"Jonathan Harper" (jbh)
08/08/2013 at 20:08 • Filed to: classic car club, unimog, jbh
17
61|
"Jonathan Harper" (jbh)
08/08/2013 at 20:08 • Filed to: classic car club, unimog, jbh | 17
| 61 |
One of our more adventurous members brought his newest purchase over to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! today. It's a 1972 Unimog, built by Mercedes Benz, and it might just be the perfect "city car".
It's a big thing at 8.5 feet tall, it makes me feel like I'm Danny Devito standing next to Yao Ming, but even Yao Ming would be shorter than the giant Unimog. It looks pretty formidable though, that cleft bit on the right front makes it seem as if it's whistling, I imagine the Unimog whistling along while it works, just minding it's own business.
I used google, and I'm pretty sure it's a 406 Series, with a four cylinder diesel motor putting out anywhere from 40 horsepower to 110, depending on what trim level it's equipped with. The allure is obvious; who wouldn't want to put-put around New York City in something so perfectly equipped to handle the rigors that come with driving on the streets of this fine city?
Massively wide wheelbase and bigass knobby tires provide a commanding stance, sure to send yellow cabs scurrying to the furthest lane from this diesel smoke belching beauty as it cruises up 8th avenue. Right at home with the work trucks and S-Class Benzes alike, the Unimog has a spacious and luxurious rear bed area made from dark Mahogany. So much room for activities!
Plus, it's a convertible. Plenty of room to store the top; "yeah just put it next to the hot tub". All right fine, there's no hot tub...yet (there should be).
Parking would be a breeze, once you find a spot big enough. No power steering means you are rewarded with the most direct feedback from those enormous tires, which is more than I can say for the 2012 Porsche 911, where it lets computers dictate how much feedback is piped into the steering wheel. Another upside is the sheer utilitarian simplicity of the whole thing. In the picture above I love that you can see the bottom of the wood bed between the monstrous driveshaft and exhaust.
Here's a quick video of it's brave new owner backing the Unimog out from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! garage, with the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! riding shotgun: (they stopped and put the bed sides up just after this vid ended)
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
UPDATE: The guy who sold the Unimog to our member emailed me, and asked that I include the following link, which provides ALL the info I didn't know when I wrote this post last night: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
www.classiccarclubmanhattan.com
Keep up with JBH on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Blondude
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 20:11 |
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Why are big trucks with convertible tops so cool? Seriously, it seems a bit pointless and dangerous but yet I have this strange want for them.
For Sweden
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 20:14 |
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I guess if semis can drive into Manhattan, this should be fine.
Leadbull
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 20:21 |
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That cleft but is for giant cigars.
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Jonathan Harper
> Leadbull
08/08/2013 at 20:26 |
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Quite so.
Doug DeMuro
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 21:45 |
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Does it hit low stuff? Or is it still shorter than a large box truck?
wbizarre - OEM fetishist
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 21:55 |
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Unimog CrossCabriolet?
Aaron Brown
> Jonathan Harper
08/08/2013 at 22:00 |
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"Activities."
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Jonathan Harper
> Doug DeMuro
08/08/2013 at 22:07 |
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Box trucks are usually at least 10 ft tall, Unimog is only 8.5, plenty of clearance.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 00:26 |
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Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!
am
> Blondude
08/09/2013 at 00:35 |
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the truck is very stable and got roll cage,driver should buckle up and be ok
Seat Safety Switch
> Leadbull
08/09/2013 at 01:00 |
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With the PTO shaft, you can even occasionally rotate the cigar to make sure it's evenly stoked.
Sam Payne
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 01:22 |
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I want a Unimog so badly - maybe it's that I have a Miata now and I want something at the COMPLETELY OPPOSITE end of the spectrum to complement it.
