New guy with new guy concerns..

[Doc_K]

Hi,
I am looking at purchasing a 710M on Tuesday and I am a bit anxious. I fabricate parts for and restore US military vehicles professionally. I specialize in the M151 series of vehicles and that is where I am comfortable. The are quirky vehicles themselves. lol. I have always thought the Pinzes were amazing and I am about to pull the trigger…but the spare parts situation is a bit intimidating and although I have spent hours and literal hours pouring over this forum, the internet and Facebook I feel a bit unprepared to be able to give this vehicle a good pre purchase inspection. I would appreciate any tips on things I might miss or should pay extra attention to.
I have included a picture of my USMC 1979 contract AMG M151A2 for fun


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[Doc_K]

Here is the Pinz I am looking at




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[ChickenPinz]

Most parts are readily available. Pricing is somewhere between Lexus and airplane part pricing.

If you want a good pre-buy inspection, reach out to Andre -- he's your go-to guy in The South.

[Doc]

Thank you


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[rmel]

Find out if the seller is a member of this forum and if so what he goes by.
Then search for his remarks, many post their work here and you might get
a sense of the general issues and maintenance on this truck.

If you end up on your own for inspection, ask him about the maintenance history.
Did he do all the work or shopped it out and to whom. If he did all the work ask
him to go over what were the bigger projects he performed -- you have the chops
to sense if good practice was performed.

How's the engine start and run? Where there any ignition upgrades performed?

Bring a roller creeper along with you and get under the truck and inspect for signs
of leaks; Portals, Diff's, Tranie, X-case. Don't be too surprised to see some leakage.
Put the X-case in neutral check for any excessive backlash in the Tranie. Put the
Tranie in neutral and check the X-case and drive line for backlash -- some is normal.
Check steering linkages for play. Do the lockers engage.

Check for body rust. Foot-well area, remove the foot plate, water can get trapped
there, look under the truck,check the battery box, check the bottom of the door
frames -- these are all common weak areas where water can collect.

As thorough an inspection might be, you will develop a list of things needing attention,
and these rigs need to be driven or they get cranky

Getting parts is typically not an issues. Don't throw anything away that can be
rebuilt -- especially Hydraulic components.

[Hugues]

All of the above and:
-check where the rear suspension coils connect to the body on top, these studs can get rusty as dirt and water get trapped in the cup holding the coils.
-inspect the tarps carefully, they are rather expensive to replace if UV has worn them down.
-check if some of the breakers in the dashboard have popped off
-check if the fuel and speed gauge work properly. They can read zero or full.
-run the wipers on a dry windshield for a while, then pump some liquid, check if motor gets hot
-check inside and outside the battery and tool boxes for rust
-check the heat exchanger for rust, and the heat shield above the muffler
-drive in the rain if possible and look for leaks into the cabin, from the doors, tarp,...
-check the cylinders compression and/or perform a leak down test if you can.
-check inside the oil filler tube for yellow greasy residue.

[Doc]

Thank you for all of the tips! This is exactly what I was looking for. I am excited to learn more about these vehicles. If everything works out I plan to trail ride, off road and camp the Pinz.


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[ChickenPinz]

What years of trucks have the risk of the red fuel tank liner coming apart, necessitating lots of time and/or $?

[Doc]

It is a 1974. It has been well taken care of and just completed a 5,000 mile military vehicle convoy a few months ago without problems. Has electronic ignition, civilian wires, led headlights, upgraded led taillights, new tires, overhead console
I will check the fuel tank as I have read about this problem. If needed I can have the tank dip stripped and re-lined.
I am very mechanically capable but I have never worked on or owned an air cooled European vehicle.
I am looking forward to putting my design and fabrication skills to use on this truck if things work out.
I have a nice set of military radios I am thinking about mounting in the back and have plans for a MERDC desert camo paint job.
Excited to check it out tomorrow.


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[Doc]

I looked at the 710M today and fell in love!
I was pleased with it mechanically and cosmetically aside from faded pain. I love the driving experience!
Thank you to those that took the time to answer my initial query.
I am planning on designing and fabricating a new stainless muffler and a large capacity stainless fuel tank. A new paint job is also in the future


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[Hugues]

Great! Welcome to the club!