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

Well me and my wife have been thinking awhile about getting a Pinz. On the 4th we took a trip up to Silverton, CO with my parents, they have a side by side atv (along with everyone up there it seems). He keeps pushing me to get something like that, but with 3 kids and another on the way it just seems so one dimensional, whereas a Pinz seems much more versatile. Obviously I wont be able to fly down trails at 70mph, but on all but one of the trails we were on I don't think we ever exceeded 30mph, and I could have all the kids in a Pinz plus all of our gear and even a few other people along for the ride.
So basically I'm looking for advise on what to look for in a Pinz, what not to worry about, and what ya'll think of the Pinz vs. side by side/jeep discussion.
Sorry for the ramble.

First off where are you? Update your profile and you will get better information and sources.

Edit:
OK, now that Paul has given out some very relevant words of wisdom, if you are close, PM me and maybe we can chat a bit before you get into this very far.
Our club has just had our Treffen near Leadville and it would have been good to get a lot of first hand knowledge about the vehicles and their capabilities.

Since you say "up to Silverton", I'll assume you are somewhere near southwest Colo., so wanting (or needing) a Pinz is somewhat of a practical desire.

If you've never driven or ridden in one, you must before you actually make the decision to buy. They are not for everybody.

As you pointed out, you can't do 70mph down the trails. Heck, you probably can barely do that on-road with a Pinz, and never in a 712 (unless it's a runaway!). On much off-road driving, I doubt that you'll even hit 30mph in a PInz. They're not really designed for hi-speed off-road driving. So consider whether you are comfortable at speed - slow speed that is.

There have been numerous threads about pre-purchase inspection items, so I'm not going to elaborate. Do a search and you'll find lots of good stuff, including IIRC a pre-purchase checklist. Remember, physical condition of a Pinz is little or no indication of mechanical fitness. The more trucks you become familiar with, the better odds you have of selecting a prime example.

My Jeep experience is all CJ-5's, and there's little comparison. The Jeeps are very capable, speedy, small capacity, relatively quiet (except the fender-well headers), and have heat. Pinzgauers are yet more capable (in stock trim), and the opposite of everything else: slow, spacious interior, noisy, comparatively, and they have marginal stock heaters..

As was observed to me long ago: Get your buddy with a Jeep and a rider, plenty of beers, and all their equipment to take you to his worst place. Then fill your Pinz with three of your friends, a half-barrel and all your stuff, and do the same run backwards. If it's a 712, take 5 friends. IMHO, your average Pinz will outperform your average Jeep off-road.

That said, I've driven side-by-side with a guy in a lightly-modified Cherokee who had little trouble keeping up with my 712 in some really gnarly rocks and swampy areas. I was able to be a fairly lazy driver, and he was an exceptional one, but still...

I'll second krick3tt and suggest you add a location. If he's nearby you, perhaps you can get a ride in his truck as a place to start familiarizing yourself with them. Welcome to the forum.

So I updated my profile, I know I am probably a ways away from most of you guys. I'm really into old AC VW's, working on a '66 splitty bus right now so the speed thing is no biggie. Kinda used to going pretty slow, and noisy with very little heater . I definitely would like to ride in one before we really start looking. We've always been a bit odd and seeing as everyone around here has a jeep for offroading, that makes me not want one at all, and the capabilities of the pinz make it that much more appealing.

Sounds to me like you may well appreciate a Pinz. Good luck in your hunt!

Hey Kjbt, I'm in Alb, and you're welcome to drive mine. As a reality check, I bought mine north of Denver several years ago and drove it back. It was a very long drive...

I don't think it would be an enjoyable drive for you and the family to travel from Jemez Springs to, say, Silverton in a Pinz. If you''re trailering it, then ok, but driving that long a distance with the kids in the back of a soft top (the M model) - no way. Maybe the K version would be more tolerable, but still the Pinz is slow, loud, and uncomfortable for long distances.

If you like the "top-down-experience" and, of course, depending on the available $s, maybe consider a 4-door Jeep Wrangler. You could cruise at a comfortable 80 mph with A/C and music to the trailhead, and likely do most of the Colorado trails with no problem, and then cruise back home in comfort - a lot to be said for that!

When I was looking for a Pinz, I had heard that the two big things to look for was rust & leaks.

Landy is correct in saying that a drive of any great distance, with a family, in a pinz can be an ordeal.

