This 1994 Mercedes-Benz 290GD is a two-door long-wheelbase example originally ordered in Poland which has recently received a complete body-off, nut and bolt restoration. Finished in Carrara Gray (752) over black leather, power is provided by a 2.9-liter five-cylinder diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission with a two-speed transfer case. The restoration included a sand blast of the body and chassis with new paint and powder coating, new plated hardware, new suspension components, a rebuilt motor and much more. An aftermarket AC unit has been fitted to the truck along with a touch screen head unit and an alcantara headliner. This 1994 290GD is now offered for sale by the selling dealer with a clean Carfax report and a clean New Jersey title.
The body was sandblasted to bare metal before being professionally primed and repainted in its factory color of Carrara Gray (752). Exterior features include satin black bumpers and fenders, a front skid plate, rear mud flaps, a trailer hitch and a rear window wiper. A full size spare with cover is mounted to the side-hinged tailgate.
Black painted 18” double five-spoke alloy wheels from a W463 come wrapped in a set of Kumho Road Venture tires measuring 265/60 on all four corners with 2021 date codes. The seller reports that the restoration included all new brake lines, new shocks and springs, new axles and driveshafts and powder coated suspension components.
The seats and door panels were retrimmed in genuine Mercedes black leather with a diamond quilt pattern on the doors while the headliner was trimmed in black Alcantara. An aftermarket AC unit with an electronic compressor was fitted to the car along with a touchscreen head unit. Additional features include manual windows, a USB charger, a lockable glove box and two second row seats.
The four-spoke steering wheel fronts a central analog clock which sits alongside a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. The five digit odometer shows 33k miles with true mileage unknown.
This W461 is powered by a 2.9-liter inline five-cylinder diesel engine which is rated for 95 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque. Power is distributed to all four wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission with a crawler gear and a two-speed transfer case. Lockable differentials are fitted front and rear. The engine was fully rebuilt and disassembled with a refinished head and freshly plated hardware which was stripped and galvanized. Both axles and differentials were rebuilt along with the driveshafts, alternator and starter. The seller reports that the chassis was sandblasted before being powder coated with underbody photos viewable in the gallery below. All suspension components including both shocks and springs were replaced along with all new brake lines. Pictures documenting the frame-off restoration are provided in the gallery.
Originally ordered in Poland, this G-Wagen was imported to the United States in May 2023. This 1994 290GD is now offered for sale by the selling dealer in Moonachie, New Jersey with a clean Carfax report and a clean New Jersey title.
A video showing the truck during restoration has been provided below.
The G-Class could be labeled as one of the instantly-recognized classics from the Mercedes-Benz lineup and was the tried and true workhorse under the three-pointed star. Countless configurations of the G-Wagen can be seen across the globe from military transport, to firetrucks, and even the Pope's preferred transport. These are the go anywhere, do anything solution from Mercedes-Benz. This example is a unique W461 two-door long-wheelbase chassis which was often ordered by militaries and municipalities for official use. After being imported to the US, the truck underwent an extensive body-off restoration which consisted of more than 2,000 man hours of work. Given their utilitarian pedigree, finding an example in this condition (and with working air conditioning) is exceedingly difficult and this example is certainly top tier.
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9 Comments
Sorry to see it end this way. Unfortunately 55k just doesn’t get it done. Adding up just the donor car, a full motor rebuild, and maybe a paint job you’d be at the 55k before doing the frame restoration and so on. Maybe a deal can be done with the high bidder. Thanks all for being here!$55,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$52,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$51,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$50,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$48,500 bid placed by @Stearsman
$47,500 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$47,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$46,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$45,500 bid placed by @Unimog2450
$45,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$44,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
Good luck! As I am sure many of you know the 290GD long wheelbase is one of the rarest G’s made. Super super cool. Zero rust and ready to be enjoyed. Really hope this one is off to a new home!$42,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$40,500 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$39,999 bid placed by @Dhouser
$35,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
$34,500 bid placed by @Unimog2450
$34,000 bid placed by @outlier4x4
Good luck to those bidding. This is a top notch body off frame nut and bolt restoration. Better than any Defender your neighbor might have! Roughly 2k man hours go into each of these restorations. Should you want carpeting I am happy to install that plus floor insulation at cost. I take immense pride in our brand being the first nationally to offer this sort of restored G wagon. We’ve sold our custom designed builds for over 150k. The reserve here is a mere fraction of this with the hope of getting this car into the hands of someone who will show everyone what they’ve got who will then contact us to buy their own ::) I have personally driven it a number of times to all sorts of events which we have sponsored and this is a great one. Talk about a convo starter! Good luck everyone!$33,000 bid placed by @Stearsman
$31,000 bid placed by @tiptop
The final day is upon us. Any questions please tag @VantageAuto . This is without a doubt one of the finest G wagon restorations you will find anywhere. It's an amazing vehicle! This also qualifies for an up to 80% writeoff to anyone who might be using it for business purposes due to weight.$30,005 bid placed by @Unimog2450
@outlier4x4 thank you for the kind words! It is indeed an exceptional example@outlier4x4 Agreed, this is awesome. With how popular new G's have become, these should be ultra-desirable.I'm a sucker for an LWB G-Wagon. Brilliant presentation and rare example. Whoever wins this will be luckyI welcome everyone to the auction of this incredible nut and bolt restored 1994 Mercedes 290GD. For those of you not familiar with our brand Vantage Auto, we have a new division called The Reserve which is dedicated to the customization and restoration of classic G wagons. My name is Andrew, and I am the founder of Vantage Auto. I established The Reserve out of my passion for these incredible machines and out of determination to offer the best examples ever sold in the United States. I spent years assembling the best people around Europe into a team that would work daily on these restorations. The 290GD shown here has been one which we have used at events for the past year or so. The idea was to restore it in it's original color, with original (rebuilt) powertrain while adding some subtle modern/luxurious touches. Many sellers will tell you their cars are "restored". Unfortunately in most of these instances the cars are simply painted with black paint on the underbody, have an oil change, and maybe a modern interior. That is NOT the case here. Every piece of this vehicle was tripped to bare metal. You have a fully rebuilt diesel motor. Body stripped to bare metal and professionally repainted. All suspension/driveline components refinished or replaced. The frame has been sandblasted and powdercoated to look as new, and will stay that way. The seating has been refinished in genuine MB leather/leatherette. We left the floors bare as that is how they came from the factory however we can add carpeting should the next owner want it, not a problem. A modern infotainment system was added as was air conditioning. The elongated rear windows and seals are original. We could not find replacements at the time of restoring the vehicle. The long wheelbase 290GD is a very rare vehicle that was made for government use only. It turns heads everywhere it goes. I have tons of photos taken throughout the restoration process, many of which are shown here. This 290GD is US TITLED. Reserve is set at a very fair price. To be honest we cannot replicate this car at the reserve any longer due to increases in part and labor costs. This is one of the best you will find anywhere, period. Thousands of hours spent on the restoration. I welcome anyone to view it in person at our showroom in Moonachie NJ. If for any reason this is not the type of G you are looking for I am happy to discuss other options with you. We also offer clients the ability to custom design their own. Please ensure you are financially prepared to own before bidding. Any questions tag @vantageauto I will get right back to you Good luck! Best, AndrewIncredible amount of work has gone into this build. The modern screen is an interesting touch for the 461 chassis. Kind of feels like the Singer Porsche of G's$15,290 bid placed by @tiptop