Would someone in Vancouver B.C. check out a 300GD?
 

I have a friend that is interested in a 85 300GD, a G-wagon, but it's in Vancouver B.C. Are there any members here that might be interested in check it out for him?

I'll do it if he'll fly me from SJC to check it for him :)

Sixto
87 300D

I'm sure he'd be up for that!:P But it's probably be cheaper to fly me up there. I'm a little closer:D

Here is the rig he's drooling over.
1985 Mercedes 300GD 3.0L not turbo diesel 5Cyl. 5 speed manual 4WD

Two livers by the driver seat???

I was up there a few years ago and drooled over a G290.

Sixto
87 300D

I like it too. It's not cheap but the claim is low mileage. Those things tend to rust so I'd want to look at it closely.

You could probably sell the livers on the black market if they are still functioning.

is this it
 

1985 Mercedes 300GD 3.0 L not turbo diesel 5 Speed 4 WD $14300

It has been for sale for a long time, many months now & he has only dropped the price $200 over that time. I conclude it may be in Ok condition but not selling because it is overpriced by about 4K. If you have been in contact with the owner shoot me the info, gist of the conversation and I will try the stealth approach , to see if the story they give is consistent. I was considering one of these last summer but decided on a Landcruiser instead. Let me know Cheers Dan

SUPER***** trying toget this back across the north border.

he probably has 2 pet dogs :P

I wanted to say thanks for the offers to help. Now I just need to figure out the intricacies of importing in a 25yr or older car into the states.

Cheers,
Matt

Someone posted directions for bringing cars from Canada into the US. Maybe Hunter can help you find that post.

I work in Richmond, so does Bens lover. We could check it out for you if you wish. This week isn't good for me, but next week is fine. Let me know. Personally I think the price is high, but then, I don't know much about the value of these things.

Instead of a G, I got myself an 87 Landcruiser, diesel, 5-sp. Lots of rust :-)

I live in central BC and thought long and hard about making the trip to look at this vehicle. However the price in my view is over the top by quite a bit. These babies have quite a propensity for rust, especially around the rear end.

There was a fully restored GD on eBay a couple of months ago that had a rebuilt turbo 617 engine installed. New brake lines, suspension components, new seats, the works. As I recall the buy it now price was about the same as this one.

I am looking for a 4WD of some kind to handle the forest roads here over time and I think I can get something for a lot less than this one.

Emotionally this is incredibly tempting but I can't justify the price given the truck load of parts that any 25 yr old vehicle is going to need.

If you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend you call a customs broker to handle the paperwork and advise you on how to proceed.

Either that or pony up the additional $$$ for the car to be transported down to the U.S. by a carrier that runs its own customs clearances (brokerage). Carriers seem to get far, far less hassle from the border guards (both sides of the border) than do individuals.

I have imported at least seven cars from the US, five myself and two where I paid the extra for the carrier to do it. Four of the five times I did it myself there was some hitch (border guard attitude, pickiness about the title docs, screwups by the broker I had hired, etc.). Never a peep when I let the carrier do the paper (and those cars had the shakiest paper of all the ones I bought).

The most important thing you will need to verify is that there is NO LIEN on the vehicle. I have no idea how they do that in BC, it's a province-by-province matter.

Good luck with it.

IMHO I strongly recommend driving a NA diesel G wagon before buying.

They are around town vehicles, 50-60 is about all they are good for, and getting their is leisurely. Also most don't have AC. Throw on say an 1k pound trailer with an ATV or sled, fill with 3-4 people and gear for a weekend, and head up into the mountains... and your going to be flooring it in 2nd or 3rd gear the whole way at 40mph. Not my idea of fun. OTOH a M119/M113 powered G wagon will cruise at 80mph under such conditions all day long with ease.

IMHO a turbo charged 606 would probably be about the only diesel engine in a G that would be OK in normal traffic. Smaller engines are fine for 3rd world countries with bad roads where you can't really go fast anyway, but we live in the US with 70-80 mph freeways and lots of traffic. IMHO I think the smallest motor in a 4 door G that would be acceptable would be a 606 or M104. Ideally they really need a V8. Sadly there is no way to get the G420CDI version in this country, that really would be the model to get. The plus side at least with the motors we can get here is that the diesel has to work so hard to lug it around compared to a V8 is that your mileage difference is negligible, more so when you factor in the cost of diesel. A gas G500 at 14mpg is actually cheaper to run than a diesel G getting 18-19.


Also old G's like to rust out, get it up on a lift and poke around!