Trophy truck, the rebirth.

[Andre]

The rebuilding of the once abandoned Trophy truck has begun. Under Jim Laguardia's watch full eyes, I started the most unnerving task of rewiring the frankenstien monster that it had become. I believe I will leave the air conditioning to the professionals. Damn it! That's us. Quick! Someone find more professionals.

The Austrian dash has been assembled and installed.

The carbs and bases have been rebuilt.

The cab windows and doors have been installed.

The motor tin will get fresh paint tomorrow.

Batteries will be connected and wiring tested(the hard way)

I will post pics as they come.

in monster that was \\
\

[HafWit]

Andre,
I'm sure that once Jim, you, and others are done with it that it will be incredible. Hopefully the Albatross will be newly fuel-injected by then and we will be able to do some wheeling.

Cheers,
Greg

[Andre]

Intake manifolds and engine tins are on. The engine wireing has been gone over(lots of stuff missing), carbs installed and ready to test.

[wrangler0511]

I would love to see pictures of your Pinzgauer.

You might not believe it but watching your truck in Croatia back
then was the reason I started to save money for a Pinzgauer.
I was 16 at that time.

Your Pinzgauer was my main inspiration when I built my racing
Pinzgauer. Therefore it appears similar to yours as it was back in
2002.

I can't wait to find out what happened to the truck in the last 8 years.

Richard

[pinzwheeling]

Gonna have it ready for Mogfest?

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Richard, I drove the 712 in the 2002 Croatia race. I imported it to the US from Graz the year before the race. It was already built up part ways when I got it since it had also raced in Transylvania. We added a rear winch to it, among other things, and I shipped it out the next year to Germany where it rode on a trailer being pulled by a Unimog to Croatia for the race.

After having the well known roll-over accident in the race, where I came very close to being killed, I bought it back to the US, repaired only an engine mount, and drove it a little around Virginia where I lived. I attended a big Land Rover rally event in Va. with it soon after. There was an obstacle there that no one had made it over yet. Several people collected up $35 total and said I could have it if I tried the climb with the 712. I made it over easily and took the money. Some of those guys didn't like the fact that I showed up with such a superior truck though. A few acted like children again the next year when I showed up in my C303 Volvo. You would think people would appreciate such nice 4x4's to look at!

The next year I finally sold the 712 to someone on California. From there it was changed quite a bit from what I heard. I assume you have seen the pic or two of it on my site. I would have a lot more to share of the race that year but someone in Croatia stole my cameras and other materials. I know that soon after I wrecked, someone else almost lost a leg later that day. The next year someone was killed in it. A tough race for sure!



At a Rover event.

[totaljoint]

Vince/ Andre:
What modifications did that 712 have to make it a "racing" Pinz?

[wrangler0511]

If I remember correctly the truck had disk brakes, winches and
a roll cage. (and some other minor changes)
One thing I am not sure about is if it had power steering.
But it could be Horst Mallner's race truck that I remember which is very nice too.
Think of a turbocharged engine with water injection.


@Vince: You mentioned the Transsylvania Trophy. Is this the Truck Klaus Saria drove 1995?
As I remember it was white those days.
That would be another fragment of the truck's history.

Btw I must have some Photos of your Pinzgauer from 2002
somewhere. Just have to scan them as they are not in digital
format.

Richard

[Andre]

Disc brakes, Power steering, taller tires, custom exhaust, and 30+ gallon fuel cell, are all items that It still posseses. Front winch got sold but the rear winch and carriage are still pressent.( havent decided wether to keep or not)

Now it has the K top off of David Dunn's 716 pink cow, A red dot a/c unit on the roof, Black bed liner through out the interior, Alpine sterio/cd system, and a severly cracking Escalade pearl paint job that will definately not stay.

And yes. I am planning to get it to mogfest. Registration permitting.

[Andre]

In reguards to the paint. I would love to get as many photos of the truck from its racing past. I want to paint it the same dark blue and red cage with all the sponsored stickers and race numbers.

With the additional sign space, there will be some new sponsors such as Goatwerks, E-I , Real4x4.com, etc...
_________________

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

I'd LOVE to see some more pics. Please scan them. I spent so much of my life wanting to race in Transylvania and then after it moved, in Croatia. After spending all I had on the race (Around $10k) and then actually racing, only to wreck so badly, I barely even have any record of it at all so anything is nice to see. There was an Israeli Sports News TV cameraman near where I wrecked. I know he has some amazing footage but there's no way to find that tape now.

Yes, it raced in '95 for the first time and was white then. Klaus is who I bought it from, after having seen it in person at the Italian Pinzgauer Treffen in 2000 and again in Graz, when I went out to visit the Pinz factory. Klaus was storing inside a very cramped shipping container in town somewhere. Next to the container was a HUGE Russian Tatra 6x6 that made the 712 look like a toy.

Yes, power steering, which is absolutely necessary in a race like that. It had 34" Silverstone tires, which are hard to beat for racing of that type. The winch on the front was a 24volt WARN 8274 that had a wireless LODAR remote hooked up to it (one of the sponsors I got). The 6-wheel disc brakes, like Andre said... oh it also had a rare 2.7ltr engine and deep bucket seats to hold you in place while racing. I also added two NATO can holders to the back to carry 10 gallons more, then built the lightweight roll cage and rear winch mount which also holds the spare tire upright. The two Optima batteries were also put back there, housed in a US military converted missle/ammo box. Some of this was done to keep weight toward in the back.

I wish I had some more stickers left but they are all gone now. I recently still had a few LODAR stickers as well but threw them away when I closed up the smaller shop I had until 2008. They might send you a few.

[Jimm391730]

Sadly, the only photos I have of the Race Truck are from just after it was "gently" rolled 360 sideways in SoCal:




I do know that these were taken in April of 2003. Years later I ended up with the Lodar winch remote - it's still in the same box with the American Flag sticker!
Jim M.

[Andre]

here are some more current photos. It had been in a better looking condition earlier this decade but the years of storage and neglect have taken their toll.







I couldnt figure out how to up size them a bit.

[Andre]

I think I will be recreating the 5 bar protection of the front quarter panels. I know where the winch went. I may see if he will trade for the rear so I have the same look.

I will also be replacing the front roll member with one that looks more like the origional.

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

That "mini-bed" look doesn't work for me at all, but that's just me. The lines don't mesh well and I think it's obvious to even a lay person that someone used a top that was too short for that model Pinz.