Introducing my new rig: The Phoenix

[Grim Reaper]

Driving on roads is interesting. Application of the brakes causes a major nose-dive. Something that will require a lot of adaptation. The brakes are drums and just don't have the stopping power of disks that's for sure! I'll be trying to find some dirt roads in the coming weeks to try out the handing there.


I haven't experienced it yet, but others in-the-know have counseled me on the tendency of the vehicle to lift a wheel and/or become "tippy" at times.

As for drivetrain noise, no, it isn't very whiney at all. The PO did some type of balancing along the entire driveline.



Pinzgauer Specs:

Yup...towing capacity is about 11,000 lbs, it weighs ~4600 lbs, and can carry 2200 lbs (minus the 200 lbs in batteries it already totes!).

Actually Drum brakes can stop just as good as disc...THE FIRST TIME. They don't get rid of heat as well and fade as a result. The key is keeping them adjusted up. I suspect with the brake dive the fronts may be a little tighter then the rear.

Sitting on the front wheels also makes the brake dive feel worse then sitting between the axles.


Lifting wheels in an understatement. One of my old club mates had one and it almost always had a wheel off the ground. With the lockers it just keeps going. I have seen it laying on its side in rut trails and stand itself back up and flop back over on the other side and do it again.

Now a straight up hill climb they are simply amazing. I rode in the back one time (his was a soft top) hand was holding onto the cage wall for dear life with my foot braced against the diff hump to keep from falling on the rear door.

Here is a picture of my buddy Jeff and this was not a one time only photo op. LOL
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5210&d=1168484004

 

[The Swiss]

I filled up the gas tank for the first time today.
I'm hoping it was a fluke: 11 mpg :yikes:
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Well, remembering my time in the service, we would see milages from about 12 to 16mpg, obviously depending on the terrain. One trip, 8 well fed soldiers with full pack and a trailer filled with amo, first pedal to the metal at 50 mph on the Swiss autobahn, then pedal to the metal with 25-35 mph up some winding mountain roads, milage was somewhere around 6-7 mpg ... Not sure what the combined weight was, but waaaaaaay too much for those four little drum brakes. Talking about scary :yikes:

BTW, drum brakes have an advantage in the mud, it takes them longer to clogg up, but once the drums are filled with mud ...

 

[travel dodge]

WOW, that's nice. How much of it is your build.. how did you find it. did I say nice...

 

[kellymoe]

Who did the build on this? I inspected one just like in back around 2000, maybe earlier. The guy who built it had also built the Red Bull Pinz. He also had a NAS 110. I think he moved to Oregon or Washington to start a online shoe buisness. His name escapes me right now but he did an outstanding job on all his projects.

Congratulations!!

I filled up the gas tank for the first time today.
I'm hoping it was a fluke: 11 mpg :yikes:


I also posted some interior photos for those who asked....
The Phoenix, Interior

 

[Shadow-Warrior]

Great find and great BUILD!...very nice..

 

[DaktariEd]

Who did the build on this? I inspected one just like in back around 2000, maybe earlier. The guy who built it had also built the Red Bull Pinz. He also had a NAS 110. I think he moved to Oregon or Washington to start a online shoe buisness. His name escapes me right now but he did an outstanding job on all his projects.

Congratulations!!

Yup, you got it. The previous owner/builder is Erik Purdom. He does product development all over the world. Pretty successful I believe. He's been very helpful on this project, making e-mail and even phone contact with us from overseas (China)!

I saw this Pinz (the "Uber-K") online a couple of years ago but didn't think much about a Pinz at the time. About a year ago I was toying with the idea of getting a 710K and having a pop-top installed by Sportsmobile. I would do the interior cabinetry myself. Then I came across the Pinz up for sale again, and it grew on me. Flew up to Portland to inspect it in late August, then bought it.

When the piston/cylinder blew, I thought it was DOA. I turned it over to Jake and he resuscitated it! Hence the new name, The Phoenix.

 

[ntsqd]

Turned a friend onto some of the pics & he went out & dug up this link:
Car & Driver's Pinz

 

[DaktariEd]

Hey, that's a great find....thanks!

 

[Andrew Walcker]

WOW Ed, just catching up on this! I remember when that rig was for sale a few years back. Well, you had to go big in order to one up the FJ40/Horizon combo and I think you succeeded nicely

 

[datrupr]

Hey, the Rabbit on the cover of that mag looks just like the one I had in High School. I had a feces brown 1978 Rabbit. One of the greatest cars I ever owned. I tried to kill it and it just would not die. I bought it with 78K on it. I nver once changed the oil, and finally got rid of it at 220K because the clutch finally went out. Talk about memory lane.

Turned a friend onto some of the pics & he went out & dug up this link:
Car & Driver's Pinz

 

[sgt rock]

i remember your pinz!

many years ago i was criss crossing the desert in my pinz and stopped off in norco at a place that is out of business (so cal pingauers) for some parts. the red bull was trucks were there as well as your truck. i had met ed during my stop and drooled all over your pinz!! very nice pinz!!! i remember there was a logo of his sandal business on the truck. i had taken a lot of pics of that truck but can not find them......
but here is the red bull truck...
i sold mine last year i do miss her dearly but with 2 jeeps and a at trailer i had no more room.....

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[sgt rock]

lost pic

here

is a pic that that i found on a old web site-

there are a few interior shots of the mozo as well
http://www.t2k.com/pinz/id4.htm

 

[dan chain]

if youve never driven a pinz off road, prepare your self for a new experience, it is WAY different than anything I have ever had before. If you want to do a trail run with another pinz sometime let me know.

 

[DaktariEd]

Well I'll be darned!
That's cool.
There's actually some "pedigree" in those photos.
Thanks for posting them....

 

[pismo62]

Great truck Ed, looking forward to the mods you do. :truck: