pinzfaq

What is a Pinzgauer?

-A Pinzgauer in a vehicle made by Steyr Daimler Puch in Austria. They are handmade vehicles, that had an original cost of over $100,000. They are in use in many armies around the world. Mine is a Swiss Army Surplus model. The British, French, Saudi Arabian, Indonesian, Austrian, Spanish, Nigerian and many more armies still use them, because of their durability and ease of repair.

What are some features of a Pinz?

-13-16 inches of ground clearance
-28 inches of water fording ability
-1 ton payload and drive train
-convertible into many configurations.....doors can come off, windshield can come down, top comes off...
-easy to maintain....everything follows the K.I.S.S. Philosophy...keep it simple stupid
-air cooled- no radiator to go bad
-cab operated independently controlled Locking Differentials
-60:1 crawl ratio....plus the ability to shift into 2wd LOW
-dual roll bars
-seats 10...2 front-8 rear seats in rear fold down to make a flat loading platform.

What are the drawbacks?

-24volt electrical system
-parts more $$ in relation to American trucks...i.e. Jeep, Chevy etc...
-no creature comforts
-4cyl engine w/90h.p.
-LOUD
-Independent suspension....limited axle articulation

What models are made?

they're basically broken down into 2 categories....4x4 or 6x6. model 710 = 4x4 and model 712 = 6x6.

There are also newer Turbo Diesel models....718TD, but they are unavailable in the U.S. at the moment due to customs regulations.

What do people use them for?

camping, firefighting, four-wheeling, anything they want to do with them.

Where can I get one? How much do they cost?

There are a few vendors in the U.S.
Cold War Remarketing, EuroTruck Importers, Southern California Pinzgauers, Real 4x4....I'll put up links later.

The Swiss army surplus models typically start around $7500 for a 4x4 model and $12,000 for a 6x6 model. Depending upon condition of the body etc...they can go up from there....remember these cost over $100,000 when they were new, so these are spectacular prices for a vehicle that has been maintained by Swiss Mechanics. Mine has a record of everything EVER done to it from oil changes to spark plugs....can you say that about a truck you buy in the U.S. ?

Are Parts easy to get? cost? URL's?

Yes and no on parts availability. Many standard maintenance parts are available from the major auto parts places...i.e.NAPA, Pep Boys, Auto Zone. There you will find things such as Air Filters, Ignition Points, Rotor, Fuel Filters and Pumps, Oil Filters...etc...

The above parts are not always on hand, as they are not "normal" i.e. for a Chevy 350--I had to order the Air Filter, but the Fuel Filter and rotor were in stock. You can also purchase parts from the many Pinzgauer dealers....i.e. Cold War, Swiss Army Vehicles, Euro Truck Importers....

The vendors all have access to ANY parts you need....be it a hook to hold the canvas down to an engine.

It is still possible to order the parts from the Factory!! Yes these things are still being made, so parts for any part of the vehicle is still available straight from the factory. Click this link to find out the process.....FACTORY PARTS

Is there a Cross Reference for parts available from the major auto parts places?

yes. The link is in HERE. It is compiled by members of the Egroups/Yahoo Groups listserv.

What's the story on the Pinz's exceptionally high ground clearance?

Actually it's really quite simple. The axle shafts coming out of the differentials, do not line up with the center of the wheel. There is a gearbox at the end of the axle which extends down to the center of the wheel. They are called portal axles, and have been used on the old VW busses. There are now a few rock crawlers who are using this design to obtain extra clearance.
Here's a rough diagram-

differential      axle shaft               geared hub
--------
           ]-------------------------[z]
--------                                      [z]
                                                  [z]---->center of the wheel

What's the story on the Engine?

Actually I don't know too much about the engine, other than it was designed specifically for the Pinz. It is a 4cyl air cooled motor than has 2 oil pumps so it can work at extreme angles, Twin Zenith or Solex 36 NDIX dual racing carburetors....for more info see http://www.pinzgauer.com/specs.html

Where can I find Specs on other parts of the vehicle?

One of the best places is http://www.pinzgauer.com/specs.html

Can the Pinzgauer be lifted?

NO. It does not have a normal frame, or unibody like typical 4x4's , so all the normal lifting rules go out the window.

What types of tires can I put on it?

Any kind that will fit :-) Seriously though, the Pinz's stock Maloys'a measure 31.5 inches. I has 16 inch rims, so you won't be able to fit many of the off-road tires on it. There are however a number of tires that will fit. For example many people have had good luck with Dunlop Mud Rovers, BFG Mud Terrains, Super Swamper SSR's...the list goes on. In the future, I will have a table of what tires will fit, what tires will fit the original chain etc... The 265-75-16 tire size seems to be quite popular.

Gas Mileage?

It typically gets in the 12-15 mpg range....depending on load, altitude, terrain among other things

Top Speed?

104 KPH or 65MPH...with larger tires it's a little faster, with smaller tires it's a little slower.

Are Owners, Repair, Parts manuals available?

Yes, they can either be purchased from the Pinz dealers, or downloaded.....more on that later>>>......

Are these things rust buckets? If so, how hard are they to repair?

Like all vehicles, they have certain area which are prone to rusting. The area behind the drivers seat, below the drivers feet, rear corners of the bed, canvas hooks along the side are the area to watch for. The best part about the Pinz body-wise is that EVERY panel on the truck is straight. All one would need to do is cut out the rusted section, and have a clean section welded in.....then grind, prime and paint olive drab green.....can it be simpler than that? I know my old Scout II was WAY more difficult than that.

What are these things like off-road?

Ahhh....they are a joy to drive! You must get used to approaching obstacles differently, because you are actually sitting on top of the front wheels, but once you get used to that you'll find they are SPECTACULAR in stock form. The front and rear lockers are wonderful. Care must be taken in off-camber situation, because of the limited axle articulation the independent suspension provides, but with the lockers this makes many former difficult obstacles easy. They can drive right up and down ledges due to the great approach and departure angles. They are rated to drive up ANY grade, as long as the tires have traction. They have a 43 deg. angle side hill ability.....not perfect, but damn good.
They've been taken in stock for on some of the more difficult 4x4 trails in the country...Rubicon, Moab, Seven Mile :-)

How do I convert KPH to MPH?

multiply the KPH by .63 i.e. 104kph x .63 = 65.52 mph

Do these trucks require tons of work to keep them running?

From the reports of other owners, NO. Regular maintenance is typical i.e. oil & lube changes, air/fuel filters, tune up. You don't need to be a mechanic to work on these things, but a general automotive knowledge is required. They are very simple machines to work on, because they were designed so an 18yr army grunt old fresh off the farm could fix them.