The usual "should I buy this"-thread.

So, I had originally decided on getting an oldish, diesel G-Class Benz (for DD'ing, pulling, playing, crawling, etc?) - but had this deal fell in my lap.



It's an '88 2-door with the 4.0 and manual tranny, 175K miles, I can basically have it for $800 US.

It obviously needs some work, discs/pads, wheel cylinder/brake shoes?, both front u-joints, exhaust leak and trifles like wipers and lights. BUT, the thing that worried me the most, is that the owner says that the clutch is worn and the tranny sometime scrapes during gear changes. And since this is a pre-89 car, it's guaranteed (?) to have the notorious Peugeot BA10/5, that we hear so much different about.

How long would you estimate the tranny to last? I really rather not want to mess with that so sudden. How would an AX15 or NV3500 fit (looking forward in time)?

It really doesn't have the exciting drivetrain either (NP231/CAD30/D35), but it in some way appeals to me.

The thing I see in a G-Class, is: heavy towing capable, traffic safety, more seats, lockers.. status? :dunce: The XJ is legal for 1560 kgs, I guess I could squeeze my comp rig and boggi trailer within that, but how cool would it be driving five hours with?

What to do? :dunno:

Hooray?

Apples to oranges my friend.

Go with the Benz.

Rev

They're both 4x4's aren't they?

The problem is that most G's are too damn costy.

To bad I'm not close. I'd want it lol looks good and for 800 not bad. Ota see what 800 will get ya here for an XJ. It wont look that good I promise.

The AX 15 is pretty much a bolt-in affair.

If the floors and rockers are good, I'd go for it. Sure it needs work, but the price difference between parts for the G-Class and the XJ would be a big incentive. There's a lot more aftermarket support for the XJ as well. They're also rated for 5000 lbs with the right equipment, so can haul stuff around quite well.

Is it 4wd? If it's not, and your heart is set on a 4wd then I'd either buy this one and swap the tranny, t-case, front axle and drive shafts from a donor truck. If this is not your cup of tea, I'd pass on it. It's a great deal for an XJ with a good body and low milage (at 175K it's just getting warmed up!) but there are better deals out there.

Is that bitchin' rocket box on the roof included?

Yeah, that price is considered super cheap here in Norway (think that you're approx 1/3 of us in used car pricing..). But hey, I see you guys get mint MJ's thrown after you! :lickout:

The AX-15s have the 23 spline output, yes? That means new t-case also, yes? How about the NV3500, that's a beefier case, but will it just be a big hassle?

Actually it does have a little rust, but in the most unusual places I've seen, grill surroundings, C-pillars and such. The rocker(s) are shot. Didn't really get to check the floor, but hey - I've welded two of them before so it's fairly straight forward!

Sure it's 4x4 (NP231), wouldn't even considered anything else!

My thought is that, in worst case sceario, if the car is too busted for me to get through an inspection, I could part it out an easily gain back my money. (Two new sets of tires on factory alloys, plus that sweet looking rocket box mentioned..)

NXJ said:

The AX-15s have the 23 spline output, yes? That means new t-case also, yes? How about the NV3500, that's a beefier case, but will it just be a big hassle?

Click to expand...

The AX-15 is 23 spline, and pretty much the exact same in physical dimensions as the BA-10 that's in there. I don't know about the NV3500, so can't comment on that; but the AX-15 is plenty stout.

NXJ said:

Actually it does have a little rust, but in the most unusual places I've seen, grill surroundings, C-pillars and such. The rocker(s) are shot. Didn't really get to check the floor, but hey - I've welded two of them before so it's fairly straight forward!

Click to expand...

Very true, but it's also an investment of your time. If this price is very cheap fpr where you are, then the extra work will be worth it. I didn't notice your location, my bad...

NXJ said:

Sure it's 4x4 (NP231), wouldn't even considered anything else!

My thought is that, in worst case sceario, if the car is too busted for me to get through an inspection, I could part it out an easily gain back my money. (Two new sets of tires on factory alloys, plus that sweet looking rocket box mentioned..)

Click to expand...

Very true. Sounds more and more like a deal to me!

Just how big of a difference in price is it between normally-priced XJ's vs G-wagons?

The BA is 21-spline, correct? It never seize to amaze me what one can break, I was told the exact same thing about the AW4 and now it's laying on the floor in thousand bits and pieces.

On a serious note, how many more miles can I envisage with this 175K Pug-tranny (maybe after bleeding the slave cylinder)?

Hmm.. there are such major price gaps with both vehicles. But newer G's (90+) is 3, 4 and even 5 times more than a similar age XJ. Older G's are a little less spendy, I originally had a deal on a '86 300TD for $2K.

Towing capacity on the manual is 3500 lbs., not 5000 lbs. For that, you would need the automatic.

I had an '87 with the BA-10. First the clutch slave cylinder failed, then the clutch master cylinder failed, both after just a couple years. Didn't keep it long enough for the tranny to fail.

Even though it would be far from comfortable, I'm sure the trail rig plus a decent trailer would add up to be just within the limit.

How did the clutch systems fail? And how many miles did you have on it?

My ex wife had an 88 with the peugeot tranny and it went well over 225K miles without problems (highway, no wheeling but a fair amount of towing). It did, however, go through a couple of clutch slaves, and those are pretty expensive. I don't think the Peugeot is all that bad for daily driving; it gets a bad rep for breaking more than for wearing out.

If you're not familiar with the system, the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder is built into the release mechanism, so you have to remove the box to replace it.

The door bottoms on that one look kind of suspicious. Old 2-doors tend to rust on the door bottoms (not sure why they are so much worse than the 4-doors). You might want to take a closer look at those doors and make sure they're not just made out of putty and paint.

Thanks for the input!

Maybe I could get some more miles out of it, then. But then again, I tend to not be all that kind to drivetrains. Yeah, internal slave cylinder - it's a biatch.

The doors are solid, what you see is just a ding. Thanks for the tip, though.