Jeez. What I want for a Christmas present is to be this guy. He has my dream job. Modifying, designing and building Mercedes machines to go on trips to Africa and beyond. Please adopt me.
@@Mac10Daddy Until they need servicing. And they increase the sprung weight at each wheel location. There are trade offs. For most of us who don't off road like Couch, then they are not needed to save weight, money, and service time.
Been riding on a G my whole life!!! My father owns a 300GD SWB lost KM/Millage counting because the counter is broken but well he's been driving a G for 30 years. This things drive like a love boat in pretyy rough terrain.
I wish we got that one. I stayed with you guys at Camp Marmal In Afghanistan and they were all over the place. Instead we get AMG trash that will never see dirt. What a waste.
Professional series and military series are actually different. Professional series doesn’t allow for certain options like armored cab while military series does. But underneath, they’re mostly the same thing.
@@ParissaKhoury so am I, if we want to buy them we have to go to Germany or Australia. Mercedes dealers here don’t sell them. You have to go to a dealer in Europe or Australia, Germany is best. When you see a unimog in the US it’s because the guy who owns it bought it in Germany and had it sent back here to the US. You can go on vacation to buy it and ship it back, shipping for one is $5000-$8000 each way depending on if you do sea or air.
@@ParissaKhoury us Mercedes dealers only sell the base and amg g wagon models Military and professional are all sold outside USA, Mercedes won’t ship it to you, they want you to do that part yourself. It would cost them a ton to ship it to your local Mercedes dealer since they don’t normally sell those ones here. It could get lost easy as well.
I’ve always loved the old G-wagens. That old Mercedes diesel brings me back to my first car handed down to me by my parents, 1976 240d Mercedes sedan that they bought in December two months to the day after my birth. I had to turn the key and pull the glow plug lever to start it. It would take a couple of minutes even here in Honolulu. Going up hills I’d get passed by mopeds but that thing would go forever on a tank of diesel. One day, soon I hope, I will ring up Mr Couch for a G-wagen or Unimog.
Served army in a Puch Gelandewagen 300GD, fantastic vehicle G wagons are designed and manufactured in Austria, by Puch~Stayer, as well as Pinzgauer, Mercedes just bought the company and put another badge
they sold the designs to an indian company that till makes the same vehicle with OM616 engine ans same transmission its the military spec version too! the company is called force motors - it is bascically a company built on g wagon and sprinter designs.
That logo that looks like a desert man on the door is the Dakar logo. Dakar rally is the most famous rally raid event in the world.... surprised nobody mentioned that.
Your Videos with Mr. Couch are amazing. This portal axle G even still hast it's German "season" plates. I got the same tire stickers, and run KO2s, haha.
You finally gave me confirmation of what I remembered from 90s reviews- g wagons had 4 low synchronised (w461 and w463?). I believe new ones do not have 4 low synchronised.
We have G wagen from Puch still in our military. It's one of the best cars in the world. We also have the Prado LC, newer versions and the hilux and LC200, but G wagen beats them if you ask me. It's just a beast, the build quality is incredible, it's semi-comfortable. But the wind noise kills you at high speed
Our Dutch marechaussee (between police and military) use armored AMG G classes in Europe, but for their foreign missions (Embassy protection and so on) they all use the LC200. More reliable and you can service it everywhere. By more reliable I mean more reliable than the AMG G classes. I think a more basic diesel G class is very reliable as well. But the AMG G classes drive better with all that armor weight.
6:20 the G-Wagon was build by the company Puch in Graz/Austria. in Austria and Switzerland, they were sold under the name Puch, in the rest of the world, they were named as Mercedes G-Klasse.
My dad had a 1986 lwb G wagen with big tires and twin lockers. we had bad ice in Ireland and got it stuck, the next day my teacher gloatingly in a Panda 4x4 drove the same road with no problems. Still an amazing vehicle though, I always felt Landrovers are more characterful though, not sure why.
