Why the G-Wagon

We have a couple of older convertibles, a 1967 MBG for me and a 1984 280SL that ex-wife abandoned. I have no trouble driving either of these cars just about anywhere, the thing is, I live in Park City. Yes, the ski town, 350 inches of snow a year. Driving a 1967 MG on a salted road is like putting a sugar cube in hot coffee. The body will just start dissolving from rust. This means I need a winter car.

Ruby and Beauty

When I was looking for the R107 280 SL, I kept running across this thing called a 280GE. It was this very cool jeep-looking 4x4 designed and sold by Mercedes-Benz. They still sell these beasts, but they cost over $100K. The older ones were coming up for anywhere from 7K-20K depending on the shape of the car. 

I also kept seeing the G-Wagon mentioned when doing research on the R107. They kept saying the W460 was the second longest manufacturing run of any MB model except the G-Wagon. The more I looked into the W460 G-Wagon, the more I liked the idea of using one for a winter "beater" car. 

I started looking for a manual 5-speed, short wheelbase, 280 (dual overhead cam 6 cyl M110 engine) because it is basically the same engine I already had in the 280SL. I have really come to appreciate the M110 as a high revving, powerful, great sounding, bulletproof, fuel injected straight 6. Turns out, that was no easy task. MB never sold the W460 in the states and the 280GE is almost impossible to find in anything other than an automatic 4-speed. I did find a 280GE that had an OM617A Turbo engine in it. That is intriguing, a 5 cylinder, turbocharged diesel - humm. The OM617A and non-turbo OM617 both have an almost cult following as a rugged diesel that has been retrofitted into everything from Jeeps to generators. My tractor has a diesel that I have been maintaining for 5 years, but it is loud. 

On the example I found, the exterior body had been repainted, but the interior was a mess. Also whoever did the electrical work, needed a serious course in how to run wires and connect wires. 

It appears that car was imported into Georgia as a 280GE, painted camo and used as a hunting car. It was rescued from the torment of a bad paint job by a 4x4 enthusiast in Oregon who did an excellent job updating the body, installed the OM617A turbo and used it part time to hit the trails in the Pacific Northwest. 

Over the next few months, I'll share the journey I'm taking with this most iconic 4x4, and show how I brought the interior to the point where I could use it as my primary winter transportation in the mountains of Park City, UT. Stay tuned - the journey begins.