THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

If you could purchase a brand new Pinzgauer 710m or 712m, meaning brand-new-out-of-the-factory, not refurbished or restored, would you do it?

Let's say each truck still had dual carbies, but was upgraded with 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 one of those rad electric power steering add-ons that Scott at Expedition Imports has for sale. Basically still a neanderthal-simple air cooled Pinz, but factory equipped with all the cool upgrades we see discussed here on the forum.

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.

I think it would need to be electric with 400+ mile range, or a cutting-edge TDiesel. The days of new cars that get MPG in the teens are, or will soon be, over.

Why ask, are you about to invest millions in a Pinz reman business?

VinceAtReal4x4s wrote: ↑Sun Sep 02, 2018 3:05 am Why ask, are you about to invest millions in a Pinz reman business?

No, although I can't pretend the idea hasn't crossed my mind several times in the past...


These days there seems to me an ever-widening chasm between folks that like ancient DIY-friendly auto and moto technology, you know, stuff that they don't have to visit a dealer to maintain or even repair; and the larger majority that has never known anything but EFI, power everything, plastic everything, electronically controlled everything, you know, stuff that only a dealership or shop with the codes and software and overly complex equipment can maintain or repair.

Basically, overlanders with eyes for old Royal Enfields and Pinzgauers, and "overlanders" with eyes for BMW GS 1200s and Instagram Jeep JKs.

Think you be better of using the TD pinz platform....meaning upgrade the p93 pinzgauers by using a upgrade engine and gearbox....all the other goodies are already there....powersteering, discbrakes...
Only Thing That would make this succesful would be the sellingprice, keep in mind That only 211 civillian TD pinzgauers were sold.....i think the sellingprice of around 125.000 Euro's had something to do with That

I agree with the TD platform concept. The need for better highway speeds and fuel economy are better achieved with a tuned, turbo diesel. My other option for power plant would be a super efficient Diesel/electric drive system. It works for locomotives pulling heavy weights at Hwy speeds.
Most important upgrade would be leak free door glass.



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I have exactly what you described in your 1st post except mine has EFI.
A brand new 710M Pinz with every available upgrade plus some custom built/reinforced addons
1st $50k would take it

I think you'd have to go the full fuel injection, closed loop cat etc as I'm sure most countries have strict emission controls on new vehicles.... fantasized about squeezing a Cummins crate motor in mine

No

You mean, "for off-road purposes"?

audiocontr wrote: ↑Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:44 amYou mean, "for off-road purposes"?

NHTSA has already published a letter of interpretation which states that a Pinzgauer is a "Motor Vehicle" capable of operating on highways. As such, it cannot be imported into (nor manufactured in) the United States as an "off-road only" vehicle.

So to my knowledge, a "brand new Pinz" would have to meet current-year FMVSS requirements and EPA standards applicable to an automobile, regardless of whether you would be operating on- or off-road.

I don't really see that happening.

^exactly

Hmmm, okay then.

For the sake of hypothesis only, let's say these were original air cooled Pinzies; but offered with all the upgrades aforementioned: disc brakes, power steering, blueprinted 2.7 engine, safety glass, etc, etc, 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.

And perhaps the price was much lower, too; if the out-the-door price was lowered to 30,000 USD, would this be a commercially viable vehicle, I wonder?

Well the aircoold ones are fun to drive and i even feel That they are better off road Than the TD 's....but 30000 $ for all those upgrades including the pinz ....are you getting them for free

nicholastanguma wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:38 pm Hmmm, okay then.

For the sake of hypothesis only, let's say these were original air cooled Pinzies; but offered with all the upgrades aforementioned: disc brakes, power steering, blueprinted 2.7 engine, safety glass, etc, etc, 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.

And perhaps the price was much lower, too; if the out-the-door price was lowered to 30,000 USD, would this be a commercially viable vehicle, I wonder?

Well, from a TOTALLY theoretical standpoint, yes,I think a vehicle as you describe would be worth $30,000 USD.

BUT...
...I highly doubt you could get such a vehicle imported into the U.S. The feds got all over the Land Rovers for a similar reason. If you change the vehicle too much, you are no longer exempted from FMVSS compliance. https://jalopnik.com/the-feds-just-seiz ... 1605985758

It might work if you could get them imported first, then do those upgrades stateside. But with a 25% tariff on imported antique automobile components, I'm afraid you'd never do all that for $30k.

Besides, if it were possible, I think someone like Scott Ingham would already have done it.

Not sure where this is going?
If just a dream wish list then you may want to add 120kph top speed, air conditioning, hardtop/softtop swapable options, etc