I wish there could be a modern truck like this 1979 International Terra diesel. It’s the perfect size for me, or at least the perfect bed length. I like the idea of a small diesel engine much more than the battery-powered new “Scout” that’s being made. There must not be enough profit in small non-four-door pickups anymore. This project is posted here on craigslist in beautiful Santa Maria, California, and they’re asking $7,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the Terra tip!

I’m usually yammering on and on about not liking oversized wheels, but in this case, it’s the exact opposite. Just make mine regular ol’ factory-size wheels, please. Sorry, it’s not about me. The seller likes these wheels, and that’s all that matters. They were going to do an old-school mini-truck version, so that’s why the wheels are on there. It’s an easy change for the next owner if they want to change them. The Terra was Scout’s official “pickup” version, with a fixed bulkhead, even though the company offered pickup-like versions in past generations of the Scout.

This example looks pretty solid and straight overall, but you can see that this Mint Green (?) Scout will need a lot of work before you can call it done. I believe the top should be white, along with the wide white stripes along the side. This would be a great-looking Scout in restored condition. International made the Scout II beginning in early 1971, and it would be the last version of the Scout before they went away after 1980. Sad. The Terra came along in 1976, and it had an 18-inch longer wheelbase, the same as the Traveler. Hagerty is at $8,600 for a #4 fair-condition example, so the seller’s asking price may be a bit (lot?) on the high side.

Showing some rough edges inside as well, this won’t be a quick restoration project, but it’s doable by almost anyone who lives in a decent climate, unless they have garage space to work on it inside. The floor-shifted automatic transmission was available, of course, as it’s sitting right there, but most spec sheets list the manual transmission. Here’s what the bed looks like, by the way.

Weird plug wires! Just kidding, this is Nissan’s SD33, a 3.2-liter OHV inline-six non-turbo diesel, which had around 80 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque when new. This one is sent through the automatic to the rear wheels only, and the seller says, actually they don’t say whether it runs or not, and I’m guessing it doesn’t run at the moment. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more interesting “pickup” for car shows and general driving duties than this diesel Scout model. How would you bring this one back to life?