$14,000 – Anchorage, AK:
“Otto was supposed to be my final Gwagen and the penultimate truck after sharing my life since 1994 with 5-6 of them from a 1979 Cabrio to a 1999 G500 and everything in between. I chose him because of the low miles on the drive train and the barn doors which are sublime! I wanted an iron-box 5 speed with the overdrive and an OM617A turbo diesel because these would last for ever. Those had to be added. I wanted very simple mechanical lockers and mechanical windows and doors. This leaves very little to go wrong. Those are standard in the early 460s. Pictures here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150545462@N06/albumsWell, I am moving on in life and my wife and I are simplifying our footprint so some things have to go. A big target is my large fleet of cars. There is a 1969 Citroen 2cv Truckette on the block too. I now have two early 1990’s 300TE 4-matic station wagons which serve fine for winter driving. I have used my Gwagen for towing my M101 military surplus trailer to the dump and the the lumber yard and occasional trips up and down the Alaska Highway but I am not an offload kind of guy so nothing crazy has happened there. It does not get used much.
My goal here is to tell the future owner absolutely everything I know about this truck because it is not perfect because i have not finished with it and likely won’t be able to. I have priced it at a point that reflects the work to be done and am open to suggestions/offers if you don’t agree. I realize that I will take a loss on this truck and that is fine. I had a great time (mostly) working on it. I do hope it will go to someone who appreciates it and can hopefully finish it up although is perfectly useable as it is. I am asking $17,000 or best offer.
So here goes (I am sorry if it is a bit rambling but I wanted to get all the details in):
Otto started life as a red LWB Puch 230G and was put into service as a command vehicle for the Stopfenreuth Volunteer Fire department in Austria. This is why he is badged throughout as a Puch. He worked there for a long time and was equipped with radios and antennae and big flashing lights all over, a siren etc. After many years of service, he was then sold off and imported to the US where I got him. The speedometer is in KM (like it should be) and shows 5080 KM which seems consistent with the service stickers on the truck.
When I got him and drove him home from Michigan, he smoked a bit from a lot of hours of idling but the drive train was so smooth with such low miles! The 230 engine was tired and and the 4 speed manual transmission was a bit slow. I upgraded him with a OM617A turbo-diesel from an 87K mile 1979 300SD (Which I had owned for three years prior) and installed an iron box 5 speed with overdrive (thanks Guido) He now is much better behaved. I also added power steering while I was at it. He has a new OEM radiator and oil cooler and two new engine mounts (There is a spare third too for some reason).
The engine is excellent and I retained the sedan’s air cleaner as it works very well and is very inexpensive to replace like the 460 ones. It was designed after all for the turbo engine.
The drive line is the smoothest I have ever seen in my long relationship with Gwagens over the year. This is also the lowest mileage 460 I have ever had. The drive shaft was shortened to accommodate the longer 5 speed transmission. New clutch and throwout bearing was used.
He has both front and rear lockers (like any well-fitted Gwagen should) and they work flawlessly.
Most all of the original engine wiring was redone and miles and miles of add on wires from the fire department were removed.
The antennae and lights/siren unit was also removed but available.
He runs and drives very well and is a 2x a week driver for me. Less in the winter.
Projects left un-finished:
No windshield washer system. The original system was a foot pump on the floor but the multifunction switch is new and contains the controls for an electric pump. I have not installed that nor the reservoir.The shift linkages using the Wolf 5 speed shifter need to be shortened to make all shifting throws the same length. Reverse is tricky at first with theft and push motion.
Espar D4 water heater is installed and plumbed but I never got a controller but the wires are in the dash so it is not a difficult project.
Rust – There was/is rust. All European 460’s are this way in my experience. It was not terrible. I started at the front and worked backwards. What is left are the rear corners. The frame and all the shock mounts/perches are sound. The driver’s floor was repaired and epoxied. The passengers just got a coat of paint but it should be done a bit better. The rest of the floors are fine.
The rear doors are rust free but the gaskets are a bit old but seal OK. If you are worried about the availability of replacement barn doors I have a very good condition set you can have for some reasonable negotiated amount.
There is a dent in the left rear quarter panel and a small crease along the passenger door on that side. It is nothing terrible but the new owner would probably want to fix it. This exposed some of the seam rust at the back corner and shows it to be fairly minor – no perforations in the seams.
I replaced the stock wheels and tires with new steel wheels with taller and more aggressive tyres which have maybe 5K miles on them. The L rear wheel has some damage. The spare wheel and the other four originals match.
I replaced the front shocks with slightly taller and stiffer ones with spacers to give a 1 inch lift. I have all that for the rear but have not mounted them yet. I put new Koni shocks up front and have replacements for the back (MB Stock take off’s) but have not mounted them yet either.
The power steering box uses a slightly different sized arm than that on the truck. I have the original box and shaft but I don;t have a wrench large enough to remove the nut and swap it over. It works fine but there is a bit of play in there now. This is an easy fix with a big wrench – 40MM???
I suspect the front hubs will need the rebuild process done. I ordered and have all the parts (thanks Guido!) in anticipation. The parts are all still nicely in their box. There is no play or other weirdness at the front axle.
The Driver’s door top hinge has some wear in it as does the left rear door. I have replacement hinges for the rear but not the front. This leaves a slight gap in the door gasket at the top front.
I replaced the engine driven fan with two electric fans. They come on at different temps and have had no problem keeping the engine cool and they drastically increased the heat production in the winter. The engine heats up quite fast this way. You might even get a bump in total power output this way.
The alternator is a high output one but I cannot recall the details at the moment.
Becker Monza stereo with four speakers – radio antenna is not hooked to the radio for lack of a little converter.
There is a stock block heater in the engine which works very well.
It does come with the front tow pin. It is just not inserted in the pictures.
The tach does not work – I did not convert it when I replaced the engine.
There is no boot for the shifter. With the Wolf -5-speed shifter in there, the old one no longer fit. I have not convinced my wife to sew me a new one yet.
Other notes:
Pictures show that the rear has a 2” receiver mount but this will not go with the truck. I think I have a standard european hitch if you want one.
I have the rear seat out since I carry my bike in the back. It is in excellent shape and is the same matching black plaid you find on the front seats.
The paint is a bit oxidized but should shine up well The letters are removable vinyl and not painted on if one were interested in not being part of the fire service any longer.
Front floor mats are bit worn.
It has the standard issue (but newer version) of the jack with handle. I think there is a standard tool roll in there as well.
4 more steel wheels with moderately worn summer tyres and some other bits and bobs come with the truck.
Pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150545462@N06/albums
I apologize for the pictures – I waited all morning for it to warm up and it did – up to 6 degrees F so Otto is frosty and, before you ask, it does not have a high top – it is just a white roof with snow on top. Under that snow is a normal 460 roof with the command vehicle call sign on it.
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1980 Puch 300GD
VIN: WDB46023117003777
condition: good
cylinders: 5 cylinders
drive: 4wd
fuel: diesel
paint color: red
size: full-size
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: SUV “
Source: https://anchorage.craigslist.org/cto/d/mercedes-puch-gwagengd-lwb/6483316104.html