I have driven the circuit from San Diego to Seattle to Denver several times and I have to tell you it is not always a fun adventure. Drove two times to the MogFest in Sheridan, OR.
Don't do that anymore.

The new seats help.

Drive one and then make your decision on what to buy. You really too far from here to drive mine but you have an offer in Alb.

As you are on a forum that deals with other 4x4's, how about looking at some of other non Jeep offerings?

There are a LOT of 4x4 vehicles available, some newer and higher speed / more comfortable (G-wagon, Landrover / Range Rover / Itis to name a few). Then there are the older slower / nosier offerings. How about a Haflinger?

Tell you what, How about people put a list of various different type of 4x4 on here and you can go through it and ask questions on them?

So here the first one for you:-

Haflinger - can be obtained in short and long wheel base variations, Usually canvas top, but there are variations with hard tops and completely enclosed. Small engine size, so relatively good on fuel. very capable off road. Slow, both on the road and off road, But being small can be put on a trailer / back of a suitable vehicle.

John

OMG. The guy said he was interested in a Pinzgauer and all you guys can do
is point him the other way and tell him what horrible vehicles the Pinz is. WTF???

Do you read your own posts????

I've done the LR Discovery 2, Aro (Romanian), Series 2a LR (still have that one), GMC Jimmy (75), etc. There is only one Pinzgauer! Nothing else outperforms it. Even the Hummer guys are amazed and the Unimog crowd include you as one of the "heavy trucks" even though the wheelbase is shorter than the short Series LR. You will read about steering complaints from people who don't know that you don't turn the wheel unless you are moving, people who claim 33" tires don't fit a stock truck and stock rims (use BFG 295/75, I do), and many others who don't recognize that this is a real driving experience. You don't just aim it while the kids watch videos and you sip lattes. You actively drive. You may get tired, sure, you're viscerally involved in getting there! So plan coffee stops and to get your hands dirty. Tell the kids to look out the window or open side and hang on. They will shriek more than on a roller coaster, especially when you lift a wheel. I got mine last fall and love it. 400-500 km (about 300 miles) is a good day's drive on road when you have to use them.

In short, if you find a nice condition one, grab it. You'll love it!

Happy driving!

Cheers, Clive

Umm, the original poster asked for a discussion comparing the merits of a Pinz vs Jeep.

None of the subsequent posts indicated that the Pinz was a horrible vehicle.

Perhaps you should read the original post...

I just remembered this one: Since you're into splitty busses and maybe Pinzgauers, you should check out this thread (if you haven't already...): viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6850

It's the best of both worlds.

Not sure why the project has stalled. Maybe you need to track it down...

I'm in a similar situation with the OP. For me, the big question is how reliable Pinz's can be. I can deal with slow highway speeds. Noise, poor heaters, and uncomfortable seats can be upgraded to a certain extent. But how reliable are Pinzgauers?

I know obviously when you're dealing with a 40 year old vehicle, things will go wrong. But lets say I save enough money to get my Pinz, as well as enough to get it in mechanically tip-top shape. I guess where I'm hesitant, is that I'm not certain how tip-top a Pinz can get. I know they're very easy to work on, but as owners, are you always working on them? Would any of you drive your Pinz' across Canada or the US, if comfort wasn't a factor? Or is more like, "Well, that's 2000km, time for a new clutch."

I read a very interesting travel blog (I can't remember the name) of a guy who did a trans-Africa trip in a 712. It seems like the blog was mostly about all the different places in Africa where he worked on his Pinz. For sure, he was having the time of his life. I didn't get any feeling that he was complaining. Is this the mind-set of the common Pinzgauer owner: that a cost of having this amazing vehicle, is that you're always fixing it? Is working on your ride a form of recreation for you?

I drove my pinzgauer from Ca. to East TX when I moved. I Drove it Back to Southern Ca. Towed a halflinger north to Wa. state. Drove back down to So. Cal. and Home. I was loaded for bear, each way. Not to mention daily driving both there and home.

Things I repaired/replaced. Batteries(they were 6years old and the wrong size). Oil cooler sealing rings(looked like I replaced the 40year old originals). Muffler and flex coupling(needed up grades). And Steering hub wiper seals( weeped a bit more than I was pleased with).

All this over a 5 year period.

My first truck I owned for 8 years and only replaced a clutch slave and a front axle assembly(played in ocean and didn't check for 6mos after).

Reliable? Yes
service free? No
Worth it? Most Definitely Yes.