Never seen snow! No, I’m just kidding of course, but this truck is too solid to have been driven in road salt. It’s a 1970 International 1200 D pickup and it’s on eBay with a won’t-be-around-long buy it now price of $1,800! I know, crazy. You can even make an offer. It’s located in Gresham, Oregon.
I don’t know why I like this truck so much. At first glance it looks like a typical used-hard-and-put-away-wet truck – rusty, beat up, etc. But, it isn’t. The paint is faded down to nothing on the top surfaces and there’s something odd going on with the top 1/3 of the sides in having that paint also faded down to everyone’s favorite “patina”, i.e., surface rust. But, this thing looks solid. The seller says that it has “little if no rust.”
Here’s the business end – the box, or bed, depending on what part of the country you were raised in. The left tail light is gone and it might take some work to get a replacement to work in that crunched opening, but it might be a good idea to have one, eh? Not that any living human other than myself uses a turn signal anymore but a brake light there would be good. (hoping to hear from some of you that you actually signal your lane changes) I don’t see really any serious rust on this truck other than surface rust and as much as I’m not a superfan of the clear-coated-surface-rust look, I would do that on this truck, just to preserve it as long as I could. For $1,800 this one isn’t getting even a $1,000 Maaco paint job anytime soon. The bumper looks as tough as the rest of this boxy beast does.
Other than obviously needing a trip to your favorite upholsterer the interior looks good, or at least not too bad. I don’t know if I would call it good let alone very good, but the seller says the “dash pad is perfect, interior is very good, all complete and original.” This one has an automatic transmission but there is no word on how it works.
This is IH’s 392 cubic-inch V8 which was eventually replaced by AMC’s 401 V8 in 1974. There isn’t much info given other than it “runs and drives” and this truck has a “dual exhaust”. Hagerty is at $3,200 for a #3 good condition 1200 D with a 304 V8, they don’t list a 392. $1,800 seems like a pretty reasonable buy for this one, what do you think?
My dad had a ’69 1200 with a crew cab. Until then the only outfits that employed crew cabs were railroad, construction crews and Hutterite (think of Amish, only highly mechanized) colonies. It had a 392 which, if you could keep it full of gas, was capable of hauling some heavy loads. Plagued with transmission and A-C problems, it quickly wore out its welcome at our place. Oh they did eventually get them resolved but Dad often said that he should’ve ordered it yellow instead of ‘Plum Metallic.’
I’m 51 & remember these trucks quite well. My local public works department used to use them. The Fire Department in the town next to mine still uses one to this day!
Because of my reduced financial position I am unable to own & drive a BMW. Thus I am forced to use my turn signals…
A painful truck to drive, at least it’s an automatic . Fair price and really a short run car show and farm truck. Never expose it to moisture or salt. I like it
Big believer in turn signals Scotty, when I drive my old Willys wagon I use hand signals also. Still I have to run the centerline on a left hander. I wonder if hand signals are still taught in drivers ed? Nice find here, buy it and use it as intended.
Slice it any way you want, this binder has done its fair share of work. How much more can it give? How much dedication do you possess ? Turn signals ; always use them when in proximity to another vehicle. Depending on destination,it’s quite possible for me to not see anybody,hence no signals. Ya I always use em in town.
Hi KS. In a small town it isn’t necessary to use your turn signals because everyone knows where you’re going…
it has perfect PATINA
I owned a truck just like this one! Mine was green though. Had it in the early 80’s. Remember changing the square water pump. Rebuilt was $4! LOL It was a great truck. Always regretted selling it.
Ya got that right geomechs, plus some already know what your doing after you get there. One old timer I know cruises town every morning making sure no pickups spent the nite in the wrong drive way.
LOL! I can’t remember if I read it or heard it in the local coffee shop but there was a story (probably more of an urban legend) about a local self-righteous gossip who was always slamming this one local guy who tended to drink too much and spent too much time with some of the local single women. Well, he got fed up with her meddling so one night he parked his truck in front of the gossip’s house and walked home. Picked up his truck the next morning. Never a peep out of that lady since then….
I like to give hand signals since my window is usually down anyway. My Dad used to joke automakers could save some money by deleting turn signals since it seemed people didn’t use them anyway. It’s gotten so bad you have to be careful of pulling out in front of people because they will aim for you!
I remember the old farm trucks that had a metal arm attached to a chain inside the cab. Pull on the chain so far for left turn and all the way out for right. Nobody paid any attention to the signal because they knew the truck and exactly where it would be headed next….
Gone
392 was a IH bus motor they used in the day. I am surprised to see it nestled in the engine bay. Parts will be easy to come by as they made a LOT of school buses in the 70’s using this motor.
I guess these were ok, certainly no Chevy, but thousands of farmers can’t be wrong( can they?) Most of these were sold to farmers, as they, in rural areas, could get parts at the local IH combine dealer. Back then, IH was almost considered a foreign truck, and not everybody had parts for them, and you had to go to a dealer.( I worked on plenty) In the city, it was the Travelall, and never a pickup. I’d say, with the price of older trucks escalating ( possibly because people are fed up with new stuff) this was well bought. If it’s solid, you can always fix an old “binder”.
I had one of these years ago. Ugly and got the worst gas mileage than any truck i ever had
Why didn’t you tune it up?
The most popular hand signal today is a flying bird, no one would have any clue what any other hand signal meant. Here in Philly you might get shot using real hand signals.
I.H. made good trucks,so I have heard. Nice to see a vehicle in reasonably good condition for a reasonable price.
International made some great pickups through the years, but this wasn’t one of them. The final generation was the final nail in the coffin. Poorly designed and poorly built.