Most everyone knows about the G-Wagen. After all, it looks unlike anything else on the road and it’s become a bit of a pop culture icon. But this is no ordinary G-Wagen, it’s a 1992 Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen 250GD Wolf. This is a decommissioned military vehicle that has been painstakingly restored and is being offered by Expedition Motor Company with a price tag of $125,450. The more you read about this thing and the work that’s gone into it, the more you’ll want it.
The Model.
Legend has it that back in the early 1970s, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last Shah needed 20,000 desert-ready trucks to fortify the country’s military. The Shah, a man of massive wealth, an autophile, and also a Mercedes-Benz shareholder, went to the company about the possibility of fulfilling the order. They got to work creating the Geländewagen, often called “the Wolf” when used in a military context. It was a boxy beast capable of performing many functions, on or off of paved roads. t its core, it lives up to its name, which translates roughly to “terrain vehicle,” sporting low overhangs, a suspension ahead of its time and three fully-locking differentials.
And that’s before the folks at Expedition Motor Company get their hands on it. These talented enthusiasts out of New Jersey do one thing and one thing only, and they do it to the extreme. They import decommissioned Geländewagen 250GD Wolfs from military sources around the world and they restore the absolute s#*t out of them. They won’t touch it if it’s not a Wolf, though, and to be a Wolf you have to have a fold-down windshield, be a cabrio, and be a 250GD. Don't ask them to build anything else. The 250GD is a W460 variant made from 1988 to 1991 (92 MY) that had an 2.5L inline 5 cylinder diesel motor that with only 84 horsepower and 114 lb ft of torque took almost 30 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. But it was a hellishly durable motor in a truck made to tackle whatever was in front of it.
Expedition Motor Company restorations are frame-off restorations that reportedly include about 1,000 man hours of work each and result in a vehicle that looks and drives the part. Check this out, but only if you’re interested in falling in love:
The Specs.
This is a fully restored Wolf. And by fully restored, we mean they seriously took this thing completely apart and made sure every damn thing is perfect. A quick browse through the photographs proves that we’re not being hyperbolic. You’re buying a 30 year old car, but you’re essentially getting something that is better than brand new.
Mechanical
- OM602 Diesel engine removed after testing cylinder compression and oil pressure
- Engine cleaned and disassembled for inspection
- Cylinder head removed for inspection
- Camshaft inspected for wear
- Engine block cleaned and prepped
- Engine block refinished
- Cylinder head checked for warpage and planed
- New front and rear crankshaft seals
- New cylinder head bolts
- New cylinder head gasket
- Radiator recored
- New timing belt and water pump
- New oil pan gasket
- Timing belt tensioner pulley
- 5-Speed 711.117 transmission removed from vehicle, cleaned and disassembled
- Internal components inspected to be within specifications
- Refinished gearbox housing
- New transmission seals
- New clutch
- New throw-out bearing
- Refurbished transfer case
- Differentials disassembled and inspected
- Axle housings media blasted, refinished and reassembled w/new seals and gaskets
- Hubs regreased
Brakes, Suspension & Steering
- Install new brake hoses
- Install new brake lines
- Calipers rebuilt
- Drums reconditioned
- Install new pads & shoes
- Install new rotors
- Install new springs
- Install new shock absorbers
- Install new urethane suspension bushings
- Install new tie rod ends
- Suspension steering aligned
- Install new steering damper
Exterior
- White (031) paint
- Admiral vinyl interior
- EMC winch bumper w/winch
- Bikini black top
- Indicator guards
- Snorkle kit
- Rear Jerry Can holder & body colored canister
