1972 Mercedes Benz 416 Unimog

Well the time has come for me to let my Unimog go.

I have owned the truck for about 10 years it has been great fun.

It is amazing the places this truck can go.

I used the truck as an off-road/ranch truck only and do not have a real need for it anymore and just do not get the time to take its places to off-road.

I will try to put everything I can remember about this truck in the description but leave stuff out about Unimogs in general since if you are already here and reading this you know how great they are and the things they can do. Please read through the entire description and then give me a call if would like more information or have questions ).

Basics about the truck

1972 Mercedes Unimog 416

OM 352 6 cylinder 5. 6 liter diesel engine (non turbo)

Manual transmission with 6 forward gears and 2 reverse (1 st and 2 nd gears are both low gears so you can start in 3 rd on flat ground if you are not heavily loaded or towing)

Standard geared portal axles (50 mph top speed) with drum brakes (air assist)

Has swiveling pintle hitch are air connections for air brakes on a trailer (I have never used the air connections so I do not know if they work properly)

Continental 12. 50 R 20 tires. 3 of the tires are mpt 80 s and one is a radial mpt so they are not a matching tread. Does not have a spare wheel or tire.

12 V electrical system (I was told this truck was made with a 12 V system and started life as a German municipal vehicle)

5 ton payload capacity (has the second set of coil helper springs) with 3 meter long 2 meter wide bed (non dump)

Has a 2” cab lift (by previous owner) so it should clear 395/85 R 20 tires if desired (an easy way to gain top speed and military surplus tires are readily available in this size)

The engine has just over 4500 hours and I believe it is the original engine in the vehicle.

The Speedometer/Odometer has been replaced with one that reads in MPH which currently shows under 1700 miles. I do not know what the total mileage is for the vehicle and I only put about 1300 miles on since I have owned it (the miles do not add up fast off-road)

The heater core has been removed from the truck (by previous owner)

Has a custom air intake system with larger diameter tubing and an open element synthetic oil-less air filter (with new air-filter just installed).

Let's the truck breathe so much better. I was going to also change to a larger exhaust system to keep the EGTs down so I could open up the injector pump but never got around to it. Note that with the cab lift you can get rid of the most restrictive portion of the exhaust (the tube just after the manifold that is flattened out to clear the body).

For those concerned about the top speed. Replacing the tires with 14. 5 R 20 will give you about 3 mph and replacing them with 395/85 R 20 will give you about 6-7 mph.

The injector pump can also be adjusted to raise the max rpm above 2800.

Some people take it 3200 rpm which coupled with the 395 s will give you a 65 mph top speed.

Condition

Overall I consider the truck to be in fairly good mechanical condition (needs a few things) and rough cosmetic condition.

The truck runs and drives great which is all I ever wanted out it.

Has new battery. seats (marine grade vinyl). filters. fluids. belts and some hoses.

Very few miles on new factory brake pads and resurfaced drums (done around 5 years ago)

Recent rebuild on the alternator and a new voltage regulator.

Has small leaks from the front and rear main seal area that will cause a oil drip if you do not wipe the area with a rag occasionally (Does not ever require you to add oil to the engine).

The front air locker seal leaks so if the vehicle is placed in 4 wd locked the air tanks will drain down in a minute.

The air leaks from the front axle into the torque tube and into the transmission which vents the air through the dip stick tube. To fix this leak the front axle needs to be opened up and an O-ring replaced. If desired a clamp could be placed on the rubber line segment going to the front locker to allow the truck to have the rear axle only locked when in 4 wd.

Using a clamp is how I isolated the two lockers from one another to determine that it is the front locker that is leaking. Some people also change the locking system so they can actuate front a rear lockers independently and when in 2 wd. I believe this problem caused the problem below.

The front transmission output seal has starting leaking recently (Leaks around the front torque tube boot).

This leak needs attention if the truck is going to be street driven regularly.

