From: Steve Grammont (islander@midmaine.com)
Date: Mon Aug 05 2002 - 10:43:22 PDT
>Man you really have to want one of those things to buck up 15K...wow!
$15k is a bit steep for a 710k as I have seen them going for more like
$12k recently. The going rate for a 710M (softop version of the 710) is
roughly $8k-$10k. I think most people would rather have the soft top
version as the hardtop turns the back into a convection oven without
propper ventilation :-) Whatever benefits the hardtop offers (if any), I
certainly don't think it is worth spending almost 2x the money vs. a
decent condition softop version. With this economy, there are a lot of
Pinzes being sold off due to job losses and other negatives.
As for Jack Lee's comments on the upkeep of a Pinz, I would think the
Pinz is about comperable (if not slighly better) in terms of maintainence
cost to the Vlap. Many of the parts are stock Bosch/VW, with all but the
traditional big ticket items (engine, transmission, gearbox, etc.) being
reasonably priced compared to other vehicles out there. Certainly better
than owning an expensive contemporary vehicle like a Mercedes or BMW I am
sure!
One of the great things about a Pinz is that if you get a decent one, and
take good care of it (fluid levels, non-abusive driving, not doing
anything stupid to the electrical system as some have done, etc.) it is
probably no more expensive than any other non armored wheeled military
vehicle. I would guess less in fact. The vehicle is fairly simplistic
by design and easy to maintain. Many Pinz owners use theirs as daily
drivers and have put tens of thousands of relatively trouble free miles
on them.
But like any 25+ year old vehicle, something will break or wearout. But
that has more to do with age than it does with the Pinz itself since this
is a natural condition. I can say, however, that everybody that sees my
Pinz can not believe that it is 30 years old this year. It looks far,
far, FAR better than the 15 year old trucks and cars that populate my
area :-) They are falling apart while mine looks like it is ready for a
parade, inside and out. And besides some cosmetic things I have done,
that is exactly how I bought it.
Steve
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