Baby Blue: 1979 International Harvester Scout
This 1979 International Harvester Scout II looks to be a solid driver. Many times we see Scouts with worse lower panel rust than this one. Overall, this Scout II looks to be in pretty good condition. It is listed here on eBay with 2 days remaining in the auction. It is currently bid to $4,250 after 21 bids. The Scout II is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and had faded blue paint with a white interior. While this Scout II needs restoration, it could be driven as is and has a 345 cubic inch V8 engine.
The first generation of the Scout was called a Scout 80 and was manufactured from 1960 to 1965. The second generation of Scout was built from 1966 to 1971 and called the Scout 800 which was produced in three sub-models (800, 800A, and 800B). In 1971, the third generation model was introduced and produced until 1980. Scout II’s could be ordered with the Traveltop ( a full metal top), Roadster (a half-cab variant), or with a soft top. There are a log of pictures in the ad but not much information in the description for this 1979 International Harvester Scout II.
The interior on this unrestored Scout II looks pretty clean. The first Scout 80s were equipped with a 152 cubic inch inline four-cylinder engine rated from the factory at 93 gross horsepower. This was also the base engine for the Scout 800 but it could also be ordered with a turbocharger. Other engines available over the years in the Scout included the 196 cubic inch inline 4-cylinder was introduced in 1966, a 232 cubic inch six cylinder, a 304 cubic inch V8 engine, a 345 cubic inch V8 engine and a 392 cubic inch V8 engine. In the mid 1970s, a Nissan SD33 198 cubic inch diesel inline 6 could be ordered in a Scout II (1976-1979).
I am surprised that this Scout II is not bid higher but it will probably increase as the auction comes to a close. There is some surface rust on the undercarriage and the panel gap is atrocious but the Scout was not built for a beauty contest. The seller states that the vehicle runs strong so hopefully a light restoration is all that is needed to enjoy this 4WD Scout II.
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now15 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
Well here we go again with another tin can hunk of junk that I would pay $28 for anyone to haul it away. Look at the steel dashboard, no regards for safety in these old clunkers. IH (International Harvester) made farm equipment, got rich and then bankrupted themselves buiding these god awful trucks. Why pay for a old rust bucket when you could use the cash for a new Tractor for your farm? Absolute garbage.
jv – smashpalace
For a vehicle in this condition, I’d pay between $1000 and $10k. That’d leave me enough money on hand to do whatever I want with it. I’d insure it, I’d keep what I can stock original, while also upgrading a few cosmetic and other issues.
Why are you here ??
This is a decent Scout ,in great colors .
Old SUV’s and trucks are so much fun !
Not everyone needs to have a Camaro ,Mustang or Cuda .
Nor a new Kia,for that matter =;*)
It’s a international well worth the Restoration cost to much to make it fuel injection l live at 9000 ft, or else I might consider this one . Hopefully someone will
I agree. I’d pay between $5k and $10k for the Scout and then upgrade a few things.
I think it’s a Travelall, longer wheel base than regular Scout. It looks like a good buy right now. I think someone spray painted some of the interior bits with blue spray paint (check out the trans shift lever and trim). That would drive me nuts. I’m betting someone had intentions of restoring it and either lost interest or decided it was more work than they had planned for. Not everything needs a frame of restoration. Just get it mechanically sound, maybe spruce up the interior a bit, and drive it. But put the rattle can of spray paint away.
Close— a Traveler. Travelall was the 4-door SUV based on the C and D-series truck platform. But you’re right, this has a longer wheelbase than the Scout II and sometimes came with 3-row seating.
Amen to the second advice—my Scout is still 3 different colors after 15 years of ownership, but runs and drives every day. Not everything needs to be concours-level.
The Travelall was the full-sized truck based wagon. The Scout II long wheel base wagon was the Traveler. Same body as the Terra pickup. I would try to find a Terra half-cab and make this a Terra clone.
Actually it’s a Traveler, the Travelall was a four door, this one is the long wheelbase with the fiberglass roof, I owned one for years and it went everywhere, the later model modern stuff has trouble with rough mountain terrain unlike these. The Scout II was the short wheelbase with a steel roof that always rusted badly. They don’t make them tough like these anymore, sadly.
That’s a Traveler with the long wheel base. That would be my pick. I’d find a Terra top and make it into a pickup. The Scout II never had a metal top to my knowledge. They were fiberglass. I worked on the assembly line in Ft Wayne but what do I know?
The Traveler had the long fiberglass top the Scout II had the short steel top, I had a Traveler for many years and there was nowhere it wouldn’t go, converted to RHD for the Australian market when sold new, mine had the 345 V8, the electronic distributor used to go out on a regular basis due to the heat on top of the motor, especially here in Australia in summer.
Not one mention this is actually a rarer Traveler, 18” longer wheelbase. International also used the extra length chassis to build the TERRA pickup truck. That I bought new back in 1978. The perfect size 1 ton capacity truck back in the day, you could get with a choice of 4 engines and three transmissions, plus two transfer cases! One of those engines was a Nissan 6 cyl diesel, that was turbocharged by 1979! Or a 4 cyl, 304 V8, or 345 V8.
I believe the first year for the Terra and the Traveler was 1977-but I haven’t looked it up to confirm that.
Wow JE Vizzusi really hates older cars and trucks or just international in general, I think this thing is well worth fixing and enjoying it and currently the price isn’t stupid high like it would be on A Bronco
More like a CRAP comment hat no one wants to hear, if you can’t say something of interest about a subject that people are interested, in don’t say anything at all!
Not a bad Traveler, I had two Scout II’s a new 1974, that dealer bought back after a year for $1000 over the selling price. Then a 1979 with the 345 V8. Both great 4×4’s. Engines were bullet proof had rotating valve caps to prevent carbon build up. Only complaint was gas filler Z shaped tube took forever to fill the tank.
I had one, long story short, I swapped out the head gasket because it was leaking oil. Twenty miles from our house, my wife pulls over to the side of the road due to excessive smoke from the engine compartment; the engine was on FIRE! Moral of the story, do not swap out head gaskets unless you have a calibrated torque wrench. Doh!
I totally agree with Troy!! What a great, “nice” comment.
When I was 18, I had a 1966 scout with an overdrive and sold it cause it only went 65 MPH. I collected up a bunch of these Scouts about 10 years ago including two one owner 1979’s with V-8 tilt wheel automatics. I thought about keeping one of them, but drove it around a little bit, and sold them ALL, I have a few 72 Blazers I like them MUCH better.
I consider it unforgivable that International discontinued the SUV and truck line in favour of heavy duty vehicles, buses, etc.