This 1977 International Harvester Scout is described as an Arizona survivor with under 70,000 original miles and just one repaint in its original color. Rust is said to be limited to service-level only, and one dent in the hardtop where the paint cracked. Overall, this looks like an incredibly solid truck that ran when parked, according to the seller, who is willing to share a video of the truck running and driving before going into storage. He notes that a suspect fuel pump diaphragm is the reason behind its current non-running condition and that he is able to get it to fire up via gravity feed to a gas can. Find it here on eBay with bidding to over $4K and no reserve.
The Scout does look quite honest, with no major body damage or alterations from stock condition. Given the propensity for SUVs of this era to be off-roaded once they became cheap, used vehicles, it’s evident this example never went down that road. The body appears laser-straight and the grill and bumpers follow the same trend. The simple fact that it was repainted in its original color says to me that a previous owner wanted to keep this truck for the long-haul, as used vehicles are often prone to quicky resprays to push for a fast sale. Mileage is reported as being 66,150.
The best part (to me, anyways) about keeping it the original color is that the door jambs and inner fenders still match. It always drives me nuts when you’ve got this gorgeous new finish, and then the faded, original colors still hanging out inside the door frame that you’re going to see every time you get in. The interior looks just as tidy as the outside, with no signs of worn or torn fabric despite being in a sun-intense climate. It does look like the dash has perished with a crack in the middle, but there are enough parts trucks out there that a replacement shouldn’t be impossible to find.
Under hood shows evidence of inactivity (or, perhaps, plenty of activity, depending on whether the debris seen here is courtesy of a rodent). Given the Scout still fires up, it seems reasonable to state that the engine remains in good health, especially if it’s been parked for a while and still wants to run. Other photos show some details worth mentioning, including that the backseat and cargo bay floor are in great shape, and that some of the paint is flaking off of the rear passenger-side fender. It also looks like some rust is bubbling in the driver’s side rear fender, but overall, this Scout looks like a worthy restoration project that isn’t too far away from just being driven and enjoyed.
Curious re what those most in the know about these cars have to say about the roll over problems they had. Was it the tires? The fundamental design of the vehicle, center of gravity, imbalance? Tires can be bought, of course, but if the design is just….well, nuts – can’t really fix that. Thoughts. These tempt me, but I don’t want to throw my money away on a death trap.
Are you thinking about the Suzuki Samurai re: rollovers?
Friends had Scouts, and I worked in the industry for decades and never heard of a rollover issue with these. Understand your own driving abilities and those of the vehicle and stay within them, you’ll be fine.
I’ve owned Scouts for years And have had them off camber quite a bit. There is no rollover issue, especially in stock form.
I’ve owned several Scouts… they were not prone to roll-overs. I spent many a day flying around in the Nebraska sandhills and never once came close to rolling mine. You must be thinking of the Suzuki Samurai.
I had a 76 Scout that would go anywhere. Groups of 4×4 mountain climbing in AZ, when we got to the top Ford and Chevy guys telling me how hard it was, my response, I never went to four wheel drive. Never had a case of it getting away from me and wanting to roll. Best vehicle I’ve had in the last 40 years, and right now I have 14 vehicles and wish I had my Scout back.
There was never a roll-over problem with the Scout… you were misinformed or you’re thinking of the Suzuki Samurai.
Not sure what rollover problems with Scouts you are referencing. We had one for years including when I was a new driver @16 years old. Believe me, with all the crazy driving I did at that age, propensity to roll would have been found. Cutting hard to the left or right on a corner would let me light up the AT Trackers (1984}, Ohio snow would allow me to doughnuts in parking lots and end up in the occasional front yard or ditch. Rust and gas mileage were my main concerns.
Any of the older, higher profile vehicles are susceptible to roll over. Having new, quality tires, shocks, brakes and suspension components, including a rear anti-roll bar, can help reduce that tendency. As one mentioned, driving abilities factor in but despite driving responsibly, a rapid accident avoidance maneuver can toss your otherwise stable vehicle into an uncontrollable two ton missile.
I too, have not heard of such issues with these International Harvesters. I like their design as they still seem contemporary with clean lines and
I wish I had the space and place to tackle refurbishing this vehicle.
I like the International Scouts and pickups of this era. They had a no-nonsense look and feel.
I always wondered if IH saved a few bucks when designing the dash and instrument cluster. Instead of employing a designer or stylist, maybe they just cornered an engineer working on something else and said “Hey Bill, would you design the the dash and instruments?” So Bill whipped out his strait edge, and a few minutes later the task was done.
I had a model of this year Scout as a kid and same color. There is a company out West that specializes in Scouts but can’t remember the name.
There are quite a few companies that support IH Scouts and Trucks. On the left Coast there is IH Parts America and Binder Boneyard, among others. If anyone really wants to dig into Scout tech and talk to people who really know about them, go to binderplanet.com.
It was or is Biso Motors here in Portlandia. I think they are gone? I go by once in a while and haven’ paid attention.
Hello, Portland friend. I live in Boston but my wife is from Gresham so I’ve spent a lot of time in Portland.
Bisio is no more. I visited many years ago right before they closed. What a find! I felt like I stumbled into the shangri-la and had a nice visit.
If you think of their name, let me know. I had a friend 35 years ago in Phoenix who specialized in Scouts. I moved, and he moved, we lost touch. I’d probably buy another one after I get rid of some of the 14 cars I have now.
Roll over concerns. Just dont whip a j turn above 2nd gear or blow a tire driving sidehill while trying to undue the ole ladys bra strap one handed, and you’re good.
I never heard of Scouts prone to rollover, although, just being a 4×4, I’m sure it’s happened. The Scout had a bit lower stance that helped prevent that. Great trucks, I see many out here, mostly along fence lines or behind garages, almost none driving. It would seem hard to believe, but could a lack of parts, right down the block, be why? The Scout ll was really a refined truck, compared to the early ones. They could be optioned as well as any Bronco, Blazer, or Cherokee, and quite frankly, having had or driven many IH’s, I feel it was the best of the bunch. What a colossal blunder it was to stop making them, right when SUV’s were hitting their stride.
Think the colour is Omaha Orange?I had a ’72 pickup with this.
Looks like a nice rig and a good start. I’d want to check the floor underneath that mat all around, and especially the body mounts. But looks good.
I love these Scouts. Grew up with one 78-92, and I’d love to have another.
I’d prefer a manual shift though.
Someday…
I have owned 14 scouts from 1970 to 1980 ( last year produced) I found them to be tough, dependable and cheap at the time . My favorite were the 4 1980 Nissan turbo models. They would get 20 miles per gallon in 1980. I had 9 at one time , none had over 60,000 miles on them . Don’t ask why I had nine at one time , I don’t know , it just happened. I had less than $2500 in each of them. I would loved to have been able to restore a few of them, but parts were difficult to find. About the time I sold my last one, parts became available as for jeeps. My loss someone else’s gain.