Project Gelandewagen (Previously Mercedes G Senior Project)

Quick Update in the life of Hunter and his obsession for G Wagens

2010-06-10T12:07:00.002-04:00

Well it has been a long time since my first G Wagen and I miss it dearly. As many know I converted that 1981 300GD to run on waste vegetable oil for my high school senior project. It turned out great with the help of some loyal friends, but the rust on the body was cost prohibitive for me to keep. I sold it to a guy in North Carolina. He has since restored it (so I've heard, no pictures). I then bought a 1984 280GE in Colorado, but that engine failed a month later. We did a turbo diesel swap and after spending $10,000 too much on that vehicle I sold that for an 88 BMW M3. I sold that a month later and stopped buying impulsively. In December I made another impulsive buy for a Right Hand Drive 1982 Mercedes 300GD Long wheel base. (See post below)

I sold that vehicle after three months of ownership to my mechanic, Den Burhans in Ijamsville, MD in exchange for $5000 and his lovely 1985 BMW 735i. I've been driving this lovely vehicle problem free since early March, but I am deciding on which G Wagen I'll get next. This time I'm going to plan it out and make sure I am financially stable enough to purchase one and maintain one - I'd like to keep this G Wagen until I graduate or until I can afford a 463 when I am well off and working full time. I have my eye on a lovely 1986 230GE in Oklahoma, but it has rust. I am assuming around 5-6k to have those rusty panels replaced properly.

Here is a picture of that G Wagen. I'll be sure to be a little more faithful to updating this blog in the future. Thanks everyone!

Hunter

1 Year Update

2010-02-08T13:03:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone,

It has been quite some time since I have updated this. Well, the white G Wagen is gone. I sold it to a man in North Carolina in March 2009 because the rust got to be just too much. I am waiting for him to send me some pictures of his progress. Apparently he has removed all of the rust and replaced with new metal. I am very curious to see how it looks!

I am now driving another G Wagen - 1982 300GD LWB but it is right hand drive. I am in the process of fixing it up to fulfill duties of carrying and transporting film equipment and crew members. It will be a great project!

A lot of people have been asking about the video I created over two years ago. Here it is again for those interested in watching it.

Hunter

October Update

2008-10-20T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! It is October 20, 2008. I am currently at school now, Drexel University. My 300GD is sitting in the driveway back home in Columbia, I won't be home for awhile, but I am going to begin buying the parts needed to restore the body to factory look. I sure do miss the truck, but I will be working on it soon. Stay tuned in..

Project Update

2008-09-22T20:04:00.002-04:00

So I have not had time lately due to the fact that I just moved into school to update this blog. Anyway, the truck's conversion has been running great, no problems with the electrical even after enduring pounding hard rain, going through mud and clay pits, the system has remained flawless. The only maintenance is to replace the fuel filter every 3 or 4 months which I have done twice since it has been installed. The motor is going to be undergoing some work in the next couple months. I have a leak around the crank seal, and I also need a valve adjustment and a new water pump. The total project cost is somewhere around a thousand dollars. The truck still needs a good restoration of the body, interior is in excellent condition, mechanically in very condition as well.

The project will be concluded once all the motor work has been completed to continue work on another Mercedes G Class project in the near future

The truck will be sold, the money from the sale will be invested and a new G Class will be purchased and a cleaner, more OEM-like vegetable oil conversion will be carried around with a hidden, heated fuel tank. This truck will also undergo a ten thousand dollar 6 cylinder turbo diesel swap. More information to follow. Please stay tuned for information regarding finding the proper vehicle, motor, and conversion procedures. Thanks!

Stuck in Hurricane Hannah

2008-09-07T13:00:00.002-04:00

Back from my 340 Mile trip to Richmond and back! Also new tires!

2008-06-29T12:37:00.003-04:00

I got back from my trip to visit my Grannie and Pop Pop down in Varina, VA on the 26th. This was the first trip I took that was futher than 60 miles at a time in the G Wagen. Well, I filled up my primary diesel tank and 3/4th of my veggie tank with diesel ($115.00 for gas) and 3 extra 5 gallon cubes of vegetable oil in the back and made my way down south!

The drive was slow, but without any major problems. I had a CD player installed before I left, and it was wired up to tap power from the AC unit (which btw needed to be recharged) and at one point I had the CD player, fans, AC all running at once! Well 30 seconds in I started to smell burning wires so I turned off the AC and the fans and drove with the windows down. Kind of scary! My max speed the whole way down was 55, usually cruising around 48 MPH. I got down there using only a little more than a 1/4 tank of veg/diesel mix. The trip was about 170 miles. I haven't done that math but that sounds like some good gas milage to me.

I picked up my BFG Mud Terrain 235/85/16's while I was down as well. They are sweet! My cousin and I drove around my grandparents 160 acre property for about an hour just looking for something to get stuck in, there were no takers.

