290GD LWB What do I need to know?
Hi,
Newbie here looking at buying my first Gwagon. The car I am looking at is a 1993 290GD. Intrestingly enough it is a 2+1 door LWB, I have not been able to trace such cars on the internet as they all seem to be 4 doors? The car has in the region of 300000km on it. It has had a lot of work done on it by the current owner to the extent that he say he has given it a general overhaul. There is still some work to be done though.Now the questions:
What do I have to look for in general when inspecting the car?
Are there any known problem areas on this model?
I understand that the 2.9l engine is not the strongest diesel made but I am happy if i can cruise at about 100km/h...does this sound about right?
Anywhere to download a workshop manual?
Any general comments or help will be apreciated!
O btw the asking price is in the region of $5000
Will post a pic
Turando,
I am not the most knowledgable "G" person -- BUT -- we drive a 290 Van to which I have fitted rear seats AND am considering replacing the rear tin panels with glass -- IN which case it will look exactly like your photo, though ours has double rear doors with a swing away wheel carrier.
Search for "290 GD" or similar & look for post by Quercus, Tue 22nd Feb '05, there should be access to photo of said Van wot we bought.
I dont know about your area, but here in GB the 290 engine has been used for the Sprinter van series ( in various different guises ) & is generally "ledgendry" for its performance & relibility so 300,000 km should not be a problem if has been well maintained/serviced ( assuming the purchase price is right for the milage )
Marcus
Yip I compared the two pics and they look similar. The Front of the one I am looking on does not have the ventalation gaps on the side and the indicator lamps are not mounted on the top though. The grills would prob differ as well as mine is apparently marked as a merc unlike yours.
What I have been able to find out ids that these vehicles where imported by a large construction firm in Nigeria and they may have imported enough to be able to have changed the spec and get the factory to make them. I will have a look to see if there might have been tin in the back windows that have been removed.
Thanks for the engine info, I understand that some work has been done on the engine (like complete new injectors and so on) so I am really hoping that she is in good nick because I want her :!:
Apparently also a whole lot of original spares from Germany included in the deal
The 290 engine was modified in 95/96 before being used in the Sprinters and the G290TD, it became direct injetion, turbo charged and intercooled.
Still the older version of the 290 engine had been used in the more powerfull versions of the old T1 range of vans (210, 310 & 410's).. No van has ever had a better repution.
Turando,
Only difference is the badges, "G"s were marketed in former Soviet Bloc countries as Steyr Puch -- obviously could not be sold as Merc's, and A T L then offically imported same to GB as they A T L ( I understand ) could not import them as Mercs. Quercus could probably throw some light on the background to this.
One way to know if origionally a van is the floorpan, the higher floor level comes furthur forward in the vans, ( compare distances from the front of the rear wheelarch ) I got caught out with that as I had assumed it would be the same as the car type -- had to keep the rear seats furthur forward than I really wanted & even at that not much room for feet behind rear seat runners.
Marcus
In theory there is a pic here:
Turando,
This body was never factory made. This is most probably a van, model 461.328 290GD Diesel LWB (2,850 mm) Van of which just 1,769 were made between 1991 and 1998.
Check the VIN. It should start with WDB46132817XXXXXX
It must have had that glass retrofitted. The glass does not seem to be original either, since no hard-top LWB bodies were fitted with glass on the sides.
As Marks says, the OM602 29 engine is one of the strongest ever made by MB. it is closely related to the OM602 (2.5 litre, 5 cylinder) and OM 603 (3 litre, 6 cylinder), fitted to the W124 saloons of which millions are still used as taxis the world over. Mileages in excess of 500,000 miles are common without no more than ordinary maintenance.
But this is a G-Wagen are other parts of its mechanics are liable to big expenditure if the truck has not been serviced properly.
Cheers
Ok I had a look at the car yesterday and stupidly I did not get the VIN but should be able to get that on Monday. As far as the body goes the floor is like a normal G-wagon's. The raised part ends quite far back and there is loads of space between the back seat and the front ones. I can see no sign that the windows were a retorofit and she has the single back door. (Anybody know if it would have been possible to convert from the double van doors to a single door? Is the shape and size of the hole the same?) I can only think that the firm that imported them ordered a large number and had a special run made. When I get the VIN we shall see what that reveals. If I buy the car I will contact the firm that brought them in and see what other information I can get from them and hopefully should be able to get the original or copies of the original order and importation documentation.
Body is sound with the odd spec of rust here and there but in general in a really good condition.
I am having a mercedes specialist look over the car on Monday but the owner has told me the following needs to be repaired:
Two bars, one runs in front of the front axle and the other at the back of the frontaxle. The front one needs the knuckles replaced due to rubers being worn. The one at the back of the axle has a shock absorber attached to it that has been replaced but the bar itself needs to be replaced. I think these two bars are torsion(????) or stabilising or steering damper bars??? Any ideas on cost and availibility of these parts? Any good contacts that export parts to other countries as I doubt I will be able to source these locally.
The other thing that needs to be replaced is a small "y" shaped gadget between the gearstick and the selector on the gearbox together with some rubber boot??. He has the part and it only needs to be installed.
Excuse my highly technical description of the repairs :D
In general it does look like I should buy her, what do you think and what do you think her value would be given that she is LHD.?
PS. thanks for all the advice and information :!:
The single rear door is standard on all hard-top G-Wagens from 1983, I believe.
Vans could be ordered with the dual doors as an option ever since.
Armoured Gs get the dual doors due to the issue of the weight of the single one.
As for the parts you mention, all these are available from any Mercedes dealership if you have the part numbers. Any part number can be looked up in the EPC if you have the VIn of the truck.
Regards,
Latest is that I will make an offer on Wednesday for the car. I have also been able to find out that the car was one of a batch of 265 cars made for a local german company called Julius Berger. Still not been able to get hold of the VIN as the owners has travelled.
Anybody know where I can find an online list with pictures and part numbers?
Thanks!
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In theory there is a pic here:
