1980 Mercedes-Benz G-Class

300GD SUV

5 - Cyl.

Manual

46033317009635

Diesel

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE You are looking at a very very rare and highly sought after 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300GD Gelandewagen(G-Wagen, G-Class) LWB(long wheel base) 4spd manual with the robust OM617 I-5 3.0L non-turbo diesel engine. As you most likely know, these are one of the most capable vehicles around due to this "W460" chassis' part-time 4wd(meaning it's RWD until you put it into 4WD High or 4WD Low via the fully synchronized VG080 transfer case. When shifting from 2WD to 4WD High, the transfer case lever can really be shifted at any speed even without shifting the tranny into neutral--buttery smooth just like the transmission shift lever and engagement on this truck), low range gearing and 4.88 axles, and front and rear hydraulic differential lockers. They're a military-spec vehicle for the civilian, built in Graz, Austria by Steyr-Daimler-Puch. This is why so many militaries around the globe have chosen this vehicle for their troops--they're incredibly tough, reliable, world class build quality, simple to work on, etc. Classic Mercedes! Regretfully, I am selling this beauty in order to downsize from three vehicles to just one vehicle. It's time for another enthusiast to enjoy it vs it sitting in my garage. My 300GD was federalized into Portland, Oregon in 1981 and has been garaged (I’ve garaged it solely and the 2nd US owner I bought it from, a wealthy Portland lady, had garaged it as well. We estimate that the original US owner garaged it too as he was a well-to-do paper tycoon who must have had the garage space to do so, plus the lack of rust and the fact that the factory Carmine Red paint still looks amazing tells alot about its previous caretaking). So, it's been a native Oregon rig since '81, hence the lack of rust as commonly seen in these trucks. I have the original bill of sale, all of the original federalization paperwork from DOT/NHTSA including pics of the vehicle at the time it was federalized, the original customs invoice when the vehicle came over by boat from Bremerhaven, the NHTSA importation letter from Rena Lee, original paperback owners manuals, stacks of receipts and other paperwork, etc. The truck was ordered from Mercedes-Benz with the very rare factory Rotzler(German made of course) cable winch with NATO-style plugs(this setup is worth about $3000 in its own right, very difficult to find anymore), rear twin barn/ambulance doors, OEM "MB Tex" black square basketweave vinyl upholstery, numerous other custom options, etc. Here are all of the option codes the truck was ordered with, as taken from the VIN #s(46033317009635) data card(keep in mind these are German translations so I have put common English translations in parentheses); A70 DIFFERENTIAL LOCK FRONT AXLE A71 DIFFERENTIAL LOCK REAR AXLE C70 BUMPER IN THE BACK TWO-PIECE E40 TRAILER SOCKET 7 pin E51 SHORT-RANGE INTERFERENCE SUPPRESSION, CLOSE SCREENING (Radio interference suppression for the electrical system. Used primarily in Military, Police and Fire applications where radios were used in the truck) E54 ANTENNA F66 GLOVE COMPARTMENT LOCKABLE G52 ROPE HOIST ROTZLER IN FRONT, ELECTRICAL, LOTS (Rotzler front cable winch) G75 SPEEDOMETER ADAPTER, WAY NUMBER OF REVOLUTIONS RECONCILIATION (Speedometer drive with ratio based upon axle ratio and tire size) H20 HEAT ABSORBING/DAMMING GLASS (Wrap around glass, heat absorbing—ie factory bronze tinted window glass) J33 CLOCK L12 HEADLIGHT HALOGEN L16 FOG HEADLIGHT HALOGEN L18 REAR FOGLIGHT L66 ADDITIONAL INTERIOR LAMP, ABOVE REAR END DOOR M74 RADIATOR GUARD, ENGINE UNDERSHIELD Q53 TRAILER COUPLING, BALL-HEAD TYPE, LOW MOUNTED Q58 TOWING CLUTCH IN FRONT (Front tow-pin bumper. The German word would have been Kupplung, which translates to connection and in automotive use, clutch) R69 SPARE WHEEL CARRIER SWIVEL TYPE, SPARE WHEEL OWNER TILTABLE (Swing out spare tire mount, used with barn doors) S30 DRIVER SEAT HEADREST S32 CO-DRIVER SEAT HEADREST S64 SEAT BENCH SAFETY BELTS U40 SEAT COVER IN SINGLE-COLORED IMITATION LEATHER V18 INTERIOR EQUIPMENT BLACK V22 INTERIOR TRIM, UPGRADED VERSION V34 GRAB HANDLE AND INSTRUMENT PANEL PADDED V47 TRAY WITH HOT-AIR GUIDE (Center tray between the front seats with hot air blowing out the rear of the tray) Y10 FIRST AID BOX Y16 FIRE EXTINGUISHER Y44 WARNING TRIANGLE 3002 Carmine Red color This truck has had the engine professionally rebuilt(112,967mi in '90), transmission replaced(118,128mi in '92), $17k+(yes, not a typo) repair invoice in '07 for full heater system renovation due to a small mouse that made a home in the heater box as well as a host of other repairs and services(heat blows hot!), etc etc. No expense has been spared on this truck!! After I bought it over a year ago, I gave the emblems/lug bolts/wheel center caps/etc the factory Military Black treatment(the steel wheels among other things were re-powdercoated black before I bought it), swapped from amber turn signals and fender side markers to OEM clear(and then had them professionally lightly smoked to tie in with the Military Black theme), general cleaning and