Also, I went mudding yesterday and I only managed to get scared once, and that was when I drove into a water holding pond in a construction area. I made it out just fine (Thank God).

The tires are not too loud, I can barely notice them over my previous set (235/60/16 IIRC Goodyear Eagle RS/A)

Enjoy the pictures, thanks for the tire recommendation Steve and thank you Harald for those torque numbers!

Tires!

2008-06-17T15:18:00.005-04:00

So I wake up extra early today to go get my 265.75.16 BFG MT installed at Costco. The drive was 40 miles away (gas money $$$). They were special ordered and they put one tire on the front driver side and said it was rubbing! The manager said he wouldn't mount them. I told them everyone rubs, but he said he wouldn't do it. Anyway, so they ordered me 235.70.16's BFG MT, but I didn't really want them. What is the point of a small mud tire? Please enlighten me.

I called around, talked to Steve over at Eurotruck Importers and he recommended a 235.85.16 tire. Well after calling a s**tload of places to find someone who stocked it I sided with 4wheelparts.com They set me up with 5 tires + shipping to my grandparents place in VA + the sickest tire replacement warranty for 1050.00.

[b]Any comments on this tire size? Do you think I am going to rub with this tire? Is it safe to rub this much? Any comments on http://www.4wheelparts.com/ ?
[/b]

Thanks Steve for all the advice! I will keep everyone posted on the install process of these 235.85.16's.

Video Documentary is LIVE

2008-06-05T09:18:00.003-04:00

Please watch!

300GD back from Clutch service

2008-06-04T23:24:00.002-04:00

So I picked up the Gelandewagen from the shop today. I dropped it off on Monday to FINALLY have the clutch master cylinder and slave master cylinder replaced. I was holding out on a repair because it wasn't leaking enough to stop me in my tracks, but the leak has progressed to the point of filling up the fluid reservoir more than once daily. Robert at European Motors installed the parts for me, unfortuately I didn't get a chance to watch how he did it. A big thanks to Steve at Eurotruck Importers for always providing me with the parts I need to keep running strong. Thanks guys. I attached a picture of what the Clutch Master Cylinder looks like.

CONVERSION IS COMPLETE!

2008-04-27T22:28:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone. I have successfully converted my 300GD to run on vegetable oil!!

My mechanic and I converted the vehicle starting late January and finished up late February working on 3 Saturdays (and some week days in between) . We did not run into many issues. The main issue was the braided injector lines (with metal inside) needed to be replaced because the car kept shutting off after running for a minute due to air in the system.

Well, I have been running filtered soybean and peanut oil (filtered through 10 micon bag filters) and haven't had any issues! With diesel approaching 4.50 a gallon the timing could not be any better. If you are considering running on veggie I'd recommended it! If you have any questions I would be more than happy to help as best I can. WVO FTW

Greasecar kit installation is underway

2008-01-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

Robert and I began installing the conversion kit last weekened. Everything has gone very smoothly and I will be sure to upload some pictures as they become available.

Update!

The right read shock mount cracked a couple weeks back taking out the rear right shock. I will be ordering two new Bilstien shocks and two new shock mounts from Vlad at fourbyfourclub. Estimated material cost- 350 dollars. Estimated repair cost -TBD

Will update with pictures when they become available.

G Status (No Pun Intended)

2008-01-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

So I checked out the G yesterday. Rob (my mechanic) said that the issue was that I was loosing clutch fluid and my master and slave cylinders need to be eventually replaced with new ones. Apparently the truck is driveable now. He said he was going to take it for a spin later in the day. He is closed today, otherwise I would have swung by and paid the bill and been on my way. Robert is also setting me up with some used Goodyear Wrangler tires to hold me over until I get the Firestone Destination M/T's later in the summer. My current Michelin LT XC tires are worn on the insides due to an alignment issue (which will be resolved next week).

Greasecar kit ordered today!

2008-01-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

Today I submitted my order for my Greasecar WVO conversion kit. The kit set me back 1060 dollars, however I did have some financial support from my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad. Anyway, the kit should be here within 2-3 business days (shipping from MA). I'll be sure to post pictures when I get the kit!

Greasecar kit this week

2008-01-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

So I spoke to a couple people over at greasecar.com and I plan to order a kit when they open back up tomorrow. It should take a week or so to get it (unfortunatly) and then my mechanic and I will begin the installation. Woohoo!!

Truck is in the Shop

2007-12-26T21:33:00.000-05:00

I was driving yesterday and I came to a light and it turned green. I pressed the clutch in and tried to throw it into 1st - wouldn't budge! After playing with it for awhile I got it in gear and drove it over to the mechanic. He put it in the garage and he said he would take a look on the 2nd of January when he is back at work. Bummer!

Wheel spacers did not fit

2007-12-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

So I sent the spacers back today and the wheels are selling on eBay for the price I paid for them. I will buy tires in the summer. My mechanic is going to set me up with a pair that I can roll around on so i can invest in a nice pair after I pay off the car.

