Mercedes Unimog

[MK1RS Bruce]

So after spending six months working in Malaysia this was a long distance kind of spur of the moment purchase.

I have wanted one for a long time, due to the fact that it is essentially a tractor that will do 50MPH with all then benefits that tractors have but with double the top speed.

Has anyone else ever owned one? Mine is a U1000 424.

I havent had much chance to use it yet but first impressions are that it will go almost anywhere and when it gets stuck you just twist the switch, lock the diffs and keep on going

[KevinCamaroSS]

Never owned one, but always fancied one. Brilliant bit of kit.

[normalbloke]

Yeah yep, I bought one.Like you, purely for the fun. Ran it for about 6 years. Also a U1000AG, so had the full hydraulics, 3 way tip, 16 spd and 3 point linkage. Mine was in excellent mechanical condition, but needed a fair bit of body work, which I was happy to do. I was warned the machanicals can easily run into multiple thousands if poorly maintained. Did a few upgrades along the way, better tyres(405/70/20 at spec), Werner winches both ends,hydraulic rear ground anchor, nudge bar, also upgraded the injector pump and fitted the factory turbo, to about 180bhp. The 100 got woefully tiresome after a while! Fire away if you have any other Qs.

[papa3]

KevinCamaroSS said:

Never owned one, but always fancied one. Brilliant bit of kit.

Same here. They are astonishing machines and some of the conversions are mental.

Variopilot

[MK1RS Bruce]

normalbloke said:

Yeah yep, I bought one.Like you, purely for the fun. Ran it for about 6 years. Also a U1000AG, so had the full hydraulics, 3 way tip, 16 spd and 3 point linkage. Mine was in excellent mechanical condition, but needed a fair bit of body work, which I was happy to do. I was warned the machanicals can easily run into multiple thousands if poorly maintained. Did a few upgrades along the way, better tyres(405/70/20 at spec), Werner winches both ends,hydraulic rear ground anchor, nudge bar, also upgraded the injector pump and fitted the factory turbo, to about 180bhp. The 100 got woefully tiresome after a while! Fire away if you have any other Qs.

Sounds like yours was quite a machine, I have just spent the weekend fabricating and fitting a hydraulic pick up hitch onto mine. It had a hitch and 3 point linkage at one point but it was removed and sold before I bought it. It still has the hydraulics so not a massive issue. I was thinking about a turbo kit too, where did you source your parts from? Cheers

[Lefty]

Lovely, what are you going to use it for?

I've had two, both old 404S. One a 57 agri-spec and one an ex-military 1960.

Often been tempted by a u1300 with fast axles, they'll touch 65mph.

[55palfers]

Zombie Apocalypse ? Bring it on!

[normalbloke]

MK1RS Bruce said:

Sounds like yours was quite a machine, I have just spent the weekend fabricating and fitting a hydraulic pick up hitch onto mine. It had a hitch and 3 point linkage at one point but it was removed and sold before I bought it. It still has the hydraulics so not a massive issue. I was thinking about a turbo kit too, where did you source your parts from? Cheers

Parts came from a combo of EBay Germany and Atkinson Vos. There were no second hand turbo manifolds around, so bought new, and was far less than expected. Oil points are already there in the block, so simple enough to plumb aftermarket. I'd already upgraded to a 130bhp pump form AV, then the turbo. One tip if you're going to do it, is fit an EGT beforehand. The Mog never ran so well as when the turbo was fitted, there is such an excess if unburnt fuel on the U 1000, that it just cleans everything up. No more 'Mog stink'. Get some wider tyres fitted, they like to sink on the skinnier tyres, ask me how I know!

[300bhp/ton]

Very nice indeed. I must admit I do really want one of these, if only the prices were a little more attainable for me.

Was it a private purchase or from Atkinson Vos?

Is it registered as an Ag spec?

While not having owned a Unimog, I am rather familiar with this, which I use fairly regularly, although not mine either. It's my Uncles.