The tires might have made the difference... Big offroad tires are absolute inferior in snow and ice to actual winter tires (with which the Panda most likely was outfitted). I have seen two guys on an offroad track in the snow and freezing temps. (they did that in switzerland) One with a stock Mercedes ML with new winter tires, the other with a modified Defender 90 with anything you can imagine on offroad goodies and big MT tires. The ML had to pull the Defender out and had an easy time. (additionally: the Defender driver was a swiss offroad enthusiast who had used his rig in things like the Superkaparta and the ML driver was a car journalist from northern germany which usually means not much offroad knowledge and not much snow driving knowledge) And if i go by my cousin, even with tractors, the place he works changes to winter tires for snow clearing duty. He described the difference like night and day gripwise. Fun Fact. the first gen Panda 4x4 was built by Steyr Daimler Puch. Rings a bell? That's where the G was made (devellopment and manufacturing) and it is till made there. Just the name changed, but the G to this day is built in the same place. (and this place only) (Fun Fact 2 It is the place where alle the current Supra and Z4 are built too.)
@@nirfz Cool Thanks for the info, I didn't know they where built in the same factory. It's funny though my teacher used to boast about how great his Panda was before this and he was 10 times worse afterwards. Im a big fan of the mk1 ML with a standard low range box, times have changed alot from anything in the suv genre having a low box and full time awd.
i converted my 1986 280ge to a 290 602.982 and to manual 5 speed 8 years ago.. it just run whatever weather here above the Artic Circle Norway, 8 years without any hiccups. never selling it
He might as well if said: “If my latte starts shaking I can deflate tires until it is smooth again” I mean the real benefit of inflation system is to gain traction on loose surfaces or climbing obstacles not making the ride more comfortable
Man, those butterscotch seats... they just don't make them like they used to. My wife hates the 90s f series diesels with the visor lip over the windshield and even the boomerang antenna on top. Something about those are just so appealing. Just like the old school G Wagon.
Great to see the utilitarian G. I have to say that those rock sliders look like they would catch on everything. Why have the brakets wrap around the outside to create snag points?
I am always mesmerized by G-Wagon's boxy design, something about it is beautiful, maybe its balance of proportion or simply they don't make theses kind of cars anymore.
Is there an air compressor on board for the tire inflation system. No mate, it's beamed down via a space station and the space station is run by gundams America😂😂
Where was the engine swap done? In EU or USA? Was there any work done on the IP? Who supplied the portal axles? Tibus? What five-speed manual did you mate to the OM602? Mercedes Benz or ZF (BMW)? Who was the Registered Importer who cleared the vehicle for you?
My son had a 83 Mercedes, it was a G Wagon but it was a 5 cinder diesel, the best I remember it was a E300 & that thing was a tank. Don't know about the newer ones but the old Mercedes were way over built.👍🏻👍🏻
If I could afford a new G wagon I'd hands down take one. Put a proper set of wheels and tires and have fun with it. You can offroad a vehicle and not destroy it.
I’d about kill for one of these! This Couch Off-road company builds EPIC UNIMOG camper 4 season overlanding /off-road vehicles as well as other military based “mobile luxury homes” but they build them with THE best components and upgrades possible . I’d love to see what some of the brand new rock rigs we saw are turned into. Saw some Chevy stuff and several brand new Hyundai 4 door cross over with a truck bed. Be a cool build.
That's a proper G wagon. I have been in a couple over the years and even without the portal axles the older ones are excellent.
yes..... a rodeo drive ,posh resort valet parking G wagon
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 That is a Rodeo Drive soccer mom vehicle that may ride up a curb by accident
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 lmao you are so clueless if that's all you know of the g wagen.
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 are you jealous? lol
@@johnjobber2219 jealousy is so cringey
Jeez. What I want for a Christmas present is to be this guy.
He has my dream job. Modifying, designing and building Mercedes machines to go on trips to Africa and beyond.
Please adopt me.
The ground clearance is insane wow
Portal axels are great
It's a 4x4
@@Mac10Daddy Until they need servicing. And they increase the sprung weight at each wheel location. There are trade offs. For most of us who don't off road like Couch, then they are not needed to save weight, money, and service time.
Been riding on a G my whole life!!!
My father owns a 300GD SWB lost KM/Millage counting because the counter is broken but well he's been driving a G for 30 years.
This things drive like a love boat in pretyy rough terrain.
WOW it's hard to find a classic in this good of a condition love it
Crouch is no slouch, always next level engineering and execution.
Good to see one like this!! Not the ones in your Boujee/stuck up folks area that only drives them like if they were a Sienna or Grand Caravan.
The Mercedes G Klasse is still built as a G Professional for the Military and here in Germany we get base models that are not that expensiv
I wish we got that one. I stayed with you guys at Camp Marmal In Afghanistan and they were all over the place. Instead we get AMG trash that will never see dirt. What a waste.
