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1973 International 1110 Shortbed Stepside

My gourd what a great-looking truck! Ok, enough of that. We don’t see enough International pickups as far as I’m concerned, is that because they didn’t make as many pickups as Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge did (duh), or is there another reason? Whatever the case, this 1973 International 1110 shortbed stepside pickup is listed here on Hemmings in Santa Ynez, California. The seller is asking $12,500. Thanks to Boot for sending in this tip!

Those wheels really make this look like a tough truck, and it is. The seller says that they’re 33” x 12-5 tires and we all know how much tires cost so take that off of the asking price, they’re already done. The original tires would have been G78-15 in case anyone cared. International’s new look in the post-C-Series era would be their last design change for the small truck line. They list the mileage as being 21,000 miles, any thoughts on that? It looks good and maybe it was a farm truck that didn’t really have much highway use.

We don’t see many shortbed International pickups here and I think the stepside or fenderside version is even more interesting. It’s a shame that there aren’t small trucks being offered by I-H anymore, they ended production in 1975 other than the Scout which itself would go away a handful of years later. This is a two-wheel-drive version and as you can see it looks solid and straight despite the faded paint. The underside looks great other than some surface rust, and it’s the same story with the bed. They do mention some rust in the floors and the doorposts.

Barn Finds alum, David Frank, showed us a really nice version of this truck four years ago here on Barn Finds and it was loaded but didn’t have giant wheels. I can do without the wheels, I actually prefer the smaller tires but I love seeing a factory 4-speed with a sweet barefoot gas pedal. A show of hands for those who had one of those on your vehicle back then? I did not, but I had a barefoot-shaped rug. I know, it’s not quite the same thing, and I kind of wish I wouldn’t have mentioned that now. Luckily, this far into the majority of my posts, most of you are drowsy and you’ve skimmed ahead and will have skipped this paragraph.

There’s no V8 here, this is reportedly the original engine for this truck, a 258 cubic-inch V8 inline-six. The tag on the driver’s door is a bit hard to read but it looks like they’re listing net horsepower as 122 and 140 gross hp? That’s 304 V8 territory according to I-H literature and some other sources. It’s clearly an inline-six and the seller says that it’s been “preserved in running / driving condition” and that the fuel system is all-new, as is the starter and the entire brake system. Are there any fans International pickups out there?

Comments

  1. Avatar Shawn

    A cool truck, especially with the step-side bed, but that price is nuts. If this one was in the condition of the old listing you mentioned plus had a V8 like that truck, then sure, I could see the 12K. While rust free, it’s too used and too short on the cylinders to be pulling down that kind of price.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Little_Cars Member

      Yeah, but what about that cool foot pedal for an accelerator? That’s gotta be worth something!

      Like 10
    • Avatar Howard Kerr

      I have seen 1 or 2 stepwise IH pickups over the years, but they were older models than this one, and for some reason painted dark green (ex-forestry service vehicles?) or signal yellow (ex highway department vehicles), never red.
      Yes, 12 grand is steep, especially for the condition, but you will probably never see another one again.

      Like 3
  2. Avatar Ed H

    Proof read, no V8, under the hood is a V8. Clearly it’s an I6.

    Like 0
  3. HoA Howard A Member

    TTTTTTwelve grand? Oh, it’s rare, alright, but even a 4×4 wouldn’t garner this kind of money in Loopyville, Co.. I see a couple around, mostly sitting unused since I got here(3.5 years), a group drove through my little town once, like 3 Scouts and 2 or 3 of these, and all 4×4’s, so there is some interest. IH used all off the shelf parts, so mechanically, should be no problem. Again, this is the 258 AMC motor, none better( even my 2.5 Jeep 4 cylinder, is a knockoff of this motor, minus 2 cylinders, I believe). You got to hand it to these folks in Cal., they think everybody is ignorant except them. 21K,,,that speedo broke on the 3rd time around, and a 2wd, I wouldn’t give more than half that, but hey, it is unique, and apparently, that translates into thousands today, even though, folks like me, that drove these, know, they were really nothing special.

    Like 14
  4. Avatar luke arnott

    I bought one of these off the original owner in Sacramento for $1200 a few years back.Same engine,but 3 speed.It rusted badly as the build quality was poor.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Wayne

    Very cool looking truck! Yes it would be easy to make it a 4X4 since it has a solid front axle. (thankfully it does not have the crappy front independent suspension that the Travelall had. (I am biased as I drove a Travelall where the suspension frame mount failed at speed on a heavily traveled 2 lane road with many on coming cars. Luckily I was able be able to keep it muscled/herded in my lane.) I would love to have this truck because of the engine and the “different” aspect. Howard, I’m not sure that your 4 cyl. Jeep has the 258 with 2 cylinders lopped off. I know that the 4 cylinder uses a Renault oil filter. Someone please verify or correct!

