Pinzgauer

[flyingwil]

I stumbled across this cool Pinzgauer site:
http://www.pinzgauerus.com

This is the MOZO1 built by the Purdoms with help from Art Thompson at A2ZFX (Art built the last Batmobile) and Stefan Riendle at So Cal Pinzgauers. 2.7 liter 8.5:1 compression fuel injected Puch engine, High speed 5 speed, fully refirmished drivetrain, complete body restoration, AC, rear view camera, Billet grill, 1600 watt stereo with Alpine Nav, 4 custom bucket seats, 18" military grade flat screen and 12vdc PC, 200 watt solar array, 24 and 12 volt independent systems, Beck Rims, Center Rim pintles, Sound deadened to the gills, etc, etc,

I need to go get some paper towels now to wipe up my drool!

 

[The BN Guy]

There's a holding lot next to a plumbing company here that is protecting three of those beast from me!

 

[gjackson]

When we went through Gabon, we met up with a couple in a 6x6 Pinzi. We travelled with them for several months. The Pinz is an awesome vehicle. Little underpowered in the 6x6 version, but very very capable!

They had been travelling for 18 months when we met them, and are still going now. Looks their total trip will be 3 to 4 years. Down the west side of Africa and then up the east side!

cheers

Graham

 

[flyingwil]

When we went through Gabon, we met up with a couple in a 6x6 Pinzi. We travelled with them for several months. The Pinz is an awesome vehicle. Little underpowered in the 6x6 version, but very very capable!

They had been travelling for 18 months when we met them, and are still going now. Looks their total trip will be 3 to 4 years. Down the west side of Africa and then up the east side!

cheers

Graham

What a trip! Graham, where is Gabon? I would love to doa great expedition trip like that one day. But for now any great distance I do are in an aircraft. There are some great remote landing strips that you can set up camp right off the strip. I have yet to do one of these excursions but it is on my list of wishes and wants.

 

[gjackson]

Gabon is on the west coast of Africa directly above Congo and below Cameroon. It has recently opened up a bit, and National Geographic Explorer mag did a great article in 2002 about some of the new game parks there. It is all jungle and in some places the tracks are muddy and narrow and the insects are intense! It took us 4 days to get out of Gabon into Congo because we were the first vehicles to cross that border post in 7 years! When we got to the border fence the officer told us we couldn't cross because the gate was locked and the guy with the key was dead! This was after 3 days of fighting with the officials further inland from the border. We finally cut the lock and crossed (see pic below -- Pinz_IntoCongo), but first we had to promise them another lock. I got an email from a friend who crossed that same border post this past July -- he was the next car after us, and they had lost the key again! (see: http://www.bigsky-adventures.com/)

It is an interesting country. In the capital of Libreville I was quoted (no joke) $14,000 for a steering box for my Defender. And that was from the official Land Rover parts shop. It is one of the most expensive cities in the world -- maybe the most expensive in the 3rd world. But they do have gorillas and Michael Fey crossed part of Gabon on his Megatransect. He found great apes he thought had never seen humans before. Pretty intense stuff.

BTW Flyingwil, my dad was involved in Landsat surveys of Southern Africa. He used to fly old DC3s into remote areas. Even had to do an unplanned landing on the Skeleton Coast (Namibia) at one point to avoid weather. That is a remote landing! He did most of that work over Botswana and the Okavango Delta which has got to be one of the most amazing places on the planet. I would love to be able to do a flying expedition.

Just for completeness check out the pics of the Pinzgauer we travelled with.

cheers

Graham

 

[Scott Brady]

I think the Pinz K model would make for an outstanding expedition platform. They are a little scary in technical terrain, as articulation is limited. However, for expedition work they have the key elements (as do most military transports)

1. Serviceability or reliability
2. Payload
3. Range

 

[flyingwil]

Those are some great pictures, And loved the feed back about your pops. So what did you do in regards to the steering box? Did Fed-Ex deliver?

 

[gjackson]

Those are some great pictures, And loved the feed back about your pops. So what did you do in regards to the steering box? Did Fed-Ex deliver?

Man, I'm really not paying attantion! Sorry Flyingwil, didn't mean to hang you out there. . .

No, we didn't get a steering box in Gabon. Had to wait until we reached South Africa. So I drove half of the trip with a tooth missing in the steering box which gave a massive vague spot just to the left of center. Not good for muddy tracks . . .or anything else steering wise.

Attached is a pic of the sign to the non-official Land Rover parts place in Libreville Gabon. Unfortunately they didn't have a steering box!

 

[flyingwil]

Great Pic! I bet that was sight too see coming into Gabon, real bummer they didn't have the part. Great story too... thanks for the conclusion.

 

[Colorado Ron]

Heres a taste.....

I dedicated a page on the website to em!! Check it out

PINZY PAGE!!

 

[Wanderlusty]

I saw a couple of Pinzgaur's in Durango this spring. Spent a little time drooling over them. Really neat package. Got curious and researched them a little. They are surprisingly affordable. Comfortably under 20K.... not sure that I would want to spend that for a vehicle I would not use every day, but still a lot more affordable than I thought.

 

[Gold Boy]

please tell me about reliability of the pinz, and how easy are they to work on service in the real world?

tanks

:coffeedrink:

 

[Robthebrit]

The are mechanically dead simple. Mechanical air cooled gas engine, simple drive train which is sealed and requires little to no maintainance unless it really breaks which is not that common. If you do need major parts getting them in the middle of nowhere can be very difficult. They are also 24v which can be a pain in the *** if you like gadgets.

They do tend to lift wheels alot but I have yet to see one tip up even in technical stuff. Every year at mogfest they go where the mogs go and more or less hold their own although they tend to not do the really hard trails.

The hard top models would make good expedition vehicles, they have plenty of capacity. I prefer the 710 (4 wheel) over the 712 (6 wheel), in pretty much everything I have seen the 6 wheel is more of a hinderance. The ideal would be a 716 (4 wheel) diesel pinz but I know of only one in the US and it caused a few issues with CARB - this 716 is for sale if anybody wants the info.

Rob

 

[zimm]

Heres a taste.....

I dedicated a page on the website to em!! Check it out

PINZY PAGE!!

cool site. was never on it.

 

[zimm]

from cruising in my friends...

seems scarrier in the technical stuff than my 40. could be cause its a cab over.

similar footprint with 10x the cargo space.

unreal clearance for 33's.

no reason to slow down on allot of roads. you will cruise right over **** that will make you wince prior to "impact" with the best live axle truck. you dont need allot of hp, when you dont have to slow down.

the low hp doesnt abuse the parts. i doubt youll break one.