Professional series and military series are actually different.
Professional series doesn’t allow for certain options like armored cab while military series does.
But underneath, they’re mostly the same thing.
@@ParissaKhoury go to Germany or Australia
@@ParissaKhoury so am I, if we want to buy them we have to go to Germany or Australia. Mercedes dealers here don’t sell them. You have to go to a dealer in Europe or Australia, Germany is best.
When you see a unimog in the US it’s because the guy who owns it bought it in Germany and had it sent back here to the US.
You can go on vacation to buy it and ship it back, shipping for one is $5000-$8000 each way depending on if you do sea or air.
@@ParissaKhoury us Mercedes dealers only sell the base and amg g wagon models
Military and professional are all sold outside USA, Mercedes won’t ship it to you, they want you to do that part yourself. It would cost them a ton to ship it to your local Mercedes dealer since they don’t normally sell those ones here. It could get lost easy as well.
Finally a real offroad build I like made on G wagon !
Best G ever seen... not one of the fancy rich man jokers!
I’ve always loved the old G-wagens. That old Mercedes diesel brings me back to my first car handed down to me by my parents, 1976 240d Mercedes sedan that they bought in December two months to the day after my birth. I had to turn the key and pull the glow plug lever to start it. It would take a couple of minutes even here in Honolulu. Going up hills I’d get passed by mopeds but that thing would go forever on a tank of diesel.
One day, soon I hope, I will ring up Mr Couch for a G-wagen or Unimog.
Served army in a Puch Gelandewagen 300GD, fantastic vehicle
G wagons are designed and manufactured in Austria, by Puch~Stayer, as well as Pinzgauer, Mercedes just bought the company and put another badge
they sold the designs to an indian company that till makes the same vehicle with OM616 engine ans same transmission its the military spec version too! the company is called force motors - it is bascically a company built on g wagon and sprinter designs.
For some reason I get way more excited for this older models then I get to a brand new G-wagen
This is my dream rig.
That logo that looks like a desert man on the door is the Dakar logo. Dakar rally is the most famous rally raid event in the world.... surprised nobody mentioned that.
Nathan did, he said something like "we are only a few days away from the next".
Drove a few of these in the army and overseas.
Already very capable in barebones dod versions.
Your Videos with Mr. Couch are amazing. This portal axle G even still hast it's German "season" plates. I got the same tire stickers, and run KO2s, haha.
Thank you for watching!
Sorry, you are wrong, it's a transfer plate for export.
@@stefanl-d6803 ok, thanks
That is such a cool rig
+1 .. The Portal Axles with Air Inflation cracked me up .... ! The real deal ...
You finally gave me confirmation of what I remembered from 90s reviews- g wagons had 4 low synchronised (w461 and w463?). I believe new ones do not have 4 low synchronised.
I've owned nothing but Land Rovers from 1965 to 2004 for the last 20 years. I drive a '98 Puch because of all the things you said.
That is the first G-wagon I have seen in years that I have wanted . Near perfect .
We have G wagen from Puch still in our military. It's one of the best cars in the world. We also have the Prado LC, newer versions and the hilux and LC200, but G wagen beats them if you ask me. It's just a beast, the build quality is incredible, it's semi-comfortable. But the wind noise kills you at high speed
Our Dutch marechaussee (between police and military) use armored AMG G classes in Europe, but for their foreign missions (Embassy protection and so on) they all use the LC200. More reliable and you can service it everywhere.
By more reliable I mean more reliable than the AMG G classes. I think a more basic diesel G class is very reliable as well.
But the AMG G classes drive better with all that armor weight.
6:20 the G-Wagon was build by the company Puch in Graz/Austria. in Austria and Switzerland, they were sold under the name Puch, in the rest of the world, they were named as Mercedes G-Klasse.
Small correction, *is* still built there.
You must be Austrian
@@rl7586 no ;) Bavarian, but close to our neighbors from Austria
That is stunning and exactly what I need!
Love it. Back in 84 I got my first 4wd Mag and one of these were in it. Awesome vehicle.
How much is the price now, I mean the old model of it 🤔🤔
@@Mysteriousman355 Back then it was by far the dearest being 40K or so. A hilux was 11K. Not sure now
Hey Nathan@ tfl y'all should take this g wagon and that unimog to the tumbleweed off-road course and see just how far they can really go!!!!!!
