What Makes Our G-Wagens High Quality?
In today’s saturated market of vintage 4x4 “restomoders,” it can be difficult to tell which companies perform quality restorations. Buyers have to exercise caution to avoid purchasing a rusted vehicle that's only 60% restored, while also verifying the authenticity. Some builders re-badge their G-Wagens in the form of the 230GE. At EMC, we are proud that every one of our 250GDs is a genuine Mercedes-Benz and built under the highest quality standards. If you don’t believe us, check out our builds page; every Wolf that rolls out of our shop has a fully documented restoration that can be viewed online.
Our 100% in-house restoration process begins with selecting a donor vehicle from our personal collection of over 150 Wolf G-Wagens. We do not restore any vehicles that are outsourced outside of our organization. We handpick our collection to ensure each Wolf’s condition meets our standard for restoration. Once selected, each Wolf begins the restoration journey that spans approximately 2,300 man-hours. We start with a total disassembly of the vehicle down to the very last bolt. From there, our team of 25 veteran craftsmen go to work. Every single millimeter of our builds is restored or replaced with new parts. The frame is fully blasted and powder coated. The transmission undergoes a full rebuild with new gears, synchros, and springs. The engine receives a full rebuild from top to bottom. Every single brake line and fitting is brand new. You name it, it gets done. If 2,300 man-hours sounds like an exaggeration, it's not; it's a testament to our commitment to the Wolf. We replace parts of the metal floor with steel of the exact same specification as factory and stamp or hammer every single factory bend no matter how unimportant it is. It’s important to us.
Many of the restoration-hours come from hand-mending the body back to OEM specification. Now, you might be asking yourself, ‘why don’t they just buy new body panels?’ Unlike with a Land Rover Defender or a Ford Bronco, purchasing brand new body parts in bulk for a 250GD simply isn’t an option.The restoration process is very complex, but we relish the challenge. When Alex Levin started Expedition Motor Company, it was far more than a business selling vintage convertible G-Wagens, he was also pioneering classic G-Wagen restoration. Simply put, there is not another company building vintage G-Wagens at this level.
In addition to restoring the original components, every 250GD Wolf is equipped with a host of minimally invasive upgrades: more powerful injector pumps for increased engine output, an in-house developed suspension to modernize ride quality, air conditioning, heat, front and rear heated seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, a plush weatherproof interior, and a Harman Kardon Infinity sound system. Sure, we could be adding more: think traction control, assisted braking, or V8 engines. But we choose to pass on these, intentionally. In an era where ‘old school cool’ is becoming harder to find in the automotive space, we are proud to be a force keeping it alive.
If you want to see what our restoration process looks like, check out this page on our website. Feel free to reach out anytime with questions, we can talk G-Wagen all day.