Would You Purchase A Brand New Air Cooled Pinzgauer?

[nicholastanguma]

If you could purchase a brand new Pinzgauer 710m or 712m, would you do it?

Let's say each truck still had dual carburetors, but was upgraded with all the goodies the Pinzgauer aftermarket has spawned in the last 30 years: a blueprinted 2.7 liter engine, six speed transmission, power disc brakes and an electronic ignition, a super high quality insulated soft top, jeep-style soft upper doors, LED lighting all around, and modern laminated safety glass for the windscreen, plus electric power steering. Basically still a neanderthal-simple air cooled Pinz, but factory equipped with all the cool upgrades, and the factory had stocks of each and every part needed for maintenance and repair, plus a complete and illustrated manual as detailed as anything the factory itself would use, a manual on the level of a Haynes or Chiltons.

Do you think the general buying public in the 4x4 market would purchase them, or do most of those people really only care about electronic fuel injection, one million watt sound systems, and power windows?

Let's say out-the-door price was, um, maybe 50K USD. If 50K USD is too high, what about if the price was only 30K USD? Would this be a commercially viable vehicle for overlanders, hunters, ranchers, and the like?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I don't think they would sell very many. It would still ride and handle like poo, suck fuel, and not be able to keep up on the interstate. For less money you can get a modern pick up to do the same job.

As for fuel injection.... it has zero downsides. A motor can make more power, across a wider RPM range, with out driveability issues, and it's easy to work on4r.... seems a no brainer to me.

 

[lugueto]

Not really.

I have to agree with @Jnich77. A Stock PInzgauer is still a maintenance-heavy vehicle, and for 50K there's a bunch of vehicles that will be more reliable, WAY more comfortable and very close in off road capability. Even for 30k, you'd have a bunch of more practical options. Cruising on the highway, on a Pinzgauer @50mph will feel like 120mph in any modern rig.

However, if you don't care for practicallity and just enjoy a Pinzgauer for it being a cool rig, which it is no doubt, and money were no object then yes. It would be a lot better than what is currently offered (which are usually frankenbuilds).

 

[jadmt]

for $30K I think there would be a fair amount of sales, 50K not so many. They would be a heck of an off the grid weekend campmobile.

 

[ultraclyde]

What percentage of people currently off roading or overlanding have a dedicated, trail-only vehicle that can't (reasonably) be driven across a state on the highway? Now, how many of those cost over $30k? how about $50k? the market is tiny.

 

[Martinjmpr]

^^^^^

What they said. The population of people who would pay $50k for a vehicle like that could comfortably fit in a booth at Denny's.

Or maybe a phone booth.

 

[762X39]

I have traveled at an average of 80kph on small 10,000 km trips more than a few times in my Mog. Stay off the interstates and actually see and explore the country. Of course Katherine and I have also explored in both our minivans coming off trails and bad gravel roads that surprised the KTM and weekend warrior Jeep pilots as we were leaving and they were entering...

 

[krick3tt]

I had a 73 710M for 10 years and I loved it, and I miss it. True it wasn't fast on the highway but off road it was very hard to beat it, about 16 MPG on highway. If it were a diesel it would have been a dream. I also had a 63 404S UniMog for about ten years and it would go anywhere, although also not fast and it was very thirsty at about 10MPG.
I now have an 07 LR3 and it is fast and comfortable, on highway about 16 to 20 MPG
I still miss my Pinzgauer and it was not maintenance heavy as some seem to believe, just need regular care. Something that many don't do and wait till it is falling apart before they give it the attention. These things are 40+ year old military vehicles and not designed to zip down the freeway at 80. Treat them right and they will last.
Thing is you can't buy a brand new Pinzgauer. They are European military vehicles and you can't bring an ex military vehicle from another country to the US unless it is at least 25 years old. It's a rule you can't get around, and a brand new one, if you could get one, is about $125K.
Oh, by the way, you can put fuel injection on an old pinz, takes it up to about 110 HP from the stock 80 HP.
I think if I were going to go once again into the market I would get an LR 101 or a Volvo 303.

Check this site of some additional info. http://real4x4forums.com/PinzgauerBBS/index.php

 

[nicholastanguma]

So, taking all of the above into account, if there were a neanderthal-simple, air cooled Pinzgauer-type truck with a mechanically injected, direct injection diesel (not necessarily even turbo'd) that could attain and sustain say, um, at least 60-65mph on the highway...

...then that would be a truck worth 30K USD? No thoughts on EPA regs or anything else, please, just the truck itself.

 

[jadmt]

So, taking all of the above into account, if there were a neanderthal-simple, air cooled Pinzgauer-type truck with a mechanically injected, direct injection diesel (not necessarily even turbo'd) that could attain and sustain say, um, at least 60-65mph on the highway...

...then that would be a truck worth 30K USD? No thoughts on EPA regs or anything else, please, just the truck itself.

depends what actual build quality was.

 

[762X39]

I guess nobody south of the border gets that travelling at 80kph means you get to stop and see people and stuff that makes the journey worthwhile. I love the old Pinz and if I hadn't bought my Mog it would have been a 712 or a Volvo with portals.

So, taking all of the above into account, if there were a neanderthal-simple, air cooled Pinzgauer-type truck with a mechanically injected, direct injection diesel (not necessarily even turbo'd) that could attain and sustain say, um, at least 60-65mph on the highway...

...then that would be a truck worth 30K USD? No thoughts on EPA regs or anything else, please, just the truck itself.

 

[Martinjmpr]

So, taking all of the above into account, if there were a neanderthal-simple, air cooled Pinzgauer-type truck with a mechanically injected, direct injection diesel (not necessarily even turbo'd) that could attain and sustain say, um, at least 60-65mph on the highway...

...then that would be a truck worth 30K USD? No thoughts on EPA regs or anything else, please, just the truck itself.

If you had 30 large burning a hole in your pocket couldn’t you just buy a Pinz for $10-12k and put whatever motor you want in it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[krick3tt]

NO, first off why bother? If you do that it is no longer a pinz. Very few engines (not motors, a motor is electric) will fit in a pinz and if it isn't air cooled you have made a massive and very expensive problem for yourself. Just buy a Jeep and let it go. Maybe get a G wagon, lots of them out there.

check the prices on these currently available Pinzgauers http://www.swissarmyvehicles.com/vehiclelist.php?cat=1

 

[tienckb]

NO, first off why bother? If you do that it is no longer a pinz. Very few engines will fit in a pinz and if it isn't air cooled you have made a massive and very expensive problem for yourself. Just buy a Jeep and let it go. Maybe get a G wagon, lots of them out there.

check the prices on these currently available Pinzgauers http://www.swissarmyvehicles.com/vehiclelist.php?cat=1

Ditto that...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[krick3tt]

They have great little engines made for this vehicle.
A few more things about the Pinzgauer, if you try to put a bigger engine in a pinz to get more power, better change the transmission (shifter) and the gearbox (low range transfer gears) too. Maybe even the drive line cause sure as can be you are going to overload the design of the mated parts.
You can upgrade the pistons to a bit bigger but don't go over (higher) than a compression ratio of 9 to 1 or you are going to a more expensive petrol for the thing. They are made to operate on the lowest grade petrol available.