Absolutely amazing 4x4 the thing will go anywhere, trust me I know...
The Canadian military has them with a 50cal turret. Pretty sweet, I want one 🤘🏼
Sweet! thats the ideal set up diesel with portal axles!
This is the G that I would actually spend my money on if I had some! 👍
Lots and lots of it.
Oh yeah... Make your pick: a house or this car.
@@mysterioanonymous3206 Why can't it be both? 😉
Now that we know whose capable of building a dream machine, they are the people to go do.. That’s if we can afford their craftsmanship.. 🤣🤣🤣
It's the dream car, sweet!
If I can’t have a heated massage while climbing a rock wall, I don’t want it.
I'm loving it. Greetings from Hamburg 🇩🇪
Ooh this is nice, this is the G Wagen I would want.
Can you test it more i want to see what can it do.
Those HONOR BFG Baja terrains are the military contract tires. I’m interested how you got ahold them.
pretty sweet setup... surprised most modern cars don't come with on-demand compressors and auto tire inflation at this point
My dad had a 1986 lwb G wagen with big tires and twin lockers. we had bad ice in Ireland and got it stuck, the next day my teacher gloatingly in a Panda 4x4 drove the same road with no problems. Still an amazing vehicle though, I always felt Landrovers are more characterful though, not sure why.
Ssssttt, if TFL finds out something like a Fiat Panda 4x4 exist they want to have it.
@@buddy1155 Ye It would be cool to see the TFL Team do a review of the panda 4x4, In Europe, it has a locker in some models too.
@@evang9708 It is more than old enough to import it into the US.
The tires might have made the difference... Big offroad tires are absolute inferior in snow and ice to actual winter tires (with which the Panda most likely was outfitted).
I have seen two guys on an offroad track in the snow and freezing temps. (they did that in switzerland) One with a stock Mercedes ML with new winter tires, the other with a modified Defender 90 with anything you can imagine on offroad goodies and big MT tires. The ML had to pull the Defender out and had an easy time.
(additionally: the Defender driver was a swiss offroad enthusiast who had used his rig in things like the Superkaparta and the ML driver was a car journalist from northern germany which usually means not much offroad knowledge and not much snow driving knowledge)
And if i go by my cousin, even with tractors, the place he works changes to winter tires for snow clearing duty. He described the difference like night and day gripwise.
Fun Fact. the first gen Panda 4x4 was built by Steyr Daimler Puch. Rings a bell? That's where the G was made (devellopment and manufacturing) and it is till made there. Just the name changed, but the G to this day is built in the same place. (and this place only)
(Fun Fact 2 It is the place where alle the current Supra and Z4 are built too.)
@@nirfz Cool Thanks for the info, I didn't know they where built in the same factory. It's funny though my teacher used to boast about how great his Panda was before this and he was 10 times worse afterwards. Im a big fan of the mk1 ML with a standard low range box, times have changed alot from anything in the suv genre having a low box and full time awd.
ive got an old sprinter with the 2.7 I5 and it is revvy for a diesel
That thing is freaking awesome!
So cool to see a video on this truck. I have seen so many pictures of it. I gotta put 37s on my G now... 😂
Canadian Army uses them, loved to ride in em!
I've often wondered what the ring diameter of the G-Wagon is.
With the Tibus portals, that unit is darn near unstoppable.
What du you mean with ring diameter?
@@eyeswideopen7450turning circle?
@@leewright7623 that one with the factory portal axles has 14,3 m of turning circle. So yeah it is pretty bad
Ring gear is referring the axle ring gear diameter
Looks great.. I'd knock that tire hoses off within 10 miles crawling up theses Colorado trails.
Por DIOS que maravilla un MB-G 4x4 con transmisión manual, lo mejor del mundo 🌎
This guy makes awesome rigs. Best off road vehicles for a SHTF end of world situation 😎
i converted my 1986 280ge to a 290 602.982 and to manual 5 speed 8 years ago.. it just run whatever weather here above the Artic Circle Norway, 8 years without any hiccups. never selling it
He might as well if said:
“If my latte starts shaking I can deflate tires until it is smooth again”
I mean the real benefit of inflation system is to gain traction on loose surfaces or climbing obstacles not making the ride more comfortable
Germans know how to build.
