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nvkulk
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Looking at a 280GE 1985
Hello,
I am looking at a 280GE LWB and found a few things with the vehicle. The truck cosmetically is in excellent shape, black with mbtex beige, jumper seats sunroof . drive wells too
this is what i found
1) the car has a little bubbling by the spare tire (on the door) about 2 inches wide by 4 in long
2) the rear passenger brake heats up alot as if it is binding. When i drove the truck the rear steel passenger wheel was hot to the touch
3) the front driveshaft has to be replaced.
4) speedo does not work.
5) windows are power and come down okay ( gravity helps) but take forever to go up ( all four).
the owner invested 20000 into the car over the years (he's the 2nd owner) shocks h20 pump radiator, exhaust system, fuel tank and pump all in the last few years. He has an extra set of alloys (4) with excellent tires.
and lots of maintence parts
6) car has 116000 miles and seller wants $ 10000USD
I am having the truck checked out by a competent mechanic to find anything else with the vehicle
I have owned and still do own mostly BMWs but I am a liitle familar with MBs
I am located in Virginia.
Thanks for your time. Hope to contribute to the forum in the zukunft.
Nik  |
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Merz-Ben
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2006
Location: Floyds Knobs, IN 47119
Vehicle(s): 230G, U1200, U1250 DoKa, U1300L, U1500, U1700, 416
Posts: 377
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
Hi nvkulk, welcome to the forum.
1. If the only rust on the G is on the back door, then you are lucky, these trucks are prone to rust. Any competent body shop should be able to repair the rust on the door.
2. If the passenger rear brake heats up, it either has a sticking e-brake cable, broken return spring inside the drum, or a bad wheel cylinder. None of these things are really expensive to fix, just takes time and a little know how (your mechanic will probably be able to tell you a little more when you get it checked over.)
3. First off, has the G been driven with the front shaft removed? If so, BEWARE! The oil pump in the transfer case is driven off that shaft and if the G has been driven any distance at all there will be transfer case damage (how severe, who knows, but the life of the case will be severly shortened). T-cases run from $2K-5K depending on milage, wether it has been rebuilt, ect. (G's can be operated without the front driveshaft, but you must keep the t-case in 4High all of the time, and most people don't realize this.)
Front driveshafts are expensive on these things too, some where in the neighborhood of $1200 if I remember right. Check and see if the driveshaft has removable U-joints (they will have c-clips holding the bearing cups in the u-joint), if so, then you should be able to have a competent driveshaft shop replace the joints and rebalance it. This will save you big $.
4. The speedo is driven off of the front driveshaft, so if it is not in place, then that is why the speedo doesn't work. If the driveshaft is in place then it could be anything between the t-case and the speedo, but it is able driven, so it is not rocket science to fix it.
5. Sounds like the window motors are getting weak, age will do that. I have seen some starter repairers who will repair/rebuild the motors and then they work like new and sometimes the brushes can be cleaned, but the motors are fairly expensive if you have to replace them.
6. If the G is clean $10,000 is a good price, but keep in mind the caution about the front driveshaft and transfer case. If the shaft has been in place and just has a vibration, then I wouldn't be that concerned about the T-case, but if it was taken out, again, Beware.
Cheers,
Ben
Edited by Merz-Ben 3/11/2007 10:48 AM
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
I agree with all of the above, sounds pretty decent. The only thing I have to add is that I would RUN not walk away from a 460 G that had been run without the front driveshaft in place. As mentioned the replacement t-case is painfully expensive, and difficult to source in the US. |
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4x4abc
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
Vehicle(s): 02 G500
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
why not post the source of the car - we might know the history and/or owner. This group is amazing.
Serial number and images help even more. |
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nvkulk
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
okay, the owner is the 2nd owner and has put 15000 mile only in the last 10 years. He has another 83 300Gd factory turbo with 43,ooo miles as well. He's an avid car nut and maintains the vehicles well.
Now the car has driven maybe 50 miles without the front driveshaft. what would be the symptoms of a dying transfer case and how would it "feel"?
This is in 4x2
I price out a new driveshaft from a place in portland ( driveline) and they quoted 700 for a new shaft with 50K /5 yr warranty. I would send it the old shaft to them
They are actually familiar with the G wagen and have done rear shafts for some of these vehicles
Also are the window motors the same from MB's of that same vintage> i can get one from a good MB wrecker if needed?
The mechanic who knows g wagens will go over the vehicle witha fine tooth comb and get back to me.
again thanks for the info.
