Reader Mat S is an avid Barn Finder, he recently found this 1971 Mustang Mach I we featured a while back. He is always on the hunt for great barn finds, especially interesting and unique ones. After having had an International Truck when he was 17, he decided he wanted another International, but he needed one he could haul the whole family in, so he went on the hunt to find a crew cab International. After a decade long search he found the perfect 1968 International Travelette.
Here is the story in his own words, “I had a 1967 International 1200B pickup (pictured above) in 1984 when I was 17 years old. I sold it around 1990 because I didn’t have anywhere to keep it. Years later I wanted another one, but now that I was married and had a couple young boys, it had to be a 4 door Travelette and preferably long bed. Internationals were hard to find before the internet came out and even harder to find a nice one. I got online around the year 2000 and began searching, I found a lot of Travelettes but no long beds.”
“In May 2010 a guy in Vancouver, Washington who had a nice regular cab 4×4 told me about this Travelette long bed he had just looked at, it came from an estate in Colfax, Washington in the fall of 2009 and the seller was just about to advertise it. He said, “get in touch with him asap, you will not find another truck as nice as this one.” He gave me the phone number and I phoned the seller. He told me he heard about the estate and got to check it out before everything was put up for auction. He said there was a huge barn full of stuff including some old cars and farm trucks. He noticed a real nice tail gate for an international pickup hanging on the wall and thought there has to be a pickup around here somewhere.”
“There was a path down the center of the barn between all the stuff, at the end of the barn he found the Travelette as shown in the first picture. I bought the truck over the telephone and arranged to pick it up. We got it home, cleaned it up, refinished the wheels, bought new tires, cleaned the fuel system, rebuilt the carb, rebuilt the brake system and have been driving it occasionally since then. The truck has 48,000 original miles and original paint. It has a 345 V8 engine with a 4 speed, 4.56 locking differential and a 7300 LB GVW. This truck is a keeper and will stay in the family.”
We all have a vehicle from our youth that we have fond memories of and it’s always great to hear when someone is able to find a vehicle that can bring back some of those memories, especially when it’s a one that can be shared with the whole family. We want to thank Mat for sharing his barn finds with us and we hope he will keep us updated on his next find.
WOW that thing is so ugly. I have never seen a crew cab cornbinder. Back in the late 60s early 70s New Jersey Forest Fire Service used the standard cab model for EXTREME DUTY brush trucks. They were good except the steering boxes would rip out of the frame. They went back to Dodge Power Wagons that rarely broke. Chevy and Fords were never even considered. Hang on to this one.. You will NEVER find another!
But ugly in a way that is just so strangely appealing.
It’s what my OM bought the year I was to graduate from High School. No wonder I never dated until I was 20 and had my own car!
My dad had a ’69 crew cab 3/4 ton but it was a short wheelbase. ’69 was the year binder’s designers’ brains all fell out; they ended up with a bunch of boxy-shaped things that were so ugly you had to wear a paper sack over your head so no one would recognize you driving one. And to think he traded a nice ’68 Chevy 1/2 ton with 327 for it. I didn’t date much in that either. I eventually bought a ’69 Chevelle that was more conducive to courtship.
I really like crew cab longbed trucks, and own one myself for when I need to haul something, but it’s not even close to being as cool as this ’68 International.
But I notice that this model seems to have gotten its name before No American truckmakers discovered that they could sell more trucks if they called them something like “RAM!!!!” instead of a name with ‘ette’ at the end. But who cares now, the truck is very cool and you probably won’t see one as nice for a very long time.
Makes me rethink buying a Corvette now…. Just kidding, I thought the same thing!
When I had my shop back 20 years ago I had a customer who was a hotel that used to bring me an International Scout that they used for snowplowing the lot with, anyway the thing was 15 years old but only had about 3,500 miles on it, but their wasn’t too much left of it behind the rear wheels since that was where they stored the salt & sand….. This is a monster to have to park but very nice. Great story.
So envious. Great looking truck, beautiful even, and now has a proud new owner. Congratulations!
I had a 68 Travelall with a 345 and a granny 4 speed 2 wheel drive. I found a power steering unit in a junk yard that made it easier to drive. We took it from L.A. to Tahoe on vacation and got 19 mpg. One thing about I.H. is that they use whatever happens to be on the shelf when they built there small trucks. Holley carbs, Carter carbs, the same with distributors, they seemed to buy from a lot of suppliers. Whatever was on sale that day.
Nice find. Any idea, in the original picture, what the red truck is in the background? I’m guessing it’s an International KB8.
I was just watching Hot Rod TV and two girls/Women were competing in a green one a lot like it. I can not remember the event I was watching it while trying to go to sleep.
a very nice truck. glad it worked out for him.
That thing has to be a complete nuisance to drive, much like the Pontiac Airporter wagon that I wanted to turn into a 2+2+2+2. Therefor, I give it my full approval! Trust me, if I had a grocery bag full of ice cream on a hot day, and that was in the parking lot when I came out, I would wait to talk to the owner. I can replace ice cream.
Sweet crew cab
Why does everyone think that something classic and different is ugly?
I choose to celebrate separation from the status quo.
I’d be proud to be seen driving an old international like that.
I have a soft spot for internationals because my 86 Ford 1 ton 4 door dually
is powered by the bulletproof 6.9 liter International non turbo IDI diesel.
It may not be as efficient as the newer diesels. But it’s paid for, no turbo equals less heat
Can you can burn clean treated deep fryer grease or used motor oil in it. try that with a 60,000 dollar turbo diesel.
I think you may have only read the first post. Novice mistake.
Drove one of those beasts while I was in the Air Force in Alaska, a ’66 IIRC, crew cab, and all that I recall of it was that as I looked at the rear view mirror I saw that the drivers’ side axle shaft was about 3-feet outside the hub. I stopped, shoved it back in and drove on.
Tough as nails, ugly as sin, slower than Christmas Eve when you’re six.
I’m thinkin’ this is probably the nicest one on the planet.
I just love this truck. It’s as simple as a box of ball-peen hammers and about as tough. The shape that the truck is in makes it an amazing find.
A few years ago I was in Slidell, LA, and saw a ’60s Dodge 4-door pickup on the side of the road for sale. It was painted Wildlife & Fisheries green and I am sure was a survivor from that state department’s motor pool. It was 3/4 ton and surely rode like a buckboard.
It’s funny how things change. In those days, almost the only customers for 4-door pickups and Suburbans was state road departments and suchlike. Now you hardly see a pickup that is NOT a 4-door. Even the extended cabs seem to be falling by the wayside.
I remember the standing joke about the IH crew cabs used by some of the upstate NY townships was “What was yellow and slept 6”? Tough and slow but could haul anything. This one is just so nice. Almost looks like you could lay the 4X8 plywood sheets flat in the bed.