They used to, any modern Merc won't last more than 5 years without becoming a nightmare
Junk. There. I finished it for you
@@armandoaragon575 5years? 5 minutes
Don't see too many 10 year old German cars on the road unless driven by enthusiasts, "rich" or on a roll back
@@armandoaragon575 the Mercedes in Europe and the work vehicles are great. Mercedes diesels are top notch.
Man, those butterscotch seats... they just don't make them like they used to. My wife hates the 90s f series diesels with the visor lip over the windshield and even the boomerang antenna on top. Something about those are just so appealing. Just like the old school G Wagon.
Wow, that is quite the description of the Tuareg.
Great to see the utilitarian G. I have to say that those rock sliders look like they would catch on everything. Why have the brakets wrap around the outside to create snag points?
What's your idea?
I would absolutely love to have that rig!
Nice guys here blessings from Lamar Colorado
Just bought a refurbished German military veesion with turbodiesel. Going wheeling in VA blue ridge!
👏👏👏 HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY EVERYONE ✌️
G wagen is legend.💪 I love this "pistachio" color☺
Merry Christmas!
I WANT ONE
I am always mesmerized by G-Wagon's boxy design, something about it is beautiful, maybe its balance of proportion or simply they don't make theses kind of cars anymore.
“You can drive fast, I can drive everywhere.”
-need that for my L300 😂
I love the G wagon and my other truck is a Unimog 406
Where did you get portal axle?😮
Awesome stuff..great vid
Beautiful rig!
Is there an air compressor on board for the tire inflation system.
No mate, it's beamed down via a space station and the space station is run by gundams America😂😂
Pls make a video on the unimog
Where was the engine swap done? In EU or USA? Was there any work done on the IP? Who supplied the portal axles? Tibus? What five-speed manual did you mate to the OM602? Mercedes Benz or ZF (BMW)? Who was the Registered Importer who cleared the vehicle for you?
Regarding what is said at 6:51: Yes.
Yes . I would have V6 armour to. Where I stay we have those highway bandits to.
Are those modified mog portals?
I'm a Suzuki guy too, and I have always lusted after a milspec gwagon.
Also, anyone else see those Hyundai Santa Cruz sitting back there?
They are ours
@@NathanDAdlen Here I was trying to imagine what Couch could do to them lol.
What motor is in there? Om606?
New dream truck
G-wagon hit the G-spot! Nice!
That’s so good😮
My son had a 83 Mercedes, it was a G Wagon but it was a 5 cinder diesel, the best I remember it was a E300 & that thing was a tank.
Don't know about the newer ones but the old Mercedes were way over built.👍🏻👍🏻
What fender flares are on this?
4:11 flag sticker of my country...Botswana
22mpg is amazing. I only get 24 out of my GL350CDI on the road.
I so badly want one of these Gs. The portals are probably worth more than my GL.
Couch..It has a central tyre inflation
Tfl..does it have an onboard compressor
Stupid bloody questions you guys ask🤦♂️
Wish I could have opportunity to drive one
That is the dream
What a beauty
What year is this?
Iveco did something similar for army use.
This is the G I would purchase
رائع جدا جدا جدا
أعشق المرسيدس ملكة السيارات بلا أي منازع
The best salesman. 😂
German day license Plate? Where have you been?
Yeah, portal axles with CTIS do the trick.
Very nice.
I remember saying this was the king to the Jeep people… It didn’t go down well, but as an African, there is no better 4x4 than this thing.
It needs to go to Tumbleweed and see if it can beat the Jeep from Utah that did it all.
i think it might. what they showed a jimmney on 29s could do
I wonder how that engine deals with ULSD.
The problem is surplus military G-waggens get bought up real quick and then prices are mad.
ZWICKAU ❤
If I could afford a new G wagon I'd hands down take one. Put a proper set of wheels and tires and have fun with it. You can offroad a vehicle and not destroy it.
what year is that thing originally?
1983.
I’d about kill for one of these! This Couch Off-road company builds EPIC UNIMOG camper 4 season overlanding /off-road vehicles as well as other military based “mobile luxury homes” but they build them with THE best components and upgrades possible . I’d love to see what some of the brand new rock rigs we saw are turned into. Saw some Chevy stuff and several brand new Hyundai 4 door cross over with a truck bed. Be a cool build.