prospective owner looking for bits
so im trying to find the right vehicle which is proving a little difficult at the moment, got cash burning a hole in my pocket for a 463 swb but there aren't to many around within my budget.. anyway..
when i do find one id like to be able to fit some basic extras such as a swingaway rear wheel carrier and basic black light/indicator guards perhaps even a set of steel wheels and a roofrack
wheres the best place to find these bits? having come from a landrover background where there are literally hundreds of places to buy from i'v been surprised to see that they seem pretty thin on the ground for the g's
is it a case of keeping an eye out on ebay?
keep a regular look out on the parts for sale section, wheels and light come up often, can't say that a swing away spare wheel carrier has as you would only want one with a soft top, similarly roof racks are rare. The roof rack I have is a very mildly modified Japanese item, I think it was originally on a Shogun. They are available from German suppliers but silly money. A bespoke one fron a L/R specialist might make more sense.
No you don't have to worry abOut the rear door hinges, but it's a heavy door to shut!
Hi G'wagon rear door hinges only suffer from lack of lubrication..the cabrio swing out carrier will fit but leaves a messy rear door because of the wheel mounting holes.....there are roof rails and ski racks for both SWB and LWB which clamp to the gutter channels.light guards can be sourced on German Ebay.Steel wheels from the 460 will fit using shorter bolts and are better for driving on packed snow and ice...but do not add anything to the appearance of a G' with wide arches.....
thanks everyone.
what size are the wheels on the 463 15 or 16inch?
whats the largest diameter wheel tyre combo that will fit without modification? im interested in getting a little extra ground clearance. Would a 16inch rim running 235/85/16 at's fit in there?
what size are the wheels on the 463 15 or 16inch?
Would a 16inch rim running 235/85/16 at's fit in there?
yes to all three questions, some owners have even fitted 17" and !8" alloys, with AT tyres
plenty of room in there then!
while i'm on it, whats the score with the body coloured bumpers/wheel arches/wing mirrors? some seem to have them some don't. was this an option from MB?
do 460/461 headlight surrounds fit on to a 463?
lots of Q's!
cheers.
they will but are foam rather than plastic. Try some 460's as well before you plump for a 463, if your coming from L/R's you may find the 463 a bit poncey. :wink:
about the coloured bumpers/wheel arches/wing mirrors...
early 463s, maybe up to 97/98 generally have black mirror frames, the 'newest' 463 with non-colour coded mirror frame was a 1997 G300TD. Same thing applies to the wheel arches. In fact, that very G300TD didn't have colour coded arches either. It was a white SWB, but with loads of black bits.
As for coloured bumpers, it was an option. Now it is standard on new G500s and G55ks, but the new G320CDIs still have black bumpers.
Get 265/70 R16! 'Atik' wheels look rather good... have a look at them and see what you think!
or 16" asharoth: http://www.gwoa.co.uk/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=9287
to be honest i'v had enough of the agricultural landys, they're great for work or rough off roading non of which i want the g for.. i'm looking for a little more comfort and refinement this time whilst still wanting to keep a robust do it all vehicle.
having said that the utilitarian aspect of them does appeal (hence the moderate upgrades and my preferance for non body coloured bumpers/mirrors/arches etc)
i think the 463 should be just right
the 463 is a better vehicle than the 460 because of better rust protection and better engines. However it also comes with electric sun roofs and windows, the roofs in particular are prone to leaks. The 463 also has permanent 4 wheel drive, whether that's better is a matter of opinion. Later 463 and I mean late 1990's get electronic engine management systems and that too is in my view something to avoid. Happy hunting.
its a shame about those leaky roofs - i love a sunroof myself!
re the body coloured bumpers etc - all the vehicles iv been looking at have been 1991 - 1992's and some have had the body coloured trim (mirrors/arches/bumpers) i guess they must have been aftermarket mod's.
I like the look of the 16" asharoths... seems they are little on the rare side though (and pricey too!) black ones would be even nicer :-)
cheers
I have had 2 463s; a 91 300GE and the current 90 300GD. Both of them have sun roofs and they don't leak. The only problem with it is that it won't open in cold weather. By cold weather I mean -10 or below.
However, 2 'unleak' examples do not mean that it isn't a general problem...
Hi the"general problem" comes from neglect..moss and glit in the runners holds moisture that freezes and locks the roof panel in place .if it is bad enough it will distort the frame..opening the roof on a sunny day and cleaning the channels / guides then stroking a soft lead pencil into the clean dry areas and operating the roof a few times will ensure that you have no problems before you do it again next year.....while in the cleaning mood sit the bonnet back against the windscreen and clean all the dead leaves out of the heater air intake and unblock the drain in the bottom..many a blower motor would still be working had the cleaning been done in November / December each year.....
to be honest i'v had enough of the agricultural landys, they're great for work or rough off roading non of which i want the g for.. i'm looking for a little more comfort and refinement this time whilst still wanting to keep a robust do it all vehicle.
having said that the utilitarian aspect of them does appeal (hence the moderate upgrades and my preferance for non body coloured bumpers/mirrors/arches etc)
i think the 463 should be just right
You're welcome to pop down and have a look at my 460 if you want a comparison, I'm in Glastonbury. But I think that Draxey's 463 for £5k is probably better value for what you want than a similar 460 to mine for c. £3500.
Hi Grecian, thanks for the offer - draxeys had sold before i saw it but im pretty sure its the 463 we need.. long journeys and road trips need a little extra comfort!
cheers
No problem. Have you tried Murph?
im pretty sure its the 463 we need.. long journeys and road trips need a little extra comfort!
cheers
Yeah most definitely!
Spider1V - 'The wood and carpet' brigade :wink:
i'v been in touch with murph and he's been really helpful but i am still looking for the right one... i'm almost certainly being too precise about what i want at the moment !
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of course you are right about the swingaway carrier - again this comes from owning landrovers! eventually the weight of the spare destroys the hinges on the rear door of a landy so a common mod is to use a swingaway carrier instead. I take it this isnt such a big problem on the g's?
So there is no place to go in the uk for bits like this? i guess there may not be a large enough market to support such a business.
I'v had a look at the patriot roof racks and they seem to offer one to fit a wide range of vehicles supposedly including the g but it does not cover the full length of the roof