Seldom Seen Scout: 1970 International Harvester Scout
While it seems like every manufacturer today offers some sort of four-wheel drive SUV, back in the day there were very few of these types of vehicles. Built for the Mojave not the mall parking lot, these beasts were designed to go to the roughest places in America and take a beating without offering anything in the way of pampering. One of the most utilitarian of these offerings was put forth by a company better known for its agricultural equipment. This 1970 International Harvester Scout Comanche 800A for sale on eBay in West Babylon, New York is a well-preserved example of this type of vehicle. Partly original and partly refurbished, this Scout is currently sitting at $14,300 with three days of bidding left to go. Is that a number that reflects the vehicle’s collectability rather than its rugged durability?
From 1960 through 1980, industrial giant International Harvester decided to get into the light truck business with their utilitarian Scout as the premier model. The vehicle you see is the 800 B variant of the initial Scout, produced just before a new Scout II model was unveiled. This last edition rolled off the assembly lines from August 1970 through March 1971 and was almost identical to the earlier 800A version. The only difference is chrome headlight bezels instead of the previous vehicle’s matte black ones. Why there had to be a separate designation for that is a mystery lost to time. The 800 B was available with the Comanche package. It consisted of additional chrome trim, sliding side windows, and a special paint and decal package. Comanche buyers could also order a chrome roof rack, chrome wheels, and an upgraded interior.
The Scout you see here is an original truck that the seller tells us was garaged year-round and mechanically maintained. It has recently been restored in certain areas to be a Comanche tribute, with new paint and bodywork, a stripe kit, and a few other items either added or renovated. It currently runs on 15″ wheels and 30″ all-terrain tires.
Inside, we see that the truck was equipped with bucket seats in the front, a center console, and a bench seat in the rear. On the floor is a three-speed manual transmission shift lever, the lever for engaging four-wheel drive once the front hubs are locked, and plastic floor mats. The dash still holds the original radio and looks to be in good shape. Continuing with the manual theme, the steering is manual and so are the brakes. No power assist or creature comforts were available in SUVs of this type back then.
The ad states that the interior is mostly original. There is some reported wear on the bottom of the driver’s seat. However, the rest of the upholstery is clean. We are also informed that the floors are “…in fairly good shape without any big giant holes.” While that statement could be left to interpretation, we are also advised that there are some wear and small patches, with the rear cargo area having a sheet metal patch on it as well.
Underneath we see that the previous owners were never negligent in greasing and lubricating the chassis, but maybe should have spent some more time cleaning and re-gasketing in certain areas. Regardless, the frame is described as excellent, and the seller says that the underside was undercoated to prevent further corrosion.
Mechanically, we are told by the seller that the 196 cubic-inch engine starts right up and that the three-speed manual transmission shifts fine and goes through the gears without any grinding. We are also told that the brakes work well and that it steers nicely. In all, it is described as a truck that still functions as it should and could still be called on to do the tasks it was designed for.
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Comments
@Jeff Bennett, I think you meant to say “light SUV business”.
There are some that say IH might’ve produced the first pick-up truck. They were making light trucks from nearly the beginning.
https://www.chathamthisweek.com/opinion/columnists/old-cars-international-harvester-may-have-built-worlds-first-truck
I kind of raised my eyebrows on that one, too. My Dad had a ’56 International stepside pickup. I only remember it had a 3 on the tree.
I’m also wondering if this is a 1970 because I don’t see side marker lights. In the other posting on the pickup, I mentioned my neighbor’s ’68. That had side marker lights.
Nonetheless, this is an interesting ride. Being the patchwork on the floor here and there, it would be smart to look this one over.
Nice Scout! While I would prefer to have the “rest” of the engine under the hood, the right half does a good job.
Lots of these out west back in the day. It seems like the numbers are increasing again as we get more and more requests for parts.
Engine parts are available although there are some vendors selling them for extortionate prices. Pistons, mains and camshaft bearings are the same as the V8s but the rods are unique and can run $100 a hole. It wouldn’t stop me from running one though.
Overall, Scouts were very tough. The original design was by Ted Ornas, who sketched the original on his kitchen table. Quite a legacy to see 500K copies over the next 20 years…
I have a 66 800, the model with roll up windows, it is resting in my shop. It has 66k original miles. A tiny rusted out spot on the driver side seat bracket. I have a replacement made from heavier 16 ga i bent up 20 years ago when i took it apart to repaint. The motor had stopped oiling the rocker arms from setting from the orig owner so I replaced that. The chassis is complete with por 15 as the first coat but waiting on a semi gloss top coat. The tan seats are redone copying the original pattern of verticle pleats. It has the grandma 4 speed with 370 gears so it goes 70 pretty easily. The 196 4 is ok but i always wanted a later buick or chev v6 in it with ac.and od. Its a tx car.
The driver’s door seems to be out of alignment, but that’s the worst I can see from the photos. A bit, or a lot, of fiddling would most likely fix that. Otherwise, this one is as good as you are likely to find on the East Coast, let alone Long Island, and the bidding has already backed that up.
sure, hood’s not ‘closed’ either but these things were NOT built w/‘fit’n finish’ in mind. Cars then barely had that (OK, lux0boxes did).
as said in the ‘23Feb newspaper link/cite ‘sold at the ag store w/tractors, other heavy equp. No (urban) dealer network so closed on light truck making.’ AND
this might be my main beef. The kids call it ‘poser’, as in “He’s a ‘poser’.” I hate to see these used for the commute, after school soccer bus. It means one more used up w/o the real exercise and workman-like lifestyle needed for good health. A push-up in price so we in need of such cant get the use we’d like from them. Jus jealous I guess 8^ 0
The asking price reflects demand and rarity; Scouts are as hot as 1st-gen Broncos now thanks to VW’s recent announcements regarding their plans for the new Scout, and this is the first time I’ve seen a Comanche. While Scouts are tough, they also seem very rust-prone, just like early Japanese trucks, and it’s refreshing to see one like this in this condition. Despite it looking rather spartan inside for a special edition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one exceed $30K.
Scouts are definitely not as hot as 1st-gen Broncos, otherwise this would easily be a $30k+ rig.