performance?
I currently have a turbo diesel defender. I want something a little more civilised, with a bit more grunt. I favour a short wheel base and my only options are either japanese (yuck) or another defender but i don't want another as it is slow and noisy on long journeys.
I am looking for a 280G. I understand that this has 150bhp, but what sort of driving expeirience can i expect on road (i know excellent off the road) and what sort of acceleration/ top speed i will get. I have been looking in spain for a while but can't find one so this summer i am taking my money and going to germany.
Looking at posts on this site i understand that a landrover diesel is quicker but can anything be done for diesels to get more go. on landrovers we tweek fuel pumps, put big intercoolers and up boost pressures. can a five pot merc engine take this?
Unfortunatly i cant do an engine swap out here because there is a horrendous amount of cost and paper work involved in getting it made legal.
if any one has a swb g in left hand drive, pre 1990 let me know.
We have a keen Spanish G wagen owner on this board who will comment I'm sure. I would suggest a diesel for economy and a LHD is best bought from Germany not UK. The petrols do have a thirst if you intend driving often or far. The 5 cyl. diesel can be turboed but it is not a small nor cheap job. The 1996 diesels were turboed in the factory and are great but cost plenty.
Ian,
As with everything in life, it all depends on how much cash you want to spend.
I don't think that it makes sense to import a 460 from Germany. You have to allow for the trip costs out and return and then on the importation costs -registration tax included. And then 460s are cheap locally anyway. You just have to find them.
With prices for a decent, early 463 around the € 12,000, it is perhaps better to buy a 300 GE and just live with the fuel bills -it's only noticeable drawback.
Or perhaps you'd prefer to buy locally and save yourself the paperwork hassle. Like this very clean but expensive example for sale by a friend of mine:
In any event, if you want to meet the G-Wagen contingent is Spain, you'd better register in this website:
http://www.g-aventura.com/index.php
If you want to see Gs for sale, contact Carlos Acosta (the G-Wagen specialist in Spain) http://www.csap2000.com/
By the way, whereabouts are you based?
Cheers
Ian,
You should be able to find a very decent 280 GE within your budget. There is a big imbalance between diesel- and petrol powered cars in Spain due to the difference in fuel cost. For usage as "a toy" I wouldn't consider a diesel in Spain -not at those prices- but do not discount them on the grounds that they are "underpowered". They obviously are -on the motorway- but anywhere else they are very pleasant to drive and off the road they are unbeatable.
Regarding buying in Germany, by the time you have imported and registered the truck in Spain you'd have paid about the same as if you'd bought inside Spain and that without the hassle.
The 280 GE has slightly better performace than the 3.5 RR of the early eighties and only falls behind when the RR got fuel injection and a 3.9 litre engine. It has definitely much better handling than an early RR and it is so much better built. I am sure that all your Rover mates will claim that the RR is better off the road but I am tired of trying to refute such comments.
In any event, I suggest that you contact Carlos because I know that you will end up contacting him anyway. You see, there are about 500 Gs in Spain and Carlos has repaired and/or serviced about 300 of them, so you may well end up having to ask him for advice at a later stage. He always knows of somebody selling.
And by the way... I notice a hint of arrogance in your reply. You see, we in this forum invest a lot of time and effort in trying to be helpful and don't like when people do not appreciate it so perhaps next time we will not be that helpful. Your choice.
Regards,
jesus, jesus do i scent a few feathers being ruffled there when he mentioned 'RR' in the same sentence as a proper 4x4. I too have monitored this site for some while before i became a member, and i can tell you that there is a lot of good advice given freely by people who are passionate about the G. I am too, i have used them all day, every day for 23 years, alongside unimogs, so i have a little knowledge of them.
i am relocating to Spain soon, in the malaga province and will be actively in the market for a good lhd G, i would be interested in the price and spec of that one you so beautifully put on the forum.
Cheers, Mike Walker.
My apologies for anything said that you may have taken as being arrogant. I am going to Madrid on business at the end of March so will try to see Carlos in person when I am there. I was offered a British plated RHD 1992 G this morning interesting thing was that it was a 2.5 turbo diesel. I didn't think there was a 2.5 turbo in the line up, but the bloke was adamant, i havn't been to see the vehicle as it is rhd, english paltes and in spain which is a nightmare to transfer, but he only wants 4500euros for it. Sounds dodgy?
Areyou sure it is a 1992 not 1982?
There was not a 2.5L turbo offered at the factory. If it is a 1992(463) then its had either a new engine or turbo installed on the factory engine. There was a 2.5L diesel (nonturbo)factory fitted.
Either way the price sounds awfuly cheap for a 463 unless its a dog, stolen recovered type thing.
If its RHD then UK is the place to leave it.
Ian,
Apologies accepted. Let Carlos know that I sent you. He'll treat you well. Try also G-Aventura: http://www.g-aventura.com/index.php? It's only been around for about a month and it's already got 92 members and growing.
If that truck is indeed a 463 from 1992, it can only be one of two things: it's either a RHD truck (only versions sold in RHD were either the 300 GE or 300 GD) which has been retrofitted with a OM602 Turbo engine -as fitted to the W124 E-class saloon series sold in the continent in LHD guise- or it was formerly a 250 GD LHD later converted to RHD and fitted with a turbo. Either way, the fitment of a Mercedes turbo diesel engine into a RHD G-Wagen is a difficult proposition, because the steering interferes with the turbo and/or inlet- and exhaust manifolds. This is also the reason why the above-mentioned W124 E250 Turbo and E300 Turbo and the G350 Turbo and G300 Turbo were never produced in RHD.
I suggest that you obtain the complete VIN of the truck that you have been offered so that we can find out what exactly was that when it left (if it ever did) the Graz factory.
Regards,
Ian,
I have to agree 100% with Jesus! If the vendor has nothing to hide, he shouldn't have any problem giving you the VIN and engine number as they are on the registration document. You can then do a hpi check and also list here at which point we can give you further info as to what engine the vehicle should have and/or currently has...
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I am in malaga province. I have been looking for about a year for a G in spain and have only found beaten, rough diesel G's with more miles than starship enterprise and these they are asking 3-4000 euros for and they are in madrid (opposite end of country). My absolute top budget is 7500euros. I am not worried about economy as the G will be a toy.
I have been looking a lot on www.mobile.de which is german based and for around 5k i appears i can get something quite sound. in addition a german friend tells me that the prices of second hand 4x4's in germany will fall because of changes in the taxation class of these vehicles.
Any how nobody answered my real question! what sort of performance can i expect from a 2.8 petrol G is it as civilised as a Range Rover of the same era with comparable performance? I feel that the diesels are very underpowered compared with my defender so am not considering one unless i can get more go from it.