1979 w460 SWB on Craigslist... is it worth it?

Sheesh, I can't believe the guy was asking $13,500 originally! I personally thought that 10K was wayyy overpriced as it sat. What do you think? There's no way I'm paying 10K for a G Wagon with rust, regardless if the rust is repaired. Sure, it seems to have low miles and be in good working condition, but it's not a pretty example and it IS rusting in some parts. What's a good price for a G Wagon in this condition?

Yeah, I was thinking that as well. I would be hesitant to pay 6K even... this guy is desperate it seems, and he'll take the cash if he needs to get rid of it that badly.
And yup, I get ya. What type of numbers did you see for MPG on your 240 GD?

Yeah, I understand. Either way, 20+ MPG on a G wagon is a winning deal for me. The one in the ad is a 4x4, so that's a plus. As far as rust goes, the guy posted a youtube video of his G Wagon showing everything about the car basically. He wasn't shy about the rust- it was definitely there. Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv_SLbFwHtY
From what I saw, it seemed everything in good working order... but then again, the interior as well as the body weren't pretty. I don't care about it being in showroom condition, but as NH has very salty roads in the wintertime, it worries me.

Well, that's a good thing, I hope! How bad is yours, and in what spots? And as for the interior, the front two seats looked like crap but the original plaid back seat looked great from the video. I wonder how tacky it would look if I replaced just the front two... it might actually be visually appealing. Who knows!
And oh, I didn't notice that... that IS weird. I wonder if that's a sign of something bad lurking below the surface...
And oh, of course! If I do purchase this vehicle, there will be endless pictures. I promise!

Sheesh. I guess so! How do you even start to treat all of that rust? Buy new panels completely? Or try to patch it yourself? Do those spray cans of rust removal and protection any good? And yeah. I want this thing badly. Not sure if I'm gonna bite though.
And awesome. Thanks for the tips. I'm really drawn to the G wagon because I love old cars, I love the OM617 diesel engines, I love reliable off-road vehicle, and I also want a vehicle I can work on for a project. As far as I'm concerned, an G wagon is my dream car.

I figured you would Now just to cough up some extra cash...
And hmm. I see. What state are you located in anyways? A rust bucket can't pass inspection in NH. They're really strict. It's kind of annoying, actually. As for the welding, I'd get some good practice in before doing it on your beloved G... I've done some welding before, and it's trickier than it looks to do it right.
Hah. The G wagon, or basically any Mercedes with the OM617 is like a paradox... they'll run forever, but are high-maintenance and require lots of TLC. That's the way cars SHOULD be.

Haha. California. I just saw your Member tag. Silly me!
And okay, thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it. And yeah, I totally get it. Hopefully this guy is desperate to sell it and will be willing to haggle.
And yeah, ain't that the truth. Diesel is expensive enough as it is... but I'm convinced that it will save money in the long run when compared to the MPG of a similarly equipped 280GE. Also, like I said, I'm obsessed with Mercedes diesel engines. I grew up with those things and used to make the sound of their clickity-clackity putter with my mouth as a kid. If this G that I'm interested in is indeed in good mechanical condition like the seller says, I'll probably just drive it as is for a while before I do any major fixes just so I can familiarize with the vehicle.

Hey. Check this out- he put it on Ebay.
Mercedes Benz 300 Series 2 Door | eBay

Yeah, agreed. I want to know why he's wanting to sell the thing if he's put so much work into it that he claimed was for long-term self enjoyment. He did do a good job with the description though.

Thanks again for all your help. If this goes through, I'll let you know and post pictures of course.

Eh. I'm starting to rethink. If his reserve is higher than 7k, he's really asking a lot in my opinion. Man to man negotiation would bring the price down, but not far enough where I think he'd sell it to me for my price. If it doesn't sell and continues to go down, I'll likely act considering I'm only a couple towns over.