I am for sure using the 710 body for the project, but I am not sure if I will leave the tub at stock length
yet or not. Kinda depends on how the chassis and drivetrain turns out. I have figured that I will work
out the major kinks there with the body close at hand to do strategic measurements on and approach it
in a way I will set up all the running gear and adapt the body where necessary to bring it all together.
The truck will not retain stock look in the nose area,and I have done preliminary sketches of my ideas.
Trying to fit the engine/trans combo will be the biggest issue I think I will face,as, like you mentioned Dave
"YOU HAVE TO FIT PASSENGERS AND ENGINE IN VERY NARROW CONFINES" but my initial measurements show
it to be close but doable . I really need info on the vac/electrical layout that actuates the diff locks,
front axle,etc. once I get the torque tube/ drive shaft situation resolved I plan on taking the back bone out
of the cage and addressing the issue of repair to the sub-structure,replace all the a-arm swing joints,bolt the
drop gears back in at the ball joints and set the suspension ride height and mock it in with tubes where the
springs will go in order to calculate the coilover type and length I need. I really want to dry-cycle the suspension
and get some travel figures for later when I mount the body. Then once I get coilovers mtd. I will go from there.
I want to shoot some pics of whats left of the CV shafts and try and get a positive ID on what was used.
and I hope that wo'nt be another headache . But if they did it once it can be done again!
I got some intel at work today from my boss(A fellow MV guy also) he saw my post and did a little summizing
about the origin of the SOCOM truck. And what he said made a lot of sense. The 710 body I am using came
from a guy I used to work for at a salvage yard in my home town,he also had other business's ,a trucking company,
and a towing service. One of his other indevores was supplying Special OPs mission at Fort Bragg N.C. with
vehicle requirements they had need of for training anti terrorist units They (SOCOM) would supply a list of vehicles
specific yrs,makes & models and he would round them up ,repair to specified levels and he would deliver them
and they would call him when done with shooting,blowing up and wrecking them all he would pick them up and
bring them back to the salvage yard he owned and we would recover any usable parts for resale. In the course
of this activity he dealt with a gentleman,ret. Marine who was the liason between he and the Govt. types at Bragg.
The liason guy told him the Govt. I.E. the Marines had a requirement for a vehicle of specific size,weight and
capabilities ,to be used in airborne special ops insertions and that the HUMMV was not in the running. The
gentleman (liason) asked him if he wanted to partner up and submit a prototype for evaluation? The two men
looked at production vehicles and arrived at the conclusion that the PINZ.drivetrain fit the bill perfectly, they purchased
a 710m Pinz. from Co. known as COLD WAR REMARKETING I believe out of Colo. anyway they pulled the body off it
and sent the body to the salvage yard I worked for and he owned. I told the manager as soon as I saw it come in
on the roll back "DO NOT CRUSH THAT IT'S MINE" I was all torn up,I had seen a Four Wheeler magazine article in 1974
(I still have the mag) about a company that was looking at importing a civy. version of the Pinz. I was in lust from that
point on,but never saw anything else about them and so when this Military Pinz. body came in some 20 + yrs
later I knew it was my destiny to do something with it . I dealt a deal for the body, and took it to my house and set it up
on stands in my back yard . I started looking up info about Pinzgauers and it became clear that I probably was
not gonna be able to resore it to original as I could'nt afford the drivetrain to go back in it. I finally decided to
be content with building a tube chassis with civy running gear and call it good. Shortly after that I got a call from
my current employer( a long time friend,ex-employer and former partner) asking me if I wanted my old job with
his now successful Defense contracting business(VIC -1&2 intercom build and rebuild is our specialty)back, I said
"DA*! SKIPPY" and I went back doing work I enjoy,well to make a long story short his Co. is located at what used to be
"Lexington Bluegrass Signal Depot," now home to a bunch of Govt contracors doing all kinds of fun work,which also
includes the SOCOM support activity,having been into military vehicles and equipment most of my life, I am kinda like a
kid in "WONKA WORLD" out there. As this has been my hobby as well as my vocation I have made a lot of contacts
in the military surplus circles,one of whom is the guy who buys a lot of what gets scrapped at this post,well he calls me
cause he knows I am working there and tells me that GL has a scrap lot he is gonna bid and wants me to go
inspect it for him,no problem! I meet the L3 guy who is gonna show me the stuff, we enter the lot ,he says everything in
that pile right there,pointing out a bunch of shot up cars and such, and LOW AND BEHOLD a flat black 6x6 Pinz.
After drying my pants leg I walked over and looked in dis belief at what was left of a Pinz 6x6 running gear&body
really could'nt make out what was or was'nt there,all kinda stuff around it and in it,but I saw enough to know
"I GOTTA HAVE IT"!!!!! I looked at the rest of the stuff in the lot jotted down some notes and was off to see the
wizard of scrap to see what it was gonna take to make me the proud owner of the MONSTER. My buddy said
he would bid it high enough to insure a better than average chance of buying the lot and I went home and started the
wait till the bid opened. I drove bye the lot where the truck was for 3 wks till he called and said it was ours .
I got up with him ,payed the amount he paid for it all and told him thanks . The following Monday I took my trailer
to work and loaded it and he came and took away all the other stuff. I then dismantled the residue and disposed
of anything that would not be reusable. It turns out that my SOCOM truck was used in the same program that was
a part of the pilot program that the 710 body came from ,the program was trying to develope what turned out to be
the vehicle that the Marines will be transporting in their new marvel the "OSPREY" . my boss said they worked on this
vehicle for a long time and that it will be culminating with the $400.000.00 a copy Growler descendant scheduled to
begin soon or may allready be started. So I think you would have to agree ,it is my "DESTINY" LOL to build
this PINZ. Till next time,Thanks for your time and your help!
popacom / BILL KAGIN III