Glad I don't live in Detroid
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 01:28 |
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Semi-related if we're talking hot tubs:
I think I figured out how to make a rolling hot tub that's street legal. The assumption has always been that you need to mount a hot tub to a flat bed. But what about...,
*drumroll*
We turn a van into a hot tub .
Take one Transit Connect (or your van of choice, depending on how large the tub need to be), put up a bulkhead and partition the cargo area from the driver's area with some nice solid welds, ditch the rear doors and replace with half an SUV's liftgate (with the bottom half welded waterproof-shut) and apply a liberal helping of fiberglass hot tub fixin's. You can even install seat belts and other restraint systems so you can tub on the go.
Tee_WRX
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 01:30 |
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I drove a Unimog years ago, first manual vehicle I drove, awesome experience, I'd love to do it again ha
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TiredAndSleepy
> Glad I don't live in Detroid
08/09/2013 at 01:40 |
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Don't forget big brakes. You're gonna need them. Also, you should probably put an extra set of wheels on the back for extra contact.
Clay_T
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 02:11 |
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How do you resist flipping the gates up and backing over the hood of one of those NYC finest? *g*
Maxximtl
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 02:24 |
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Is that a PTO peeking out of the front bumper? That's automotive cleavage.
DayWooTang
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 02:51 |
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I live in Miami and I can't tell you how much I would love to cruise in this thing up and down Ocean drive on the weekend. The looks on peoples faces would be priceless!
Loping Camshaft
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 04:29 |
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This must have been restored, it looks awesome. Is there a build thread/blog on that process? Also, nice near upskirt at the beginning.
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kenhitch
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 05:32 |
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That'd be awesome in the city. Driving my lowered 3 series around Seattle makes me appreciate how well these beasts handle rough ground lol.
Scrape
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 06:50 |
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Lets go to Ikea!
You had fordboy357 at "meat tornado"
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 07:15 |
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"My Unimog bed smells of rich mahogany"
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Jonathan Harper
> Sam Payne
08/09/2013 at 07:50 |
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The grass is always greener...under a Unimog.
BoiOneDer
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:12 |
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Wife, girlfriend, mistress, daughter? Either way, I'd bang.
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pitch-a-tent
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:17 |
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Here the unimog going through NYC.
DUCK-HAMS
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:19 |
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I really considered one of these for a while. I think it was the gas mileage that made me decide not to ... if I remember correctly the petrol version is about 6MPG and the diesel you might get double that. Which is fine if it's just a fun occasional driver but I'd likely want to drive it everywhere all the time!
StalePhish
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:25 |
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40 to 110 horsepower, but how much torque? I've ridden in one of these in the Mexican jungle and it ate boulders for breakfast. I was imagining it to have something like 400 horsepower!
Dunnik
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:39 |
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Brave - or crazy.
The line between the two is very fine, and I can't decide which is which in this case.
HiMyNameIsNoLongerJay
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:44 |
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So much room for activities!
Dukes_of_Atlanta
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:44 |
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When I got rid of my '66 CJ, I almost bought a duece-and-a-half. Because why-the-fuck-not?
My father once asked me "Where could you park it?"
My reply was "Where COULD'T I park it?"
j4066
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 08:51 |
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I've been to Europe on Military duty several times.
This is the most beautiful truck in the world. It is the ONLY Mercedes worth owning.
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j4066
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
08/09/2013 at 08:52 |
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Leap or squish?
Malforus
> DayWooTang
08/09/2013 at 08:57 |
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Think of the hummer drivers as their surrogate penis dwindles in impactfulness.
reverberocket is nipping the apex..and gently blowing in it's ear.
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:00 |
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Unimog, Shunimog...did you actually pull the trigger on a 'manly' 4 seater convertible like you asked about in June , and if so, which one?
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Smorgasborg
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:13 |
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Love the pic of the 'Mog with the cloud-wreathed 1WTC bulding in the background! One work of art next to another.
theseandarcy
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:15 |
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The Mahogany bed is just BEAUTIFUL. This is actually a really nice truck...if I had a bunch of cars. I feel like Hansel from Zoolander should drive it..the wood's just so tasteful.
