Fully restored and ready to run with over £10,000 recently spent on parts and labour
OM366 engine, mechanics, and drivetrain running strong and smooth
Only 13,522 kms from new
The Appeal
The Unimog; a German-made brute engineered with original intention to service the agriculture industry; it is now commonly seen servicing a wide range of industries due to its highly successful design. This success is thanks in part to its robust 4x4 system and flexible ladder frame, high ground clearance thanks to its portal axles, and plethora of functional accessories. It is not uncommon to see Unimogs repurposed and easily implemented as military vehicles, fire fighters, construction rigs, snowploughs, and expedition campers. They even found great success in offroad racing, having won the truck class of the Dakar Rally in 1982 and 1986, just a few years before this particular one was manufactured in 1987.
The Unimog for sale here is a robustly restored example of a mid-to-late ‘80s U1300L. The L in the name references the fact that it’s the long-wheelbase, version. Being a 1987 model, it comes equipped with the OM366 Turbo engine, offering a bit more power over the previous engines supplied. On top of that, it’s been comprehensively restored just last year, and is completely ready as the perfect base for whatever project you might want to begin. From and offroad go-anywhere camper to a heavy-duty farm hand, this one is ready to get down to business. nzz2SyMX97kqAwwoYY2gkLhDZVPv5CCoTHYcmN0H.jpg636.08 KB
The History and Paperwork
UK registered as agricultural vehicle in 2022
Comprehensively restored by current owner
Engine, gearbox, brakes, and hydraulics fully serviced in 2022 with invoices for parts
Electrics fully checked in 2022
This U1300L was first registered in 2022 by its current owner, who had full intention to convert this into the ultimate camper. However, priorities have changed and other projects have taken precedence, as they do. With the truck fully restored and ready to run, the current owner wants to pass it on to someone who can enjoy the vehicle in whatever way they please. Currently registered as an agricultural vehicle, it will need to pass through MOT in order to be registered on the road. Just a heads up, this may require some modification for roadworthiness before doing so.
With this in mind, the current owner has had the vehicle comprehensively restored in order to return it to a reliable and ready condition. Invoices for all parts of the restoration come along with the sale. From the engine and gearbox, brakes and hydraulics, to the electronics and interior bits; this Unimog is in a mechanically sound and fully functional state.
New seats fitted, excellent red colour suits the cab
Owner states all buttons and gauges function as they should
Extremely clean and tidy cab
Interior trim in great condition, with replaced door cards, window winder, rear view mirror, and floor mats, indicator stalk, and various switches and knobs
The interior is in an extremely good state considering the age and intended use of this vehicle. We saw no signs of the years of dirt and dust these trucks are usually exposed to. Instead, we’re presented with a beautiful gloss black dash, green colour matched door cards, and bright vibrant gauges and instruments. While there are some bits which could be replaced such as the steering wheel centre cap, the blue fold-down button protector, and the top portion of the heater controls, we find these issues to just add character to the truck as opposed to take away from it.
Starting with the seats; they look brand new and are of a robust design which will likely lend itself to continued use for many years to come. They’re fitted in an excellently chosen colour of bright red, which matches the styling of the rest of the interior perfectly. Floorboards are all intact and sealed, and quite clean. The rubber protective floor mats are in good condition as well as they’ve been recently replaced with great condition used parts.
The dashboard is in a great and functional state as well, with the owner reporting no known issues with any gauges or any functionality problems at all. The instrument cluster does suffer from some cracking of the clear elements and a slight haziness, but the gauges are perfectly legible, and the colours still show vibrantly. The headlining and roof is in amazing condition as well, with its overhead turret bay door held tightly in position and in good overall functioning condition. As mentioned, the steering wheel itself is in good condition, but the centre cap shows some age with some cracking; still overall acceptable condition showing some character.
Overall tidy exterior with some signs of non-structural corrosion
The paintwork is in order, a dark NATO style green, with some signs of use present
Wheels and tires in excellent condition with no signs of damage
Underside and accessories in used-but-ideal condition for the age
While she’s no full-shine show queen, this ‘Mog is in such a state that mud and dirt actually accentuates the overall look. That’s not to say it’s dirty at all, in fact for an off-roader it was considerably clean all over when we shot it. We just mean that with its current patina, there’s no worrying about whether or not to push through the grit to get where you need to. Its exterior is in perfectly fine condition and with paintwork that looks and feels quite tough and resilient. There’s a few chips here and there and some corrosion present, but it doesn’t really detract from the look, feel or function of the vehicle.
Looking at the pictures, you’ll notice some commonly found big working truck issues with the paintwork, as well as some patches of areas that have been repainted, which are visually noticeable in the rear-facing bits of the bed, as well as the sides and rear of the tailgate. But, if you’re going to build a camper, likely the whole bed will be replaced anyways; and there’s no structural damage that is apparent.
The trim is in expected condition for the age. There’s some cracking and signs of age, but the current owner has not reported any leaking or issues with sealing. Glass is in good condition, with some of the light lenses being replaced with better-quality used stock purchased during the restoration.
Wheels and tires are in good shape as well, without any real noticeable marks or damage to the wheels, and plenty of tread left on the gigantic 335/80/20 Michelin X knobby tires.
The underside of the vehicle is in excellent shape as well, with no visible signs of corrosion and everything having been painted during the restoration process. It’s ready to hit the trails or get to work on the farm.
Engine, gearbox, brakes, and hydraulics fully serviced in 2022 with invoices for parts
Electrics fully checked in 2022
Owner states vehicle performs flawlessly
6.0L turbo diesel OM366 engine in excellent condition
Engine bay nice and tidy
While we weren’t able to see the vehicle on the road due to its registration status, size, and the surrounding urban area being quite compact, we did hear it fire right up and move around a bit for the photos. The vehicle sounds just as you would expect; seemingly powerful enough to tow a freight train. With excitement, we watched as the vehicle was easily maneuvered about in the small yard, with no strain or stress from the driver. The only complaint was the turning radius was a bit small based on the large tires and overall vehicle size.
Equipped with eight forward gears and eight reverse gears, this Unimog employs two crawler gears beneath the usual 1-6 gears. In addition to that it’s equipped with the Werner winch, which we’re told is capable of pulling tree stumps, roots and all, directly from the earth.
The owner states the vehicle starts, stops, accelerates, handles, and articulates as well or better than to be expected for the age of the vehicle. The owner states that with most bits having been recently serviced, there’s no known issues with the truck that need to be dealt with, and everything that had needed to be sorted was sorted during the restoration and preparation last year.
With the truck having already been through, this is the ultimate opportunity to pick up a well-running vintage Unimog which is generally standard and a perfect ‘Clean slate’ for your next project. As stated, its owner bought it to fully convert into a full-fledged go-anywhere offroad camper. While we agree that this would be an absolutely excellent way to bring the truck forward, as stated earlier, there are a plethora of other directions it could be brought towards; likely to be successful in any scenario you could dream up. Or, it could be left exactly as it is and used in a heavy-duty capacity around the farm or just about anywhere else.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
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