    Like 1
  6. Avatar pj

    “There’s no V8 here, this is reportedly the original engine for this truck, a 258 cubic-inch V8.” ?

    What? now I’m a little confused.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      GAAAA!, dang it, sorry about that! Thanks for catching that, pj!

      Like 1
  7. Avatar Bunky

    Cool truck. 2 WD with big tires aka California 4×4. I like it, but not $12k worth.
    The 2.5 is a shoestring relative of the 258/4.2 AMC. 4.0 straight six was a re-engineered version of the 258. 2.5 4cylinder is actually 2/3 of a 4,0. They are all legendary for durability.

    Like 4
    • Avatar NHDave

      The cadence of engine lineage: The Jeep 2.5-liter four-cylinder was developed from dropping two-cylinders from the 4.2-liter I-6. The Jeep 4.0-liter I-6 was then developed from the addition of two cylinders onto the 2.5-liter I-4. In both instances there was more engineering work done than just eliminating or adding cylinders, but that was the basis for the link between the 4.2 I-6 to the 2.5 I-4 to the 4.0 I-6.

      Like 2
  8. Avatar Daniel Wright

    My dad had one like this new. He said the build quality was very poor. The wiring under the dash was a mess. It was the only vehicle he ever wrecked. He hit his brakes for a squirrel and ended up in the ditch. We never let him live that one down…

    Like 1
  9. Avatar geomechs Member

    I loved this configuration from ’69 to ’75. Never was too fussy about the wide bed but I sure wouldn’t kick one of those off my driveway. This truck would be welcome at my place as is although I’m not at all fussy about the 258 AMC-Special under the hood; too bad that the smog nazis wouldn’t pass the 264/265. I would love to see a 304 in that bay. This is an 1100 series with a straight axle. Still fairly easy to get parts for. The 1000 series with the torsion-bar/independent front suspension is somewhat of a nightmare as of late. It’s really too bad that IH got stuck in such a deep rut with its light truck division. It had a good product to sell but the big truck people didn’t want anything to do with them. With the number of farm dealerships disappearing plus IH getting difficult to deal with in that a farm franchise HAD to have a separate contract to sell trucks, it was becoming a major obstacle. IH also started getting insistent that a separate building was also required for truck sales and service and anyone with a truck contract was expected to sell everything up to and including Class 8.

    Like 7
  10. Avatar Steve Clinton

    I’ve never seen a step-side IH pickup. I wonder how many were built.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar chrlsful

    these were the vehicles we ran from B4 breakfast till climbin inta bed, 7 days a wk (the rest of the country ran sedans, coupes, etc). Church? yep, school, yup…every time U left was a multi job run, hada have this to bring back whatever, never an empty run, either direction, rather have an “atta boy!” then a “WTF?” Gas (25Ḉ a gal) wuz nuttin 2 waste. Hired hands got the 4WDs.

    Step side short bed 2WD fords’n chebbies, these were a lill less durable. One of the better motors tho. Loved their dash board the most, nice’n plain, well laid out. I liked the fords esp when the 240/300 came in ’65 as it was cheeper & I got something 4WD w/it as the onsite beater. Always what was left over. But, hey, who can complain w/’free’, yeah, right (back ta chores).

    Like 1
  12. Avatar DavidH

    One reason the “Interationals” are so rare is because they rusted away to nothing quite readily. The only thing I would do other than run it and maintain it would be to undercoat it.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Kevin

    Nice old truck, and can’t say ive seen one before, interesting that the straight 6 in there is exactly the same displacement as AMCs was,just cool!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Nah

    Legend has it, if you checked the box to order this truck with automatic transmission, the dealer would deliver a 4-speed stick and a threatening glare

    Like 0
  15. Avatar R.Lee

    The best truck IH built was the shortbed I would rather have the 345 4 speed in any hill country. The 345 would make the truck more versatile to maintain any kind of uphill speed.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Larry F Wisda

    I am still driving my 1972 1110 stepside painted white originally Metallic Blue Green, interior and firewall paint still reflects this. Not a daily driver like my 1974 El Camino, but when needed it’s there. 345 V8, squarebore Holley, 4×4, positrac, chrome spokes 15 inch, still have the original 5 painted spokes, factory air, power brakes, power steering, 747 Chrysler auto Warn electric Winch, . factory green window tint, 2nd engine but still have the original one. Have the line tickets. Floor rusted, next chore. Rear fenders rusted a little lower front, Stock dual tanks. New steering gearbox. Stout truck. white ladder rack.
    115k miles. Headliner still good. Seatbelts. Not a barn find, was owned by Compac Radio Telephone in Palms Desert, now by me.
    I may join to post pics.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Kevin

      You mean 727 torqueflite lol, sounds good, that transmission is actually among thee most bulletproof!

      Like 0

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