Spacers Arrived Today

2007-12-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

Today I received a little box from FedEx from Martin in California. Excited I bent over and tried to pick up the box with one hand (due to how small it was), but I couldn't pick it up! It weighed 35 lbs!

I'll be sure to post pictures tomorrow on how the G looks with all four wheels and tires mounted.

USGI Plastic Jerry Cans

2007-12-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

Today I picked up two brand new USGI Jerry Cans. They are both plastic, which I hear are now better than the old alumnium cans because these do not crack as much. One of the cans came with an awesome insulated jacket to keep whatever is inside insulated in harsh conditions. I picked them both up for a great deal of 30 dollars. See a the pictures on the left for a better idea of what they look like.

Wheel Spacers being shipped this Week

2007-12-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

I spoke to Martin from San Diego, CA. I am trading my old steel wheels for a set of four spacers so I can use the wheels I bought from Ira. They are custom-built from a local machine shop to match the H&R Springs 30mm Spacers. I will post pictures of all four 1991 Mercedes-Benz OEM Star Wheels and tires mounted on my 1981 Mercedes-Benz 300GD as soon as they arrive (Friday, the 15th of December).

Here is a picture of my 300GD with the old steel wheels on the front and the new wheels from Ira on the back. Enjoy

Wheel and Tire Troubles

2007-11-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

I bought those tires and rims from Ira Sherman, however I need spacers in order for them to fit. They are 179.95 for each pair (2x). So I am selling the wheels on ebay starting at 100 dollars less than what I paid for them - 800 dollars.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-G-Class-W463-OEM-Alloy-Wheels-and-Tires_W0QQitemZ190176734726QQihZ009QQcategoryZ66481QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

UPDATE: I removed the eBay listing and I decided to keep the wheels and tires.

New Tires Coming (hopefully)

2007-11-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

So I spoke to Ira Sherman yesterday about some tires and rims he has for sale. I think I am going to take them off his hands. They are from his 1991 300GE Renntech 3.6. We wrote up a contract for a bill of sale and hopefully I'll be buying them this week. They are 15" with 265/75 tires.

Pictures

2007-11-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

Check them out.

Vehicle Acquisition

2007-11-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

The idea for this project came into my mind in August when driving on my way to a friend's house. A 2002 Mercedes G500 pulled out in front of me and I was thinking to myself how awesome of a car it is. I pulled up autotrader.com and looked at the prices of them. The lowest I could find was 33,000 USD- A little out of my price range. Also, the gas mileage was horrific- something around 15mpg. I had been looking for ways to save money on gas and I googled diesel Mercedes G. Eventually I followed the trail of crumbs back to a site called clubgwagen.com where many diesel G's were for sale. They were all old, but as you may or may not know the body style from the 1979 to 2007 has not changed much at all. Also, they weren't too expensive (10-18 thousand). I spent 2 months searching and learning about these awesome 4x4's, and eventually I found one. It was a 1981 300GD (3 Door/white) located about an hour from my house. I forgot to mention: when I first saw that they made diesel G's I knew that they could run on vegetable oil. What is better than an awesome looking car that costs nothing to drive? ..well I can't really think of much that is better. I asked a family friend of mine to be my mentor for the project (he owns a huge body shop and is pretty knowledgeable about cars). Eventually we went up to check it out on October 26th, 2007; a rainy Saturday. I had taken out all of my money in cash (around 10 thousand) and we drove up in separate cars. When I got there he was already there with the hood up. He told me it was "a piece of shit". But I was already hooked. It had pretty bad rust, that was about it. I left without buying it, but called the owner about 2 hours later and told her I was going to get all of my correct paperwork together and get an estimate on inspection and rust work. I came back that next Thursday, November 1st, 2007 and I bought it.

Here is a list of the problems:

1. Front alignment is off (Wearing on the insides of the tires)

-Needs alignment (under 150 dollars)

-Needs new tires (BFGoodrich 265/75/16R 165.00 each (need 5x)

2. Inspection said I needed to replace the Right Rear Wheel Cylinder

-wheel cylinder (45.00 form eurotruck-importers.com)

-possibly brake linings (61.34 from eurotruck-importers.com)

3. Rust Repair

-located in the following places

-right and left rocker panels

-right and left rear wheel quarter panels

-front left headlamp area

-small bubble formation 4-5" near rear windows

-rear trunk rocker panels (149 dollars)

-passenger and drive floor (585 Dollars for replacement parts)

4. Wiper Blades

- not sure on price; not really super important

Welcome

2007-11-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Hunter. I am a senior in High School in Maryland. I set up this blog to show and track the progress of my senior project: to turn a 1981 Mercedes 300GD Gelandewagen into a vegetable-oil running 4x4.

I'll try my best to do weekly updates on what is going on, however senior life is very hectic. Enjoy