four petrol engine with 125bhp (well, sort of – we\u2019ll get to that). It has a manual five-speed transmission, too. It\u2019s covered 119k over the course of its life and is completely, other than the obvious consumables, original. No gaudy \u2018rims\u2019, no stick-on chrome, no tacky AMG badges. This is pure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it a project?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Well, here\u2019s the thing. Yes, this W460 G Wagen has indeed only had one owner. However, it hasn\u2019t been on the road for, ahem, twenty years. That is of course, somewhat problematic. The biggest issue lies with the M115 engine, which seems to be locked solid. Bad times. More bad news can be found at the back, where rust has crept in under the rear light units (a common G Wagen problem). There\u2019s also a hole in the driver\u2019s seat, but in the grand scheme, that\u2019s nothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be put off though. The team at Edward Hall say the car is actually remarkably solid. It\u2019s never been welded, it has never had any paintwork, there is no evidence of accident damage. It is, in many respects, quite remarkable. It just doesn\u2019t, you know, work. But don\u2019t be disheartened. The M115 is a common lump, so sourcing a new one will be simple enough. As for everything else – and there is a lot, as every hose, bush, rubber and seal will need changing – parts availability is surprisingly good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"G<\/a><\/p>\n

It needs a lot, make no mistake. But it\u2019s all mechanical. Other than the rust under the lights and the hole in the seat, there doesn\u2019t seem to be anything visually wrong with it. So, buy all seals and rubbers and so on, inspect the engine, replace it if needs be. New tyres, new brakes, refurbish the suspension, inspect the transmission, new clutch while you\u2019re there, new exhaust\u2026 okay, yeah, it\u2019s a lot of work. But at the end of it, you will have one of the most desirable cars on the planet. One there is always, <\/span>always<\/span><\/i> a hungry market for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five things to look for:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Rust<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We trust the guys at Edward Hall implicitly, but it never hurts to have a look underneath it yourself. They\u2019ll probably put it on a ramp for you to have a look at. That way, you can make sure there is nothing that scares you.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Electrics<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Two decades is a long time for a car to sit. In that time, have any critters been at the wiring? Has it dried out and is it falling apart?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Engine<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If Edward Hall says it\u2019s locked up, then you can be sure it has. But still, have a look. What can be salvaged and reused? Whip a plug out and get a camera down the bore? How bad is it? Locked up doesn\u2019t mean scrap. You might be able to rebuild it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"G<\/a><\/p>\n

4) Interior<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The hardest thing to find is going to be interior trim. It all looks good – bar the driver seat – and as such, can hopefully be saved. But have a close look to check the condition. Twenty years is a long time, and rubber and fabric can degrade in that time, and metal components can corrode.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Paperwork<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If it\u2019s had just the one owner, the paperwork should make for interesting reading. It never hurts to have a look through in order to learn more about the hows and whens of a classic like this.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"G<\/a><\/p>\n

What should you do with it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s too original to mess about with, so the only way to go is down the road of restoration. No matter what you want to do, a mechanical overhaul is a must. So that will be your first port of call. But here\u2019s where this project is different from the others – it\u2019s with a specialist. The team at Edward Hall may well, for a cost of course, be willing to do the work for you. And given that they\u2019re experts in such matters, there\u2019s no firm better suited. Spend a bit more than the asking price, and at the bare minimum get them to restore it to running condition, then bring it home as a running, driving car and do the rest – brakes, wheels, suspension, trim etc – yourself at your leisure. And at the end of it, you\u2019ll have a unicorn – an original, never painted, unmodified G Class<\/a>. Swish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Need more choice? Take a look at the current selection of Mercedes G Wagons for sale<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Mercedes-Benz G Class, or G Wagen as many know it, has become something of a caricature of itself these days. Sure, it\u2019s laden with tech and you can get…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":9598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[272,15,110,963,13,11,2899,2360,105,2900,14,325,108,16,2901],"yoast_head":"\n1985 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The G Wagen from Mercedes-Benz is an automotive legend, which is why this incredible one-owner example is well worthy of your attention.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1985-mercedes-benz-g-wagen-project-profile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1985 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen - 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