Restomod Done Right: An Old G-Wagen Made New by Arcade

It happens far too often in this space, specifically with vintage off-roaders. An old box on wheels is given fresh paint, an overdone interior, and the worst wheel and tire combo you’ve ever seen. So it’s rather refreshing to sample a vehicle that’s done with a soft touch. Meet the Mercedes-Benz Puch 230 G restored by Arcade Cars.

It starts with procuring an old G from the Swiss army. They had a surplus and needed to sell a bunch. So Arcade buys one and then fixes what needs fixing before applying their own touches. The green paint is gorgeous against the upgraded dark brown interior. That four-cylinder engine under the hood can be left stock, or Arcade has an upgrade kit for a bit more punch.

It’s a pleasure to drive despite it being fairly slow. Still, it can cruise on the freeway even if it’s more fun to cruise around town or ramble off pavement.

My favorite part is the price. It’s definitely not cheap, but in a world of absolutely insanely priced restomods it’s almost refreshing to hear it starts at $130,000. It can go up to $170,000 and probably more if you want to get fancy but there’s no need to do that.

I know $130k is tons of money. But compared to the multiple hundreds of thousands being asked for ugly Defenders, restored old pickups, mediocre muscle car builds, and more, this G by Arcade is damn near a breath of fresh air in an overpriced, overcrowded space that seems content to churn out builds for people with little to no taste.