Nik
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nvkulk
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
i had the vin but can't find it right now. Eurotruck knows the truck as well as the owner and the mechanic. mechanics name is Larry.
i have no pics sorry
Nik |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
Are you SURE it has only gone 50 miles? At what speed? An hour on the highway with no lube to the t-case spells doomsday to me. I can see you are enamored with the car but this is an enormous risk, is it really one you want to take? There are other G's and believe me once you buy it, you are stuck with it. These cars are difficult to re-sell, much more so than anything you have likely owned before.
I also seriously question anybody who has a "factory" turbo 300GD, since such a thing did NOT come from the factory. It certainly could be a MB TD transplant, there are a few of those around but never as a factory job.
If it were me, I would continue to look, or ask for an iron clad t-case warranty  |
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Merz-Ben
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2006
Location: Floyds Knobs, IN 47119
Vehicle(s): 230G, U1200, U1250 DoKa, U1300L, U1500, U1700, 416
Posts: 377
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
I agree with Brent on this one. The transfer case won't likely show any signs this early of failure, but think about it, would you buy a car with an engine that had been driven "only" 50 miles with no oil in the engine? If it were me, and I was still interested in the truck, I would ask Eurotruck or another G shop for a quote on rebuilding the transfer case, and use it as a negotiating tool on the purchase. I would then pull the transfer case after purchase and have it rebuilt... it is the only way to know for sure.
Cheers,
Ben |
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Adoni
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Vehicle(s): '00 G500, '15 C300 4Matic, '06 L322 G4
Posts: 1283
| Re: Looking at a 280GE 1985
$20k in repairs? I mean, I know repairs and parts are expensive, but if you gave me $20k to dump into my truck...well I'd have a pretty new truck. I mean for that much, I could probably put in a new or rebuilt motor, t-case, tranny, a/c, rewire, recover seats, brakes (drums & discs), rotors, c/v's etc... |
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DesertStar
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: San Diego, CA USA
Vehicle(s): 85-280GE/95-G320/08-G500
Posts: 2156
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
Nvkulk, please dont take anything we or I say as trying to 'rain on your parade'. We are talking of OUR experiences and we hate to see anyone make the same ones we or I did. I remember seeing a black G for sale a few years ago in Florida( I think) and remember it had no front driveshaft....whether it is the same one or not is another story. I bought mine last year which supposed had a good maintenance history by which it did have a history but some of the work I felt was not the best quality and now I am having to redo a lot of the things that when I bought it thought I woudnt have to touch...ie the motor !!. Be open minded as there seems to be quite a few coming on the market now than there was a few years ago. I think for some the growing fuel prices are some of the reason. Nothing is worse than buyers remorse and/or finding the G of your dreams after you are already commited on one that may need a lot of work.
Mike |
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nvkulk
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
Wow i am depressed...
I had a 230Ge looked at by by mechanic and 1 of the cylinder is running really low compression on a engine that was rebuild 6 months ago. Car is on clubwagen in MD for 15000 dollars. Also there were shocks that were leaking and various seals ( ATF , tranfer case, etc) that were leaking. So that truck is a no go.
The 280 i've been yakking about is a car here in VA , 2nd owner for 10 years and over the years has had 20 k in repairs ( exhaust ,shocks fuel tank, fuel pump and hoses, most of the interior, radiator ,h20 pump, t stat, stereo system (mb quarts et al) etc.
i am going to negotiate on that transfer case...we'll see
I wish stupid MB usa imported these trucks in the 80's
My goal is to keep a well maintained G class for years to come...ie be buried in it
Thanks for listening to a NKOTB ( new kid on the block)
Nik |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Looking at a 280GE 1985
Don't get depressed, these trucks are over 20 years old! You should expect to find all kinds of duds out there because they have had numerous owners and probably most have at least some "deferred maintainance" that wasn't done when it should have been.
I bought the '84 280 from a guy who had been daily driving it and seemed to have been conscientious about its upkeep. I had to weld a door hinge, remove the intake manifold to replace all the vacuum lines, fix a headlight switch, and several other items that now slip my mind. I still consider it a find. Still, I would never had bought it if I KNEW ahead of time I had a slew of projects, or one big one even, because I assure you, that is the tip of the iceberg in most cases.
Keep looking, BE PATIENT, there are good ones out there for fair money, EXPECT to travel cross country to find the right one. GOOD LUCK! |
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