Episode 6. Why Choose A G Wagon For Overland Travel?

With all the options and fully capable 4x4’s out there, why would anyone want to go for a 40 year old w460 G class? Hopefully after you watch this video you’ll fall in love like i did with this classic box of a vehicle.

[@landhopper4296]

I wish you well. I’m a W463 owner. You can get the parts but they are expensive, especially brake rotors and pads! Gunther Holtorf did preventative maintenance, kept his top speed down, carried spares and put the spare wheels on the roof. All advisable IMHO. You can see how few mods he made to Otto - no pop up roof for example.

[@VintageGOverland]

I picked up a set or rotors and pads for about $200 USD for the w460, I got them from fourbyfourclub.com! Check them out if you get a chance. They ship really fast and he always answers questions.

[@ianwatson3315]

I had 6 g wagens ..2 I used for competitive off roading. These things are tuff as hell! Never once let me down. You’ll never break a cv or axle shaft either. With th e auto you can pull start it with it in 2nd gear. You drop it in 2nd once you got a roll on and viola. My favourite 4x4 and I’ve had them all, except American 4x4.

[@YangGQ]

Hey! After 20 years of 8 Landrover Series and defenders, Two land cruisers; I am on my 2nd W460 - this time White, LWB, automatic, 300GD 1984. Just building it up! Regards from Malaysia. The 1st 1989 SWB 230GE auto was a London rust bucket and slower than an old snail. This LWB should be better with a new replacement OM603 engine.

[@UlrichWeiss-fp7kz]

Benny on Tour

[@gremlin4359]

Another 300GD LWB here, since 2009 🥰🥰🥰

[@chacker]

Very nice one! And great to see another one roaming the lands how they meant to be. Got a W461 290GD years ago and man, what a fantastic and capable machine it is. Brought me nearly everywhere I wanted. See you somewhere somewhen out there :)

[@Qibilii]

I see you'll pass through my country, Zambia. It'll mostly be a tarmac surface trip here because we have good roads from all corners of the country. Don't forget to visit the largest waterfalls on the planet while here. Cheers!

[@---qr4of]

Greetings from Finland! I and my wife have 1983 w460 gd300. Its fully restore and it is at collection car register with good points. We travel at arctic areas mainly. We plan to drive to China one day at future. You wonder why there is no videos from peoples traveling and using g-wagon offroadv trips? My main reason is that I want drive those routes just me and my wife alone. Not mass of peoples with their 4x4 homes ;)

[@VintageGOverland]

That’s awesome! Certainly no wrong way to do! I know of plenty of travelers that don’t post, for me it’s more of a motivational factor to see other people traveling with the same vehicle I am going to do it with. Like a- they are doing it so maybe I can too- kind of vibe lol it is nice to hear that with your fully restored w460 you aren’t afraid of salty roads! Kiitos!

[@---qr4of]

Yes every ones have theyr like way to do overland :) I try to avoid salty roads. Usually using small paths to drive. @@VintageGOverland

[@leenderdhoutzager9389]

You got the best 4x4 that was ever built, only a Unimog is better but it's in a different league,

[@JKoverland]

Great video guys, look forward to seeing your progress with the G

[@mainamaseeti]

Thanks for posting bro! Lovely car...always wanted my first and only car to be the G! Love the proper engineering, heavy duty build and relative simplicity of the early ones.. Funny enough I find all the pimped out AMG looking ones quite ugly especially the latest version...and that complex front suspension!! Aaaw! Keep posting...and when you start exploring please drop by my place any time...am somewhere in East Africa!!!

[@ChrisL-iw6zp]

Excited to see this build evolve!

