Pinzgauer Six Wheel Drive.

This Steyr Daimler Puch Pinzgauer, Pete's pride and joy, has been 13 years in restoration. Now in better than new condition it is not going to have the soft life but will be used to the full.

The Pinzgauer is a part-time six wheel drive; normally "only" the rear four wheels are driven and a dog-clutch can be used to engage drive to the front wheels.

The forward control or cab-over design puts the driver in an excellent position to see the track just before the vehicle wheels meet it. This seating position does take a bit of getting used to on sweeping bends and can be alarming on steep descents. The configuration puts the engine under the cab and more noise intrudes because of this, especially as this vehicle has the air-cooled petrol motor.

Standard bodywork is a soft-top with canvas tilt but the Swiss and other armies also use hard-top ambulances, radio vehicles etc.

The cab interior is basic with little padding or sound proofing but it is the real business for serious off road driving. The three small levers in front of the gear-stick engage all wheel drive (near lever) and operate the rear two (centre lever) and front (far lever) differential locks. Above them is the motor for the wind-screen wipers with its exposed linkage.

The Pinzgauer is equipped with swing axles which pivot about the centre line of the chassis backbone. These are also portal axles with reduction gears in the hub, an arrangement which gives extra ground clearance. The axle tube and steering swivel ball are well above the centre line of the axle hub (right).

The clutch and gearbox are mounted to the engine in a conventional way and a short propeller shaft takes the drive to the transfer case (left) on the right hand side of the chassis backbone tube. The transfer case has two ratios, with synchromesh, and also carries the drive into the centre line of the backbone where shafts take it to the differentials for the front and the rear wheels (below).

Suspension is by coils at the front, with rocking semi - elliptical leaf springs at the rear. The rear leaves simply rest on pads on the axle tubes and the downward travel of the rear axles, if airborne, is limited by straps.

One of the negative features of owning a six wheel drive is having to buy at least seven tyres, and accepting a certain amount of tyre scrub on bitumen.

The ride on the highway is surprisingly good - you get the feeling that the extra pair of wheels and the associated length holds things "back there" down on the ground nicely.

There is plenty of noise from the engine which has to spin at about 4000 at 110kph; it is right there between the front seats, air-cooled, and not about to let you forget it.

Off road the Pinzgauer is unflappable. The large tyres and portal axles give excellent ground clearance. Six wheel drive deals with most terrain and the three diff locks make loose rocky slopes or deep mud seem easy.

Dropping off a step can leave you with the feeling of being in a lift in free fall, but there is no difficulty in seeing over that 6" bonnet (hood) when trying to place the wheels carefully.

Very unusual and beautifully restored, the Pinzgauer turns more heads than a Ferrari.

- 4wd.sofcom.com/4WD.html

Pinzgauer 4x4, 1971.

• Forward control light truck, 2 seats, 2 doors
• loa: 4175mm, width: 1760mm, height: 2045mm, weight: 1950kg (unladen)
• GVM: 3100kg
• approach: 45, departure: 45, ramp break over: 135
• air-cooled 2499cc petrol 4-cyls 2v/cyl ohv
• bore: 92mm, stroke: 94mm, c.r.: 7.8:1 (or 7.5:1)
• transmission: 5m, part-time 4WD, diff locks on all axles, portal-axles, hub reduction gears.
• suspension: swing-coil/swing-coil, brakes: drum/drum
• tyres: 6.50 K x 16, fuel-tank: 75L
• Note: there are various body options and the unladen weight varies accordingly.

Pinzgauer 6x6, 1971.

• loa: 4810mm, weight: 2000kg (unladen)
• GVM: 3500kg
• suspension: swing-coil/swing-leaf (load balancing)
• tyres: 8.25 x 16

Go to the Steyr Daimler Puch, Pinzgauer and 4x4 pages