Man attempts to save cheapest abandoned G-Wagon in the world bought for $3,000 using only scrap parts
- This G-Wagon had been ripped down to its skeleton
- After adding a new powertrain, this man wanted to get it on the road
- The only hitch is that he doesn’t want to spend a penny
Published on Jan 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh
Last updated on Jan 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
One man in South Africa has made it his goal to give this abandoned G-Wagon a second lease of life after buying it for just $3,000.
But there’s a catch…
He will only be using scrap parts.
Will this 1981 Mercedes Gelandewagen see the South African safaris again? Or are the vultures circling over this carcass?
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South African man gives abandoned G-Wagon a new life
The Mercedes G-Wagon – or the G-Class in the modern tongue – is quite a behemoth car, especially in offroad conditions where it can literally climb mountains with ease.
This particular vehicle owned by Ruan Schneider was bought five years ago.
The used car was destined to be scrapped as the chassis was a wreck, but he soon found a donor vehicle and got to work modifying the G-Wagon and the powertrain.
However, real life got in the way and it has been sitting still ever since. That is until now.
The goal is simple: Get the car back on and driving without spending any money and only using scrap parts he could find lying around the workshop. Only after the car rolls out of the garage would the spending be allowed, making upgrades to the engine as it becomes his daily drive.
The biggest issues for the car include a massive electrical system overhaul, as the wiring is all on show and mixed up.
This project had echoes of the Willys Panel Wagon that was pulled out of the ground 30 years on and needed a lot of work to be revived.
So, would it start?
Well, to little surprise with the wiring issues, it wouldn’t. But after a bit of configuration, the wirings for the ignition were all connected, although this only unearthed a new issue. The engine still wouldn’t start due to a fuel pressure issue.
Again, some more wiring modifications were completed, including using some pipes from the scrap part pile to connect the fuel, and the G-Wagon finally burst into life.
After five years dormant, the skeleton of the car was alive again.
There are many more elements that need love though. The G-Wagon still has no brakes, no interior, and a basic engine which the content creator wants to upgrade.
Despite the project being far from finished, it was great to see this abandoned car back up and running again.
Other like-minded rebuilds have seen a wrecked Dodge Ram be revived for just $400.
