military surplus g-wagons?
 

Has anybody ever heard of a source for late '70s earlt 80's ex canadian military g-wagons? I'd love a project G-wagon, but it seems that the only ones I ever come across are already fixed up pretty nice. How similiar are the military versions, mechanically, as compared with their civilian counterparts?

thanks,
Jason

The G was not built until February 1979. The Canadian military just got their G's in the last couple of years; so you won't find a 1979 or early 80's or even early 90's Canadian ex-military G.

Lots of German and Norwegian ex-military G's available in Europe; but they'll have to be 1979-1981 for you to be able to legally import it into the US.

The Canucks were still using their 60s vintage soft top/jeep things till 2003 or so.

I guess I'll...
 

just keep looking around until I stumble upon one. Anybody ever convert one of the gas ones to a diesel? Do they make good daily drivers? What are the typical problem areas to look for. I know the 123 sedans get cancer in the trunk, and below the doors. Are parts, including body parts, available? How many questions do I get on a single thread before I'm beaten?

Ah, yes, the ILITIS.

Most of the military G's are diesel.

How do they compare
 

How do they compare with the Hummers used by the US military? Better armor? How do the size of the engines compare? Horsepower? Mileage?

The Canadian military love them. In fact, a friend of mine, who lost both of his legs driving a G in Afghanistan after it was hit by a homicide car bomb attack, credits the G. its build quality and its armament with saving his life. I'd post the photo here, but I've done it before; and the forum software won't allow a photo to be posted a second time.

The US Marine Corps uses them for their Interim Fast Attach Vehicles, and they love 'em. The US Army and their Humvees wish that they had them.

G Wagons
 

I was just trying to make a joke, Dutch. Mainly about complaints by US soldiers about the insufficient armoring of our Hummers. I guess we're not buying Hummers anymore. I heard the military was moving on to some other vehicle.

The only people I've seen in G Wagons so far were rappers, pimps, and other gangstas. Presumably there are some more mainstream Americans driving them somewhere.

I've been driving one since 1984, and probably fit the "mainstream American" demographic. :silly:

One other type of person used to "roll" in one as well - THE POPE! The old "popemobile" was a modified G-Wagen. Good enough for him...well you get the idea.

Mainstream?
 

Well, I really don't consider the Pope very mainstream. I mean, I'm sure he's a nice guy and all.
Perhaps the G Wagons are are more common in areas other than the DC area.

old G sales
 

Got a fair few G`s in stock, What are you after?

would love to get and unassuming military spex 240GD or 300GD. Did you guys see the thread on the diesel forum about the indian guys and the indian spex G-wagons... OM606 turbo...

what do you have, merv?

Sounds just like a movie
 

"Got a fair few G's in stock, what are you after?"

You two sound like the exchange James Dean has in Rebel Without a Cause:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What are you rebelling against?"

James Dean: "What'ya got?"

g-class
 

I have a 1980 280GE, bought from a private seller in OR through the clubgwagen website classifieds. Nice truck, except I had to spend 5-6K getting everything sorted out- only has 27K miles (verified) and things were gummed up. If you don't mind going kind of slow, they are fun to drive- a little tiring, but typical 80s MB quality (like a rock) and unbelievable 4wd capability...far beyond anything I will likely use. No AC but the best ventilation of any car I've owned since I can't recall when....only thing better is a boat with a flying bridge.

One of them Indian guys would be yours truly:)

how 'bout a pix for one that has no clue . . . . .?

Pics and demo video at www.force4x4.com

Awesome site. What would one in the United States expect to pay for something like that, more specifically a fixer-upper?

nice machines. nice web site, thanks.

Thanks for the compliemnt guys, the site is run by another forum member RRNSS who also owns a Judo. Would be fun if it could be imported into US, the price factor would itself mean that it would be an unbeatable bargain. The new ones would be getting the OM611 CRDI instead of OM616 turbo.

Except that the PRICE factor of getting it certified to USDOT and USEPA standards - i.e US legal - would turn it into a very much of a non-bargain.

The price here is around US$13000 apprx, so even if money is added up for necessary certification, not a bad bargain for a MB powertrain, highly competent 4WD with diff locks, PTO etc. Better than the Chinese army 4WD which is being imported into US.

Federalization to US standards will cost US$15,000-US$20,000 and up.

Good point, then its certainly not worth it.

