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Thread: My first drive in a Unimog. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed...

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    My first drive in a Unimog. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed...

    You know when you think something is going to be really fantastic, and then when you eventually get there or get to do it, it just not that good.....

    Well, I got to drive a Unimog yesterday, and unfortunately it was one of those types of experiences.

    It was a 215HP jobbie, about 12 years old (U2150 model with the 3.8m LWB if you know Unimogs). As most of the 80's/90's models have 125HP or 170HP engines, I was expecting this higher powered one to go respectably well. However, its acceleration was completely glacial and I am sure my 1955 Series I would leave it for dead. I reckon I m.i.g.h.t.. have got it to 90KM/H by the end of a reasonable straight, but there was no top end in it at all.

    It was however extremely comfortable over rough terrain and I am sure it would go way beyond where you'd get a Defender. 8 gears is pretty interesting, and the driving position is fabulous.

    Anyway - am looking at my 130 with new appreciation after that.

    Cheers
    David

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    Thanks David

    Pretty sure they are designed for slow speed rough terrain, in comfort. They do stuff like snow ploughing, highway verge mowing and carting goods, troops or equipment to inaccessible places with relative ease.

    Cruising the highway at 110+ KPH on portal axles isn't something I'd necessarily be comfortable with either.

    You won't find me on: faceplant; Scipe; Infragam; LumpedIn; ShapCnat or Twitting. I'm just not that interesting.

  3. #3
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    Yep - they really are a tractor that has some on-road capability, rather than a road vehicle that does well off road.

    I don't think they even get to 110KM/H unless you install overdrives and "fast" axles.

    Also, the example I drove was pretty poor, so perhaps the turbo was not kicking in properly or something. See this thread for the sort of condition it was in: What part of 'Exellent Condition' includes panel rust you'd put your finger through?

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    Aside from the fantasy cost that I'll never afford, I kinda lost interest when Iain said top speed of 80Kmh.

    Not that I'm against the slow mosey, but the thought of having to strain to get up to eighty and work hard to keep it there just doesn't sound like fun.

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    That one looks like it has done a lot of work - since the engine does not rev over 2200 rpm, there is either a governor on it or something is not quite right. Dave would know a lot more.

    You can get a new cab for around $6K + delivery, and that looks like it really needs one.

    Anything that has been used as a farm vehicle will be very suspect, it spends a lot of time at low speed or idling around - engine hours would be high, but with minimal km.

    A new U2150 equivalent would be either a U4000 or U5000 - that's a $300K truck, and I'm sure the farmer who bought that one would have made full use of it - sad to see it so neglected through.

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    I remember driving from Woodside in the Adelaide Hills to Katherine in a Unimog on a regular basis.
    It took a week to go one way.

    And then there was the trip from Adelaide to Townsville in a Mog, don't even get me started on how long that took.

    They are definitely not the fastest things around but it will usually get you there in one piece and at least you get a chance to see the countryside instead of zooming past at a million miles an hour.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adrian Mc View Post
    They are definitely not the fastest things around but it will usually get you there in one piece and at least you get a chance to see the countryside instead of zooming past at a million miles an hour.
    Abny ADF vehicles go that quick ? I think even the RAAF planes are a tad slower....

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    The "fast cars" tend to be able to go quite fast.

    I distinctly remember a trip from Pt Augusta back to Adelaide at 2 in the morning that didn't quite take as long as it should have, and I wasn't driving I was just there to drive back after dropping a higher up back in Adelaide before having to turn around and go back to Pt Augusta later that day.

    (for fast cars insert whichever brand/model of station wagon or sedan the ADF where buying at the time)

  9. #9
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    just got my license for these in the adf, great off-road.

    for anyone who knows these vehicles, i had mine in water 1 foot up from the BOTTOM OF THE WINDSCREEN. ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. all diff locks on. a little load on the back.

    cheers geck

  10. #10
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    I drove them for about 22 years, they were fun at the start, but I have driven better since. A good one would do about 95, maybe more empty but didn't drive them empty that often.

    As for going further than a Defender, remember they are considerably heavier, I have dug plenty of mogs out of mud and it is not so good in soft ground, we would even off load the 105mm gun and ammunition onto a 110 Land Rover on occasion to lighten the load.

    Jeff

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