[gazmk2]

Never owned one but used to drive them a lot back when I was in the military. Like you said really, 50mph but utterly unstoppable. If it gets a bit stuck just locky diff and they will go up a 45 deg mud slope.

[Alicatt1]

This is one we were building for a contract, based on a Unimog chassis.

[BlueMR2]

Still want a Unimog, but like most people since the DL changes at the end of the 90's, max 3.5T so would need to be plated down and pretty empty to use it without a further test.

[300bhp/ton]

BlueMR2 said:

Still want a Unimog, but like most people since the DL changes at the end of the 90's, max 3.5T so would need to be plated down and pretty empty to use it without a further test.

Not if it's Ag spec and registered as an Ag vehicle.

[caelite]

300bhp/ton said:

BlueMR2 said:

Still want a Unimog, but like most people since the DL changes at the end of the 90's, max 3.5T so would need to be plated down and pretty empty to use it without a further test.

Not if it's Ag spec and registered as an Ag vehicle.

How does that work out of curiosity? It's always been a running joke working in haulage that farmers get away with literal murder from a road traffic legislative perspective but I have never actually known the specifics, do you need to own a farm to operate an Ag spec vehicle? Is there any weight/towing limits for them, or a specific criteria that defines the vehicle? Could you be leaving yourself open to issues if the vehicle you where driving was clearly unintended for agriculture (i.e 200miles from home with a camper upfit)?

[Alicatt1]

300bhp/ton said:

Not if it's Ag spec and registered as an Ag vehicle.

Don't quite know how that works, but my younger brother got his Subaru WRX STi registered as an agricultural vehicle as it was a 4x4, we used to tease him about pulling a plough behind it on the farm

Alas I can't ask him how he did it as he passed away in 2006.

[MK1RS Bruce]

If it's registered as a tractor or agricultural vehicle then anyone with a car license can use it and tow up to something like 24 tonne max gross weight. However if you choose to run it on red diesel there are restrictions on what you can do with it, must relate to farming forestry or snow clearance.

Just rebuilt all the brakes on it as some were sticking now it flys again.

Still looking at the turbo option but seems I need to have a look and see if it has the oil squirters for piston cooling. Not sure if they can be retro fitted if not there tho so might be a no go.

I use mine for towing a trailer with my autotest car, cheeky way to avoid having to do my trailer test! Used it for my mates wedding as the wedding car for me and him and the other best man.

[MK1RS Bruce]

If it's registered as a tractor or agricultural vehicle then anyone with a car license can use it and tow up to something like 24 tonne max gross weight. However if you choose to run it on red diesel there are restrictions on what you can do with it, must relate to farming forestry or snow clearance.

Just rebuilt all the brakes on it as some were sticking now it flys again.

Still looking at the turbo option but seems I need to have a look and see if it has the oil squirters for piston cooling. Not sure if they can be retro fitted if not there tho so might be a no go.

I use mine for towing a trailer with my autotest car, cheeky way to avoid having to do my trailer test! Used it for my mates wedding as the wedding car for me and him and the other best man.

[normalbloke]

I wouldn't worry too much about the oil squirters, just rely on the EGT.s You'll find it'll run cooler with more power for a given EGT with the turbo fitted. Get one fitted and start getting some baseline figures. Good luck, btw, have you still got a Mk1 RS?

[MK1RS Bruce]

Thanks for the Info, was planning on fitting an EGT sensor, how close to the manifold ports should it be ideally, or is there generally not much difference between exhaust port and say 300mm down the down pipe?

Yeah still got the Mk1 focus RS

In the process of fully re-building it too, its only done 44k and is pretty rare on an 04 plate so decided I needed to look after it since its value seems to be appreciating.

Have you got / had one? They are a brilliant car

[normalbloke]

I'll have a trawl through my images in the PC when I'm back on it. I might have an image of the probe location. General opinion is that it goes in front of the turbo( when you fit one).
I sort of have an RS, I've got one of the CSG Transit Connects running full RS underpinnings.