Ai Design Blog | Resto-mod Mercedes G-Wagen

Here at Ai Design, we love a challenge, and in the process, creating something unique. A new client approached us with the idea to build a resto-mod Mercedes G-Wagen. He had seen a photo online of a W463 that had older exterior parts. His goal was to get the look of a vintage Wolf 4x4 but with the performance and safety of a modern Mercedes.

The typical approach would be to source a vintage G-Wagen and then add a more modern drivetrain, suspension and brakes. As with most resto-mods, creating a vehicle this way often ends up with a suboptimal product in terms of driving dynamics.

But since the gentleman already owned a 2011 550 463 G-Wagen, we had the perfect base vehicle to start with. We attacked the problem in a completely inverse approach. By starting with a modern G-Wagen and back-dating the exterior, we would give the client the look he wanted, yet with modern vehicle performance, safety and features. The goal was to give the modern chassis a reimagining with older Mercedes details.

We started by taking detailed photos and measurements of the 550, and determining what would fit and what parts we would need to modify or fabricate.

Pre 2001 G-Wagen parts are hard to come by in the US since those vehicles were never sold here. Wanting to use only Mercedes O.E. parts to keep it authentic, we had to use our extensive global network of suppliers to get the various components. Ryan set to work curating all of the parts since there was no package for this type of application. We sourced new fenders, grill, turn signals, and fender flares, while the bumpers were a combination of vintages. The front bumper is from a 2017 G-550, while the rear split bumper was O.E. on the G350D Professional.

right: to precisely install the O.E. Mercedes turn signals and cages on each fender we created templates.
below: with the new fenders, flares and bumpers installed, we set to work solving the headlamp challenge.

The client wanted modern projector style lights, but those would not fit in the vintage fenders and the vintage headlight surrounds. To solve this we needed a non O.E. source. We found a manufacturer of high-quality aftermarket units and modified the housings to fit these new headlamps which turned out great. One of the most visual features is the turn indicators. We added Wolf side indicators and top fender mounted indicators with cages. We then switched the clear lenses to amber.

Considering the custom nature of this project and the client’s vision, the overall look needed to be just right. We seriously sweated details such as the bumper clearance and trans cooler clearance, which we needed to fabricate custom brackets for. Since the bumper had a Mercedes Distronic adaptive cruise control sensor incorporated but the vehicle did not have that system, we added a fun easter egg into the sensor glass. The modern bulky a-pillar mounted side mirrors would not fly with the look we were after. Fortunately, the client found a pair of factory optional power side cage-mounted mirrors off the 350D professional. To complete the exterior, we added aftermarket running boards and a cool set of forged wheels that look like factory steelies.

left: the finished bumper integrated with the fender flares and featuring an Ai logo that can only be seen when the light hits it just right.

On the inside, one additional feature the client wanted was a more purposeful rear wood cargo floor, similar to the G350D. Unfortunately, the floor space on the 463 is narrower so the O.E.M. unit would not fit. We created a new surface with solid clear maple hardwood with integrated black anodized L-track for increased functionality while retaining the vintage vibe.

The finished result is in the vein of a Singer Porsche. It’s instantly recognizable as a G-Wagen, but the appearance is unique and more stylish. The client loves it. As does everyone who sees it.