Scale model of the original 1979 G-Wagen. This took literally years of slow building and rebuilding and rebuilding... Also an old build.
200 by lapa leves, on Flickr
Feats:
-The ladder frame recreated. That's actually two C-sections turned into each other and welded shut, with through pipes, full width where possible. I got it quite solid, barely any flex.
Tried with new Technic beams first but lol these just flex like there is no tomorrow.
-4M motors below the inline 5-cylinder (3000cc 88hp OM617), with "visco" fan (rotates a bit after engine halts). Detachable, independent from frame.
-Double AAA boxes hidden in fuel tank, parallelized with Light&Sound plate for SBrick. The only place I had to compromise the frame, actual fuel tank has 3 bulges to fit around the 2 lateral frame parts.
-3 stud high (thin) front and rear axles, with diff lock. The strange way of locking is due to slack in the "normal" way of doing locking. On the real car there is absolutely no slack and for good reason, so I chose this way to be true. Diff lock is enabled by pneu piston. Didn't implement the lever, but basically another piston with a rubber flip into each end position would do it. The real is hidro-pneumatic, pulling the lever up creates pressure until the serrated axle aligns with the locking piece and slides together.
-I was initially using "Efferman" 3d printed CV joints, now tried to accomodate the quite stupid new ones, but will have to cut to 1.5L...
-Steering by rod. Turning the steering wheel pushes a lever on the left side to left and right in a turning motion. This is connected to a rod, which pushes the right(!) wheel hub. Behind the right wheel hub another rod pushes the left wheel hub. Solving this needed stainless axles, a lot of pain due to internal servo slack and also very rigid axle mounting points due to even the smallest slack made it inoperable. See vids for actual performance, quite ok now.
Also a steering dampener is included as a pneu piston (second to the diff locker one), this makes the steering wheel not break your finger when hitting something hard.
-Coil springs (from 10.5L spring I think) and actual suspension dampeners with pneu pistons (the real dampener only dampens on the way back). In all cases I attempted to keep all freedom grades even if I could have got away with less (see dampeners etc.). The springs look not as bad as here.
-Articulation degrees similar to real. Highest articulating stock car. The laterals needed a black pin as pivot, as any other solution (to keep the freedom grades) was inadequate due to slack. Obviously the twisted rubber dingies are not happy. Accurately working front stabilizer rod, again with all freedom grades.
-Transmission case is kept simple, 2WD, 4WD and 4WD low. No center diff on W460/461, 4WD is basically locked front with rear, not usable on asphalt (at least not when turning). The real one's transfer case is synchronized, and can switch between 2WD and 4WD (high) while driving. Also has an "N" which stand for Neutral but also for Nebenantrieb (power take off). Was a rare factory option for winch etc. (On the real PTO can be enabled with pulling a third lever like for the diff locks also in any other gear than N - not pictured here below).
-Body is detachable, uses the same contact points as the real one. No back door, no spare wheel. Didn't feel like being important. Actually, the Unimog tyres are way too wide, came with 185 wide tyres ab werk (see stock photos). Later models got thin or wide plastic mudguards for wider wheels, but same body panels (until incl. W463).
-Grey body parts are rubbery on actual wagen (rubbery steel overmolds, best ever to turn metal into rust inside, or plastic end caps on metal pieces).
-Would need to sink in the windshield wipers so the hood opens fully onto the windshield like the real. But tiles would compromise the strength, not sure about that.-The newly introduced LEGO set G500 is based on the new W464 series, which has just a few parts common with the original (unlike all wagens so far). Still kicks megablocks despite buttons and independent front sus (see WhistlinDiesel and HeavyDSparks going offroad in the AMG).
Thanks to Balázs who suggested showing this here.
