The Ark -

And now, I present to you, my better half and his spy truck!
This post is for the boyz :) 
And Chris

The Ark, You could call this a number of things, the ultimate in recycling, weird, cool, whatever. We’ve named it the ark.


Most common question we get? What is it?

This is a 1973 Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer 710K…. Like that clears anything up. Ok, its an Austrian Military vehicle that was developed back in the 70’s, this one spent some time as a Swiss Radio truck (which makes it the 710K) version. Most notable for this version is the hard top, AC and the three across seating in the back with a table. The table was meant as a platform for Radio/command gear and the AC is to keep of that cool in the summer. The very back has a custom jump seat installed and the interior (although the proper layout for a Radio/command vehicle) is heavily customized as well as being dotted with Civilian creature comforts.

Its an absolute blast to drive and has become a daily driver for me around town. Although capable of 65mph, its more comfortable at 55 so its not really suited for long stretches of highway travel.



You can see by this view… the rather interesting layout of the Dash. Bottom left behind the driver seat is the gas heater (not functional currently due to a missing part) but its meant to run directly off the unleaded fuel tank. No Power steering, vacuum assisted drum brakes, 5 speed with two speed transfer case, the three levers on the center console are hydraulic’s to control the use of 4x4, locking the rear and locking the front axels. To the right of that we have a glove compartment (not exciting) window fluid washer and the passenger seat. Moving up top we’ve got a newly installed radio with MP3 and a CB. The observation/gunners hatch is FULLY functional.


While still in the front of the vehicle, you can see the power plant (with doghouse and front seats removed for maintenance. What you see is a Steyr Engine, Inline 4 cylinder, Air Cooled, Unleaded Gas. 89 Horse power. Yep, even though this was designed in the 70’s they installed gas engine, the diesels didn’t come out until later. Because of the military design and engineering, you’ll notice that everything is accessible very easily so that things can be repaired in the field.



Moving out back, we see the table which was designed for radio gear/maps or whatever the 3 passengers in the back wanted. I’ve installed OEM weapons mounts and have begun the process of installing VHF, CB, Scanning, HDTV, Weather Alert, and Shortwave receive gear.  Everything is powered by a 420 amp hour battery bank made up of deep cycles. Very hush hush, spy stuff 






Anyway… This is our latest addition and should serve us well during any emergency or off-road travels. Should probably also mention the other unique feature of this marvel of engineering…. Portal Axels and some massive interco swampers… In theory this should keep us from getting stuck provided we don’t go over the capabilities of the truck. Other common questions:

Is that A Volkswagen: NO!
Where can I get one: Ebay or Craigslist
How Much: Depends on condition, Average 11K but can be as high as 40K depending on modifications
How do you fix it: Just like any other truck
Is that 4 wheel drive: Yes, And then some!
How about parts: well they are still made and almost identical so there are plenty of parts available
Does it float: Only for a second
Is it top heavy: No actually is got a VERY low center of gravity and can do 45 degrees on a side slope yikes.
Why did you get it: Zombies

Check them out on youtube… they can do some pretty amazing things, just search for pinzgauer. This is one of my favorites….