Hart88
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:19 |
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This is the SUV in my Dream Garage.
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Sam Payne
> theseandarcy
08/09/2013 at 09:41 |
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Yes, but I'd really hate to see it ruined in a tragic gasoline-fighting accident...
DBG
> kenhitch
08/09/2013 at 09:54 |
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Our roads suck. I drive an M3 on the stock suspension, and even that is pretty brutal sometimes.
skipjack
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:57 |
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saw this beast tooling past bryant park the other day....
CaptCrunch
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 09:59 |
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Unimog's just get better with more doors.
quietfox
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 10:08 |
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Needs moar Magpul Unimog
Keri_MacRae
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 10:12 |
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Look at that. no blind spots at all. i've never been to NYC... but i can only assume blind spots can be an issue. Perfect city truck. lol
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Jonathan Harper
> Keri_MacRae
08/09/2013 at 10:29 |
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Psh blind spots.
dagibby
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 10:43 |
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Ultimate city car that you can't park in (m)any garages. Crack pipe!
Weakskills
> Blondude
08/09/2013 at 11:15 |
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I would think it's only dangerous if you are driving too fast, side street speeds it would be fun.
BlueVillain
> wbizarre - OEM fetishist
08/09/2013 at 11:34 |
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Better than iUnimog Mogadishu Sport Limited Blue Manhattan East
boxrocket
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 11:55 |
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Prius in your way? Just park over it!
Der Sportwagoner
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 12:04 |
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And parking in the city will be a breeze, as shown by a more contemporary brethren.
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Sinanigans
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 12:21 |
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Did it just take a relaxing pee?
jiffylube
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 12:27 |
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My friend has a Unimog. I can't imagine driving it around NYC.
Poundingsand
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 12:52 |
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I've always loved the Unimog. This and the Pinzgauer. Fantastic.
klurejr
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 13:57 |
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Jonathan Harper
> reverberocket is nipping the apex..and gently blowing in it's ear.
08/09/2013 at 18:53 |
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Still haven't found one with big enough balls.
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Jonathan Harper
> Loping Camshaft
08/09/2013 at 18:53 |
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It was, see the update.
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Loping Camshaft
> Jonathan Harper
08/09/2013 at 19:20 |
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Sweet, thanks.
bobrayner
> Blondude
08/10/2013 at 05:40 |
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Oh yes.
A few years ago I wanted to buy a DROPS 8x6 for the Budapest-Bamako rally, which was super-cheap because the roof had been sheared off in an accident, making it into a cool open-top truck. Fellow team members said that spending $6000 on fuel and finishing last would be a bad idea. But what do they know?
Chris Mc
> DUCK-HAMS
08/11/2013 at 07:34 |
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The 416 with the 6 cylinder OM352 (5.7l) should get 10-12 mpg maybe more in so w cases. Unimogs are tractors first and foremost and have a great deal of rolling resistance. Not a daily driver per se but great utility -work vehicles. Someone mentioned the drop top configuration. I am guessing this truck was originally military or possibly AG lack of hydraulics probably means Military. The metal roofed cabs are hatefully noisy and hot nothing like removing the top. If safety is a concern there are ROPS setups out there that can be fitted but if you roll over in a Unimog it is going to he serious hard cab or soft top. Enjoy they are great machines - but you couldn't pay me enough to drive one in mid-town traffic
Josh MacDonald
> Jonathan Harper
08/19/2013 at 22:23 |
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Another:
http://dotdotisdead.blogspot.com/search/label/u…
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Josh M.
> Jonathan Harper
08/19/2013 at 22:24 |
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Another:
http://dotdotisdead.blogspot.com/search/label/u…
leicester
> Jonathan Harper
07/11/2014 at 14:14 |
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Gorgeous bed. A rainforest died for this...