detailing, upgraded any hardware I touched to stainless steel, sourced spares of the rear marker and custom rear auxiliary brake lights(what are usually reflectors inset of the taillights were upgraded to a second set of brake lights. These and the rear markers are actually from a Lancia Beta--that's what the Oregon federalization shop found to be the same dimensions as the OEM Mercedes rear reflectors), sourced and replaced missing components like complete OEM Mercedes first aid kit and rear door ashtray, replaced the aging steering shock with a new OEM W463 unit and new OEM W461(military-spec) bracket, changed fluids, bled air from the diff lockers(they work now whereas they didn’t work when I bought the truck due to never being used by the lady I bought it from), etc. I also had my body shop (they restore classic vehicles, many which have made it to Barrett Jackson) take care of any minor surface rust they could find and then repaint factory Carmine Red, POR-15 floor pans, rear insides of barn doors wax coated, rear barn doors adjusted(note in the 4th picture of the back of the truck, this was taken before they adjusted the rear barn doors. They now sit very solid and flush, with even gaps, as they should), battery tray re-coated/repainted, etc etc. The only small surface rust bubble that they didn't take care of is on the driver rear door sill and if I remember correctly, this was because the LR door lock latch got stuck locked at the time due to lack of continual use. This will be an easy spot fix. The base of the pass front windshield had a spot of rust when I bought it but they touched it up the best they could with the windshield glass in(the front windshield was cracked when I bought the truck and was last on my list to fix). This is the most rusted area on the truck. The truck has NONE of the typical frame/chassis rust, no rocker panel rust, no taillight area rust, no headlight area rust, etc. If you know "W460" chassis G-Wagen's, you know this lack of rust is EXTREMELY difficult to find. Full disclosure as I'm an automotive enthusiast and I'd expect the same when buying a vehicle from someone else; the odometer shows 32,992km due to only having 5 numeral spots in the odo, but deduced from the stack of records, the truck appears to have at least 232,992km(139,795mi) on it. I don't know the exact mileage as the odometer was stopped when I bought the truck (the lady I bought it from was just driving the G-Wagen at times in Portland winters so the vehicle seemed to sit much of the year in their garage. The Mercedes specialty repair shop who did all of the work on the truck says that they probably drove the truck, when it was in for service, more than she ever did). I have put less than ~900miles on the truck in the time I have owned it (it sits in my garage alot, with the battery hooked up to a CTEK battery maintainer). The only off-pavement this truck has seen with me has been gravel forest roads (two G-Wagen club events). Knowing the age and disposition of the two previous owners, I doubt they even allowed it on anything but city streets. Speaking about mileage, others have inquired what it gets for fuel mileage. I am not sure in the city, but from one of the events I drove it to, I calculated mpg (using known mileage to/from and totals of my fuel receipts) at ~18-19mpg highway (the terrain included many rolling and steep hills). On the (flat) freeway, the truck will happily cruise at 50-65mph all day long. So mechanically it's very sound, starts right up without issue, drives tight, rides very comfortably and solid as a vault-like G-Wagen should (the only rattle you ever hear once in awhile inside is from the rear doors/tire carrier area when going over jagged bumps in the road like a railroad track. For those times where you'd rather listen to music over the diesel, the Pioneer CD player and f/r speakers provide a clean sound). Besides the odometer function, other mechanical items I've been told the truck needs but I haven't fixed yet; the steel fuel tank had been steam cleaned in the past but it has rust "dust" again (as seen in the inline fuel filter—I’ve been changing these as they start to fill up) so the tank will need to be dropped and treated again, injection pump is minorly leaking diesel and the left/right engine mounts have fatigued(the mounts should be replaced after the injection pump is remedied as the left mount is directly under the pump), engine block heater(added in '89) seems to have a bad element, in-dash clock hasn't worked, Rotzler winch is currently not connected to the battery and also needs the controller, bottom of engine has an oil drip every once in awhile(seems to be pretty common with the old Mercedes). These should all be straightforward fixes. If you are mechanically inclined, you should be able to repair these items yourself, especially if you have the manuals like I do (below).Cosmetically the factory paint shines beautifully, again lack of all the typical rust is what sets this 300GD apart from the rest. Being a 31yr old truck there are small scratches/scuffs here and there, small rock chips, etc--stuff to be expected of an original rig. Again, the front windshield is cracked to the left of the