It does not really leak when sitting but once the gear oil warms up it starts to leak pretty good.

After a few mile drive at 40 mph it will leave a 1” diameter oil spot in less than an hour. To fix this the front torque tube needs to be removed to get to the output flange and seal (the transmission does not need to come out to fix this).

The antifreeze canister for the air system is broken. There is a shut off valve just below the canister which is closed and since I live in southern California I never needed it but if the vehicle will be in freezing temperatures this should be fixed so the air system does not freeze up.

The electrical system has been cut and patched in a few places and not everything functions like it should.

The system charges and the headlights. brake lights. blinkers. and horn function so I left it.

Windshield wipers do not work (there is no switch). hazards do not work. an idiot light on the dash is always on and the blinker idiot light does not work.

Luckily it's a diesel so the amount of wires on the vehicle are minimal and I have a complete wiring diagram in one of the manuals so trouble shooting and/or re-wiring would be easy for someone with good electrical knowledge.

The body has rust in the common locations for a Unimog and has had a least one (that I can see) poorly made/executed patch repair made to the body.

Please see the pictures for a better understanding of the body condition.

Based on what I see I think the truck has been re-painted twice.

I have a factory drivers side floor pan replacement (given to me with the truck by the previous owner) to fix the rust in the drivers foot well area.

The drivers doors is also from another truck and has had some cracks in the sheetmetal welded that need to be ground down.

I started to do some work on the hood and passenger door and have sprayed some primer in any locations I saw light surface rust forming. I did not try to do any major body work or hide major damage.

The good thing is the body of a Unimog is small compared with other vehicles.

The glass in the truck has no cracks but the windshield is fairly scratched up.

Currently the truck does not have the door glass or top of the door frames installed but I do have them and will give them to or install them for the new owner. I left them off since I would always put the windows down anyway and often would take the doors off when using the truck.

I also have the front fenders that I will install or give to the new owner. I like the look of the truck without them better.

All of the rubber glass seals are old. cracking and hard.

The door seals have been removed since they were not sealing anymore and were just acting as a trap to hold moisture against the body.

These all can be bought brand new if desired.

The bedsides and floor (metal was placed over the wood bed) of the truck bed are rough but the frame of the bed is in good condition.

It would be easy to remove the bad metal. weld on a new frame around the outside and at the front and put new wood down on the existing frame.

The tires have plenty of tread but are showing age in the sidewalls with cracking. They hold air great and still flex nicely off road but should be watched closely if you are going to drive around the streets.

I have the factory mirror brackets and NOS mirrors to go with the truck. You would need them if the upper door frames are installed since they interfere with the mirrors on the truck now.

Overall

Here is a chance to get your hands on a diesel 416 Unimog in running and driving condition that are getting harder to find. import. and register. Current California license and registration through November 2014.

Needs some things done to it but you have the ability to use it now and do the work when want (or just use it as is).

Like anyone who has ever owned or driven in a Unimog will tell you it will draw a crowd. smiles and waves wherever you take it.

Very easy to work on (as long as you have big tools and some muscle) and parts are surprisingly easy to get (although sometimes you need to wait for them to make the trip from Germany).

I have tried to describe the vehicle as completely and honestly as possible.

I have spent my life around hot rods. 4 x 4 s. and racecars and am very obsessive and picky about vehicles so I pointed out all the issues I have seen. work I think it needs. and current condition that I am concerned with.

If your concerns and priorities in a vehicle are different than mine and I did not address something just ask. That being said it is over 40 years old and has spent its life as a work truck and 4 x 4.

It has scratches. dents. and rust equivalent to a vehicle of its age.

Ask all questions and inspect the vehicle before bidding. $500 deposit due within 48 hrs via Paypal. Remainder due via wire transfer. cashiers check. or cash (in person) within 7 days. Buyer is responsible for shipping but I will gladly work with the buyer and shipper.

Good luck with the bidding. Cody

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