[@max4wd]

Hey man:) First of all amazing videos, keep up the great work, really really interested in all of these. I live in Austria and I drive a 1991 W460 230GE Petrol and your dream build is literally identical to mine. OM606 and pop up roof. I am only 21 and learning to do all kinds of mechanical things as this is my first car. I put some money towards partially restoring it by a workshop here but i seem to find rust in all kind of places so i just temporarily fix them. Aventually i want to completely restore it, taking the body off the frame and swapping it to an om606 turbo. I must say these vehicles are incredibly capable and really robust. I take mine offroad atleast once a week in the forest or snow, also travelling in the summertime with a rooftent. I am not a professional but Ive learned some stuff along my past 2 years of ownership. .) My g wagon still as the original Factory PVC undercoating which is kind of shit because it chips away and then moisture goes between the undercoating and body creating big rust issues. I also have a 90 Serien LC where the undebody coating is "Mike Sanders" and "Fluid film" , those are oil/wax/fat based undercoatings, they creep into everywhere and are easy to freshen up and reapply while still staying sort of transparent, letting you see whats going on underneath. .) The main rust spots are rear light housing, all the coilspring brackets, cross members under the boot area, windscreen edges and the internal water drain infront of the firewall (if you look into the front wheel arches going up to the windscreen/ a pillar. .) Definetly make sure the front axle balls are always full of fat and not leaking too much, otherwise replace the seal. I didn,t know this now they got rusty which i will have to fix soon. .) Always grease all the driveshafts and even some bushings have the openings for a fat compressor press. .) Rear diff oil greases the entire axle so make sure thats always nice and filled. .) Dont lift it more than 5cm or 2 inches and dont put on massive tires. You risk raising center of gravity, aspecially together with roof loads. I have 235/85/R16 which is quite a skinny 32" tire. This is also the biggest size that the W460 came out of factory with. Anything bigger together with other offset rims or wheel spacers will wreck wheel bearings after some time offroad .) Koni Raid shocks are absolutely excellent, can only recommend them, stay away from trailmaster that stuff is crap. .) You also have part time 4x4, as soon as you go into SA (4High) you have 50/50 split so dont drive on dry tarmac with this. In snow or really really wet roads ir should be fine but then just drive slower. Also you can change all the 4x4 stuff on the transfer case while driving, no need to stop. I would argue the W460 is together with the 80 serien LC probably the best and most reliablebe 4x4 ever built. Overengineered in almost all areas. Feel free to add me on instagram: max.reisch , would be happy to share what i know and learn from you! Big fan and keep up these videos, really enjoying them sorry for the long comment haha

[@VintageGOverland]

Sounds similar to my experience ass well with rust lol i have a ton more videos coming out about that, all this videography is quite time consuming but fun. Especially when i get comments like this! Australia will be my 3rd country on our expedition so we will definitely need to drive some tracks together lol i would love to do the glass house mountain trail, some Victorian high country trails, tazie tracks and Fraser island. Also the canning stock route, nice to hear some w460’s made it to AU. I’d definitely watch some off-road videos on that!

[@max4wd]

@@VintageGOverland hahah yes but austria not australia haha no kangaroos over here but yeah australia is sick

[@VintageGOverland]

@@max4wd oh man😅 I should have read that more carefully lol please excuse my ignorance, of course I have to visit the birth place of the G!

[@arunavbarua1638]

Awesome video. ❤❤❤❤

[@hornbeck]

love it! I use my W463 almost exclusively off pavement and wouldn't have it any other way

[@Abdullah.Samadi]

I want to do this in my JB74 Suzuki Jimny from Australia

[@VintageGOverland]

Definitely! I would love to see someone do that!

[@Rachel914914]

videos are great, although to short. Intro is to long... With the criticism out of the way, can't wait to see your build and turning it into an overlander. I am looking to do the same with a 2014 W463...

[@VintageGOverland]

Thank you for the feedback, I’m just getting started! It’ll get better I promise lol

[@BenyaminSenkal]

88HP i have a G500 2003 Model m113 for Overlanding the 300GD can drive 1000 km the G500 just 500 km

[@safariautoservice7032]

You forget one 4X4, Nissan Patrol

[@ianwatson3315]

Yes but o had 2 and they rot through bad outside dry climates

[@dauoshibani4289]

Advice visit aljeria and Libya there is the real sahra

[@VintageGOverland]

@dauoshibani4289 Definitely would like to, one of my personal goals for the expedition is to drive on the worlds lowest and highest drivable roads and the lowest road is not far from Libya! Just 2 states away on the Dead Sea highway! The Sahara is on the list as well!