Finding a clean, unmolested 1964 International Harvester Scout is getting tougher every single year. Located in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, there’s a red Scout 80 showing what’s claimed to be just 53,000 original miles. The seller’s friend posted it here on Craigslist with an $11,000 asking price, and it reportedly runs and drives great. It’s an honest, early-production survivor that thankfully hasn’t been hacked up for rock crawling or left to rot in a damp field. The squared-off sheet metal wears a classic red finish that looks right at home on the trail. For a ’64, you get the iconic fold-down windshield and the sliding side windows. Up front, the unmistakable IH logo sits dead center in the wire-mesh grille. The paint still holds a decent shine, but you’ll want to pull the factory documentation to see if it left the factory in this exact shade. Overall, it’s a solid, rust-free looking rig that screams pure utility with no unnecessary chrome weighing it down.
Climb inside, and it’s basically a tractor with doors. You won’t find plush carpets, sound deadening, or fancy trim codes here. You get painted steel, a simple gauge cluster, and the bare minimum needed to keep you moving forward. Notice those vacuum windshield wipers mounted up top? That’s a classic Scout 80 calling card. The cockpit feels entirely mechanical, right down to the floor-mounted shifters controlling the gearbox and the transfer case. It’s the raw, visceral 4×4 experience you want from an early International.
Here is where things get interesting for us purists. The Craigslist ad lists the engine as a “6 cylinder.” If you know your IH history, the 1964 Scout 80 came standard with the 152 cubic-inch Comanche inline-four, pumping out 86.9 horsepower and 135 lb-ft of torque. International simply didn’t offer a factory inline-six in the 1964 Scout 80 lineup. So, either the seller checked the wrong box on the listing, or someone squeezed a later-model engine into the bay. If it’s stock, that 152 is bolted to a bulletproof Warner T-90 three-speed manual and a Dana 18 transfer case sporting a 2.46:1 low range. The seller also notes it has lockers, meaning this mountain goat will crawl up just about anything you point it at.
In 1964, IH stamped Scout 80 VINs ranging strictly from FC83952 to FC107760. To crack the code on this specific truck, the next owner needs to order the Line Setting Ticket (LST) from the Wisconsin Historical Society. That piece of paper will spell out exactly how it rolled off the Fort Wayne assembly line, confirming the original paint, engine code, and factory gear ratios. With the low mileage and a remarkably straight body, this rig is a prime candidate for a high-quality driver or a rolling preservation project. So what do you think about this 1964 Scout 80?
These are so basic and the perfect utility vehicle. It’s capable of going 65 and will go about anywhere. My father bought one to plow the parking lot in the winter months. Yeah it would push a 7′ plow without hesitation. Summer was just a good utility vehicle. Didn’t ride great and was noisy but who cares. It was utility. Good write up and next owner needs to take care of this old gal
Got a chuckle out of the opening sentence, “not molested”? Ahem,,,these were SUPPOSED to be molested, not this hoi-paloi , oh, no, I have a chip in the paint, crowd. You “locked ‘er in”, and wham, bam, oops, big dent in the rocker,, no biggie, we got back to where we wanted to go. I don’t know about 65 mph, it just wasn’t geared for that although, a rarely ordered O/D was available. 50 will seem like the world is coming apart( and it is). Not said, but I’ll say it, this was IHs middle finger to the CJ. Motor aside, it had virtually the same parts, and splitting hairs really, which was better. Costing about the same about $2100, it sure gave Jeep a run for its money, practically unchallenged for years. I read, IH did make a fancier “red carpet” series, ( that did not necessarily have a red carpet), but was rare, under 3,000, compared to 100K “regular” Scouts. For many years, IH and Jeep enjoyed this market, until the Bronco showed up, and then, of course, the documented US SUV killer, the Landcruiser, put the final nail in, and IH foolishly backed out. These were simply the best.
The seller doesn’t call it a survivor, which can be said about any car/truck of that age that still exists regardless of condition, they just make a vague miles claim that can be interpreted as original. It’s pretty beat for $11,000, might be rare, but that only goes so far at attracting potential buyers. The listing has been up for 14 days, and counting.
Steve R
I love these old Scouts, right up to the last year. Your right, very hard to find and if you do someone either watched too many Sunday motortrend hack shows or not much left to work with. I cringe seeing shows about guys cutting these up. Ruin something else for your rock crawling dreams! Too many creative minds that lack creative talent!
I count 4 spark plug wires in the photo you posted …
I used to have a Tonka Toy International Scout. Probably about a ’63 or so vintage. Red with a white removable top & an angle snowplow. Almost got run over in the alley behind my parents house plowing snow on my hands & knees during a storm. The driver usually had half a snoot full by early afternoon on Saturdays so I was lucky. Wish I still had it for value.