Federalization is very expensive
 

Federalization would cost far more than that. First there is the crash testing. You'd need 1 spare for the successful crash test and 1 spare for each unsuccessful test. Then there are the engineering modifications required to make it pass. Got airbags? No, you need to engineer those in. Seatbelt interlocks? Park interlock? DOT lights? The roof looks very weak. Next, that "Mercedes derived" engine isn't US spec even when MB makes it. Figure $40K just for that step. It goes on and on.

Gwagens in USA
 

Who you want to call is Sean Philyaw at EuroTruck Importers in Oakwood, Georgia. He knows what you can bring into the USA, how to federalize them, etc etc. I bought an illegal one (from someone else, not Sean) and it was the worst mistake I could have made. I now have a legally federalized 280GE and love it. Sean knows every part in these vehicles, has good prices, and will tell you how to fix things etc etc. Great guys.

Is EuroTruck Importers a Registered Importer?

And where are you?

And who are you?

I don't know the "who"; but the "where" is the U.K.

The OM616 turbo passes Euro-III and IV so passing US standards won't be hard, its already exported to Germany and quite a few of them have been sold there and therefore it passes the German laws, also it is TUV certified but it would need a dedicated investor with financial backing to bring it into USA. The roof may look weak but it takes rolls and doesn't collapse, have seen one carrying 15 people take three rolls and all survived.

Hello,

New to the site but have been interested in obtaining a Milspec G for some time. So from the above statement, I can assume that a new, less that 25 y/o G would be importable if it has the above engine? I asking because, I have a chance to go to Lithuania for two years as a Bi-Lateral Officer for the military and was thinking of obtaining a Milspec G while overseas.

It makes no difference whether the engine meets US emission specs. The vehicle has to be homologated for the US market to be legal. The cost involved in homologation is one factor that any vehicle marque uses to decide which models to bring to the North American market.

That means you'll have to use a RI ($$$) per the US DOT website.

Vehicle Importation and Certification Requirements

Isn't there an age at which these things are no longer a problem for importers? If the vehilcle is over 20 years old or something?

Used your link to answer my own question:

Under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(a), a person may not permanently import into the United States a motor vehicle manufactured after the date that an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) takes effect unless the vehicle complies with the standard and is so certified by its original manufacturer. This prohibition applies to both new and used motor vehicles, but does not apply to motor vehicles that are at least 25 years old (based on the date that the vehicle was manufactured).

Hey! I like Christian Rappers! You were saying it like rappers are bad. :rolleyes:
:)

Well, maybe not bad in a moral sense, but rap is a an acquired taste that I haven't acquired. Rapper's I've heard interviewed by Howard Stern actually impressed me much more favorably when I heard how they answered his questions. Never paid much attention to them before that.

Howard Stern! Now there's a taste I've never been able to acquire. The movie was funny, but the radio show is headache provoking.

Different strokes for different folks, as my daddy used to say . . .

You obviously have not looked around very much. I've been driving one since 1984; and I do not fit into any of your three categories. I also have a large group of friends who drive G's and don't fit your profiles either.

I wasn't casting aspersions on anyone, just citing my own experience at the time. Since then I have noticed a lot more of them on the road. Perhaps that is because the location of my office is in a much more affluent neighborhood than my old office was.

Check out EX Military used and new vehicles for sale. UK EX MOD as they have a few left hand drive 1985 G-Wagens for sale.

Diesel powered and pretty bare bones since they are ex-NATO. And you would have to pay to float them across the pond.

Might still be worth looking into, though.

Since the UK never did use the G as a military vehicle with the exception of BRIXMIS in Eastern Germany, you can just about bet that these originally came from Norway or Denmark at a much lower price than this "dealer" will charge.

Right. You have to wonder how the left hand drive versions wound up in England since it's a sure bet they were not sent there to begin with.

I just read an article about the US military having a competition for the next vehicle that will replace the Humvee. In it they mentioned that the Germans had been buying Humvees. I never heard that before. Perhaps they use the Humvee for something different than the G Wagen? Surely the German military buys G Wagens, too?

Yes they do actually. They are all over. I saw my last Wolf (German military G) in March when I was qualifying for the Schutzenschnur.

If anyone has any questions about bringing an older G home let me know as I just did it. I am actually still driving on my military shipping plates...for another few weeks. Mine is an '85 280GE, former Boeblingen Feuerwehr. They actually made models of my G!

Where'd you get yours, James?

I picked it up in Stuttgart. I bought it off another soldier who got it when it was retired from the Boeblingen Feuerwehr. I never found out where the fire station was that it was assigned, but the main station was a block away and visible from my apartment.