My Pinzgauer 712 - unknown model variant

[bash185]

Gents,

I was wondering if anyone could clarify what model of 712 I own. The only pictures I can find of this model on the internet, are of mine (the canvas used to be painted white). I have seen photographs of some 712s with a slightly raised peak canvas, but nowhere near as steep or as high as mine. Its stock colour was originally a dark blue body, with a green canvas hood. I believe it to be Austrian (there is no vacuum line on the distributor). I believe the vehicle to be in totally stock condition in regards to its structural appearance. Can anybody shed any light on this model?
Thank you.

[audiocontr]

Do the roll bars arch that tall? Can you take a picture of the inside please.

[bash185]

The roll bars do arch to the top of the canvas hood, photo attached

[TechMOGogy]

Talk about headroom!
I am not sure but the front headlight protectors are Austrian, it has a tropical air intake on the front, Swiss single pane windshield vs the split Austrian one.
The rollbar modification is interesting but hard to tell by photos how it was done.

Sorry I don't have info that can help you directly but I love the fold down sides!

[Haf-e]

That is very similar to an Austrian anti-aircraft gun truck - SAV sold a few back in the late 90s when I was looking. The sides folded down to allow the gun to spin around and made a platform for the gunners to clean and adjust the gun prior to firing.

Odd thing on this one is the tropical air cleaner and the full rear seats. Where are you located?

Looks very nice.

[bash185]

I am located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

[Jimm391730]

...Swiss single pane windshield vs the split Austrian one.

And Austrians had fuses, Swiss had circuit breakers. I really like the grab bars on the top rails!

[McCall Pinz]

That is very similar to an Austrian anti-aircraft gun truck -

It looks a lot like an FLA model, but with a taller top. Unlike the FLA, I think these fold-down sides are intended to drop all the way down to the sides and act like a ladder. There are tread plate pieces to protect the sides and allow a non-slip entry from the sides. Very cool.

[bash185]

That is correct, the sides do fold down 180 degrees and provide a ladder style access due to the chequer plate. The hood is about 12 inches higher than an FLA model. I am 5' 11" and can stand up in the back.

[audiocontr]

Diamond tread = headache!

[David Dunn]

If I was to speculate from these pics, I would guess that the truck may have been a 712FAL ( from the fold down side rails) and a custom top( similar to the earlier Austrian 712 w/ weapon platforms, FLA). A wild guess would be that the truck was made up for UN use ( the white paint job) to be used to move supplies and people. The folding sides to facilitate loading and unloading and the high top for comfort of personal and increase interior storage volume. The plastic windows in the rear would not be standard to a weapon platform, but for personnel visibility ( or at least some light for the occupants).. The driver’s seat ‘appears’ to be a standard vinyl seat used in TD Pinzes, and a standard 710/12 passenger seat.
I also don’t see any hardware to release the top from the windshield frame

With the limited info, I’d guess the truck was made 1982 to ’85, and was a Pinz spec’ed for the UN.

Bash 185, what does your dataplate have for year of manufacture, and for configuration (ex 712M, 712T ..712FAL) ?


Though the Austrian military contracted Pinzes had split windshields , the one piece windshield was not unique to the Swiss and vice versa. The Swiss and the Austrians weren't the only ones to order Pinzes

I have a series of pics of a 712M in Oman that has a split windshield, fuses , Austrian type tail lamps, the same tropical air cleaner AND the same 1 piece bumper. But also has the same soft top as aSwiss Pinz ( with leather strips and footman loops).


Also, when the side rails are dropped, they aren't practical for climbing into the truck as personnel would also have to climb over the (in facing) seat backs ( where some the big Mogs have the same type side rails but the troop seats are in the middle, out facing). In this instance, the rails would be for better load retention and the full drop for ease of loading and unloading ( both for by forklift and by hand).

[bash185]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen. Attached is a photograph of my data plate. I am not sure if any of these numbers denote a year of manufacture, but my registration document states:- 'declared manufacture 1989'.

[David Dunn]

Interesting, My ’71 710M and ’72 712M had dataplates similar to the one in the 1st pic. Manufacture date is obvious.
My SDP 716K and ATL 718K had completely different plates and didn’t have dates on them, as in 2nd pic.

1989 was well after gas Pinzes had been discontinued, but may have been in factory inventory and completed to customer’s spec and sold in ’89 (if “declared” wasn’t just for ease of completing the form). I know of a 718Amb sold at a Thun auction listed as a 1992. The truck was a P80, definitely made before 1990 and the VIN actually matched up to 1987. It could have been held at the factory and sold to the Swiss in ’92. Some countries still allowed year of sale by the manufacturer to be the model year.

Crawl under your truck and look at the data tags on the transfer case and transmission, they usually have the components info, serial# and manu date. Assuming they are original to the truck. The truck would have been built within months after the components were.
But you can see by your data plate the “M” was stamped later. If any of my suspicions are correct, your 712 was built as a M with specific specs for the customer… tropical air cleaner, bumper, rear seats, high top, drop sides and a upgraded drivers seat. It looks too "SDP ish" too have been aftermarket, but you never know.
The flexibility of the base Pinzgauers to be altered for for whatever use you want is what attracted me to them 17 years ago.


Magna Steyr can give you build info on the truck… for a fee. It would be definitely be interesting to know

[bash185]

Thanks again for the help gents. I have emailed Magna Steyr to try and gain further information on my 712 and i will let you know what they come back with.
While I have this post open, I thought i would share some photos of other vehicles that I own:-

Land rover 101 - great vehicle, initially horrifying to drive at first, you feel so out of control and huge in comparison to everything else on the road. Nowhere near as capable as the pinzgauers offroad, but more comfortable for a long haul. This has a homemade hardback on it and higher ratio gears in the transfer. Beautiful sound from the V8 engine and as easy to maintain as a pinzgauer. I have managed to get this up to 84 mph, never been so scared in my life.

Pinzgauer 710k - fantastic condition throughout, with an after market RHD steering conversion and after market steps below all the doors. Would have preferred the steering to have been the original LHD, but the conversion has been performed superbly.

Pinzgauer 710m - has a homemade hardback on it to resemble an ambulance model, superb conversion. Very average condition, suffering from rot to the tub, but nothing that cant be sorted out. Mechanically it runs very well.

Pinzgauer 712 - as seen in my first photograph at the start of this post, superb condition throughout. When I first bought this, it was a non-runner, it was covered in clay and moss and hadnt moved for years. It took me 9 weeks to strip it down, give it a deep clean, then rebuild. My only outgoing was my own labour and the price of replacing all the oils.

I purchased all four vehicles within the last 3 years and I have been very lucky in regards to getting a bargain. The four vehicles in total have cost me less than 12000 pounds, with my best bargain being the 712, which cost me only 2600 pounds. Currently I am scouring the UK market, to try and pick up a Haflinger or Volvo C303 / C306.

All four vehicles get driven for a week at a time, then I rotate them, they are my 'daily drive vehicles', i dont own a modern vehicle.

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

We share tastes in tires and tire sizes.

Go for the C303. You will end up loving it and ditching the Rover.