driver line of view but no issues driving it as is until you want to fix it to look perfect, both front foglights work but driver's side had a very minor pinhole crack in the lens when I bought it, a “strand” of the seat material on the driver side left seat bottom had started to come unattached from the rest of the seat material when I bought it(I’ve "mended" it together so it’s holding so far), left rubber headlight surround had a small tear in it when I bought the truck. For those of you who spotted the missing defrost icon "plate" near the HVAC controls, I do have the plate. It fell out and just needs to be glued back in properly. All of the spares I’ve sourced will go with the truck as well as the original Rotzler "Winden" cover, Europa/Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen rear tire cover, 4x4abc(Harald P.)'s W460 G-Wagen ultimate workshop DVD (this includes most W460 owners manuals, workshop manual CD, service collection CD, engine/transmission/transfer case manual CD, workshop supplement CD, axle/driveshaft manual CD, G-Wagen TV ads, etc…a $278 value!).NOTE; If you are not in Oregon and the vehicle will be transported to your location, I will be keeping the rear ("special interest"-registered) license plate and thus be removing it before the vehicle goes on the transport truck. If you are not in Oregon and will be driving the truck home, I will need the rear license plate sent to me when you get to your location. If you are in Oregon and want to register the truck with your own license plate choice other than what is on the truck, I will need the rear license plate sent to me when you get to your location. Thank you. From what I've been told by some of the long-time G-Wagen owners/enthusiasts/restorers on the west and east coasts(and even in Ireland and Germany), one would be VERY VERY hard pressed to find another early 300GD with these options in the same or better condition(ie not rusted out) for the money. It's been really well taken care of for a 31yr old truck!If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Please make any arrangements for any inspections, viewing, financing, etc prior to auction's close as the winning bidder will own the vehicle and be responsible for full payment. Disclaimer; Since this vehicle is over 31yrs old, this vehicle is sold as-is, with no warranties of any kind. Mileage listed is that derived from the odometer and previous service records. Actual mileage is unknown.Shipping; You will be responsible for paying for and arranging your own shipping/transport if you are not local. I am willing to assist the transport company as needed. Payment; Please have your funds in order. If you don't have the money, do NOT bid. I am not a bank and don't give loans or payments. Winning bidder must both contact me within 48hours of auction close and also send me a $1500 non-refundable deposit via paypal within 48hours of auction close. Since my bank holds the vehicle title, the remaining balance will need to arrive at my bank within 5 days of paypal deposit(ie full payment is due within 7 days of auction close). My bank accepts wire transfer or cashiers check. Once payment clears with my bank, they will send you the title and I will release the vehicle to the shipping company. I will NOT release the vehicle until my bank states that your payment has fully cleared with them. I am happy to share more detailed info regarding how quickly payment will clear with them based on payment method and payment delivery method. On Nov-01-11 at 21:19:46 PDT, seller added the following information: 11/1/11 addition; I was just showing the truck to another local G-Wagen enthusiast and I remembered that I had forgotten to note the small dent/ding(overall almost 1" in diameter) in the very front passenger corner of the hood. This was present when I bought the truck and since I keep the truck in my garage, hood propped up with battery maintainer on the battery, I visually forgot about it when typing up the ad. If anyone would like to see a detailed area of this (or anything else), just let me know. On Nov-03-11 at 18:41:42 PDT, seller added the following information: 11/3/11 pm update; Another local G-Wagen enthusiast had a PPI done on the 300GD earlier today. Unfortunately the Mercedes shop accidentally put a small dent(overall a bit smaller than the size of a tennis ball) in the roof, driver side slightly inboard of b-pillar, during the PPI. There's something that hangs down from the ceiling above their drive-on lift. I watched the technician be cognizant about how high he was putting the lift up due to the G's height, but it appears he went up a bit too high. Good news is that it didn't break paint and they told me they're going to fix it and make it right at their expense(a dent removal pro should be able to easily remove it). I am discussing the details with the shop owner tomorrow morning. If anyone needs a picture of this area, I can email you a pic. On Nov-04-11 at 09:37:16 PDT, seller added the following information: 11/4/11 am update; the Mercedes shop is having a professional dent removal company remove the dent today at 2pm, so hopefully by end of day today it will be as if it never happened.