Mercedes 1222A.. The beginning!
- Thread starter Sitec
- Start date
palebluewanders
Active member
Beautiful work on the chassis!
Quick question, sorry if it's a bit off topic, but did your truck come with the front diff lock or did you retrofit it?
Quick question, sorry if it's a bit off topic, but did your truck come with the front diff lock or did you retrofit it?
Sitec
Adventurer
Hi Palebluewanders. The truck came with the front diff lock. The whole setup was a lucky find. High range, low range, front and rear diff locks, and a decent wheelbase. Not common here in Oz! The only thing I'd have wanted to add was a V8 and more gears, but it would have been a lot more thirsty and less wife friendly!! 
palebluewanders
Active member
Lucky find indeed! So far I've only seen one 1124 with both front and rear diff locks, and apparently it won't stay in second gear so I'm not sure how much it would cost to fix that. I've only been on the lookout for a month or two though, maybe I just need to be more patient.
Do you use the front diff lock often?
Do you use the front diff lock often?
Sitec
Adventurer
Mine is in build at the moment, so no... Before I started the build, I used the truck to collect large moss rocks for our house build. I was off road quite a bit, and never needed 4WD, let alone diff locks. That would change on sand, but I've not been game enough to try it on a beach without having another truck with me!
So, what chassis are you ideally after?
So, what chassis are you ideally after?
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
The 1124 sounds interesting. Does it have the 5 or 6 speed? I ask because these trucks are not really geared for highway driving. There is though a 6 speed swap that gives you an overdrive. If the truck was in nice condition and had the 6 speed it could make a very nice truck. We have the 1120 with the 5 speed and wish for a higher top speed and a bit more power (a 5 to 6 speed swap is way more work as the 6 speed is way bigger).
palebluewanders
Active member
Ideally I'd get an 1124AF, though 1120 or 1224 are also fine. The 1124 I was looking at with the front and rear diff locks has 6 speed manual. It seems pricey at €30k considering the damaged 2nd gear?
Regardless, about 50-60% of the trucks I've seen have 6 speed so I'll definitely aim for one of those.
Regardless, about 50-60% of the trucks I've seen have 6 speed so I'll definitely aim for one of those.
Geo.Lander
Well-known member
Depending on the cab and chassis state 30k is quite reasonable for a 1124 these days it seems, if the condition is right. I have seen a couple of 1124 1.5 cabs in Switzerland being offered for 45k (albeit prepped for a habitat). I do not remember if they had front diff locks thou. I do recall using my air lockers on my old Disco 4 only when i got into real trouble, central lock goes in first, then rear and front only in particular terrain (I am by no means an expert offroad driver).
Sitec
Adventurer
Any pics of the 1124 with the knackered gearbox?? I paid 30k (AUD) for ours and thought it was more than enough at the time... but it was fit enough to fill with fuel and then drive from Tamworth NSW to the Barossa SA which is approx. 1500km, and it came with a crane and a full tank of fuel... I also knew that I'd struggle to find another that close to what I wanted without importing one. I had been seriously considering a much older V8 Merc 6x6 in Queensland... It would have been a mistake! The 1124 you are looking at would want to have very low kms and be very tidy for 30k... Where in Oz are you? I did look at 4x2 and 6x4 Merc's with the view to converting one to 4x4, and do know where there are some axles and transfer cases. I also know where there's a later 4x4. It's tatty though as it was a fertiliser spreader... PM me if you want more info.
Sitec
Adventurer
So, onwards! A little more progress this weekend, and I think I have turned the corner with the build, as I am finally bolting clean or freshly painted stuff to a clean chassis. First up today was to fit the freshly cleaned and painted wheels back on the truck!
Next up was to start cleaning, and finishing all the side skirts and lockers I had made several months ago in winter. Everything has a thin layer of surface rust too so that will have to go! I had my loyal assistant helping me too!
Last job of the day was to drill out all the pilot holes to 19mm for the tiny LED side marker lights I've chosen. There'll be 6 aside, and being almost flush, they should be safe from passing scrub and foliage when off road.
Next up was to start cleaning, and finishing all the side skirts and lockers I had made several months ago in winter. Everything has a thin layer of surface rust too so that will have to go! I had my loyal assistant helping me too!
Last job of the day was to drill out all the pilot holes to 19mm for the tiny LED side marker lights I've chosen. There'll be 6 aside, and being almost flush, they should be safe from passing scrub and foliage when off road.
palebluewanders
Active member
I've been in WA for over a year but don't actually plan to buy/build the truck in Oz, especially since the government is being stingy about visa extensions these days I assume due to COVID (everyone I know who applied for another year only got 3 months). So I'll go to Germany in a few months where there are a lot more options. The one I was looking at is here: https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=310135078 Good looking truck. I had a German friend ask about the axle ratios for me but they never replied. If it has at least medium axle ratios I would seriously consider just shelling out the extra cash to fix the gearbox.
palebluewanders
Active member
The truck looks like it's in good condition, 102xxx km which is higher than average for a fire brigade truck but still low compared to the million km that generation of engines is supposed to be good for. The only thing is the gearbox issue which I have no idea how much it would cost to fix. Tried asking about the axle ratios but no reply.
I was told by a truck dealer in the Netherlands that the 1.5 cab easily adds €10-15k to the price which I guess explains those €45k Swiss trucks. Yikes.