2013 Mercedes-Benz W463 G350 Bluetec (no titivating allowed)

[r129sl]

AndrewCrown said:

R129

Great thread r129, I do not know how I missed it. Good to see the G being used properly off road and on the beach...
Couple of things... Mrs C has spotted your friend's G300 with the LV interior, she tried to persuade me to sell the FFRR to acquire it. Having seen your thread now... this is getting difficult to resist. I was saving up for a new Defender!!

Secondly... I do like your little portable stove, which I take to be this? https://wildstoves.co.uk/product/envirofit-g-3300-...
How quickly does it cool down?

The green car is very nice. I don't know it very well, but the bodywork (often a weakness on these) is A1 and the owner is fastidious. If it were me, however, I'd try to stretch to a newer G350d from 2010 onwards. That is why the green car is for sale.

The stove cools down in about ten minutes. It is always cool enough to touch by the handles: you can pick it up and move it around even when it is in full swing. When finished cooking, you tip the embers out and it cools very rapidly. At first I put a bit of water on the top of it but it seems to be cool enough to put back in the cardboard box after about ten minutes. The stove doesn't like operating in high wind: it can't retain any heat.

[Northbrook]

r129sl said:

trip to the Merc Museum in Stuttgart

You didn't drive, did you??

For curiosity's sake, are you now driving the G out of preference to the estate? Obviously they're completely different, but which do you prefer?

[r129sl]

We flew to Stuttgart. It's not the easiest place to get to from the north east of England. The flight connections to the UK are terrible.

I am driving the G a lot. Every time I get back into the estate car, I remember how great it is. But the G is irresistible. I highly recommend one.

[Northbrook]

How was Boy One's transition to non-private aviation?

[r129sl]

As a child of mine, he is well versed in the most important maxim: life is a matter of constantly reducing your expectations.

We took the bus and tram in Stuttgart. Loved it. I am looking for a w216 CL63 AMG for the next family jaunt to the Fatherland, however.

[bolidemichael]

I saw a CL63 in Cobham today; it's a rare enough aural and visual treat and it certainly makes a subtle statement. It only has four seats, however, are you are a family of five..?

The museum in Stuttgart is excellent and I suppose that in hindsight there was a great deal of confirmation bias going on. I most certainly enjoyed the late Sunday night autobahn drive back to the suburb of Munich in which my hotel was located. It was one of the few times that I had hit and held the limiter.

[r129sl]

We're four so the CL63 AMG would be a perfect fit. Bit of an extravagance, though. I should get rid of the SL. I haven't driven it since October.

It is always nice to have the right tool for the job. And my choice of tyre was vindicated. The G-wagen was superb on a 40 miles cross-country dash to school through this morning's snowfall. It doesn't like stopping under brakes (I guess that's a 2.8 tonne problem) but it will slow on the gears and it handles beautifully. 45 to 60mph was fine.

Just a shame nobody else had one. As I got closer and closer to town the traffic became ridiculous. I did pass a number of stranded soft roaders (BMW X1 and X3, Audi Q5 that I recall) and many more ordinary cars on summer tyres. My wife was fine in the winter-tired 190.

[bolidemichael]

Family of four it is. Quite perfect, though you'd hope the children had adequate visibility from the rear seats, lest the immense thrust of torque induces much queasiness!

An observation - we have become accustomed to your unimpeachable attention to detail, remembering VINs, part numbers, thoroughness in restorations etc; on this basis, why have you embraced the seduction of an incorrectly spaced VRN? You don't strike me as the russian mistress type of G class owner.

[r129sl]

Purely for naffness. My name is Rodger and my wife's initial is L. "L R08GER" was a step too far but "LR08 GER" doesn't really work.

[bolidemichael]

Mr Rodger, it does work; it works very well indeed!

LR08 GER

Subtle, yet appropriate.

However, being a paid up member of the r129sl fan-club, I think that you have a cunning plan, in that flattering your wife with a custom plate on the G enables you to frolic, indulge and titivate with maximal patience and understanding.

I assume that we'll next see it on a CL63. Say no more. A nod is as good as a wink, to a blind bat.

[Northbrook]

Popping in to register my potential interest in the SL if ever you decide to move it on....

Any further plans for dechromification of the G?

[r129sl]

I had a good look underneath to see about taking off the running boards. It looks like an easy enough job. However, the kids like them for getting in and out. When funds allow I'll do the wheels silver and the glass clear.

[r129sl]

I changed the oil and filter today using MB 229.51 spec 5W-40 oil (Mannol) and a genuine MB filter. What a clart on it was. My new oil extraction pump proved as good as useless, extracting only about 1.5litres. I am not sure what the problem was. It was like it couldn't reach the oil or may be wasn't strong enough. So I did it the old fashioned way which is always messy on the G-Wagen (it is intended to be extracted from the top) because there are a load of pipes and things in the way of the stream. To make matters worse, the wind got ahold of the stream and blew it all over my face and brand new shirt. Another shower in Fairy Liquid for me.

[SVX]

Your threads always make me smile (the W124 thread is that of PH legend), and as a Mercedes-Benz aficionado, the G-Wagen is the itch I really need to scratch. That looks like an astonishing piece of kit, and would love one. Hope it gives you good service...

[John Locke]

r129sl said:

I had a good look underneath to see about taking off the running boards. It looks like an easy enough job. However, the kids like them for getting in and out. When funds allow I'll do the wheels silver and the glass clear.

Clear glass will make that a thing to behold.

[r129sl]

The clear glass will have to wait a bit longer. Factory parts tot up to £1,000 plus fitting. However, I stripped the running boards. Not sure what I think, views invited.

This was an easy job. Loosen the wheel arch liners (2 x 7mm bolt) to gain access to a little bolt holding the sill end cap to the wheel arch trim (8mm). Then unfasten the three running board brackets from the chassis, 6 x 16mm bolts. Amazingly, the running board brackets are fitted before the chassis is undersealed, so I will have to put some protective was on the blanks spots. I put all the fixings back in place.





I think it looks rather less school run now, although the exhaust is a bit ugly. I will clean the running boards up just in case. Any ideas what to use? Fine wire wool and steel polish? The kids didn't want them removing so I suspect they will go back on in due course. They weigh less than I thought, maybe 20kg per side. Not that much less, mind you. One of them fell bracket first onto my right nipple as I removed it: that hurt.





We gave the car a very thorough clean up today after using it for (absolutely essential) fuel supply duties yesterday:

Edited by r129sl on Sunday 5th April 20:08

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I'd stick 'em back on. Easier for the munchkins to climb up and I think they look good. Biggest improvement will be getting rid of the tints; don't mess with stuff that doesn't affect the looks but will affect family practicality. Sorry!

[Northbrook]

It certainly changes the look - more utilitarian, and somehow taller.

Nice to see the Spartan.

[Jimmy Recard]

I think that removing the steps has made an enormous improvement. I’d definitely keep it as it is.

Very cool

[BorniteIdentity]

I'm not usually one for trinkets, ornaments and apparel but I think the boards are an essential styling point of the G yo.

These are awesome machines; it's great to see it being properly used and then properly look after. As previously remarked, I'm insanely jealous. Brilliant beasts.