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Cheerful Little Rig: 1974 International Scout II

The Scout started out as simple and durable little barebones truck with a slant 4 engine. It was light and reliable and worked well offroad. Amenities like carpet, bucket seats, back seat and a choice of 6 or 8 cylinder engines were added in 1965. By the time the Scout II was introduced in 1971, they had added about 600 pounds of creature comforts. You’ll find this one listed on eBay in Hudson, Florida. It’s got a V8 with a 4 speed. Bidding is heading toward $9,000 with 3 days left to bid. It’s being sold by the second owner. The paint is said to be original and there is no rust. According to the auction, it was restored 4 years ago.

The interior has been nicely redone. It looks pretty original except for the steering wheel, of course.

It’s not as roomy and plush as the SUVs we’ve come to know, but it’s got enough room for all the gear you really need.

It looks original and unmolested under the hood. There’s a 345 CID V8 rated at about 185 horsepower hiding under all the hoses, smog pump and such. It doesn’t appear the “top to bottom” restoration disturbed much here.

This old Scout is not as plush as the SUVs of today but it appears to be a nice rig. They are not as popular as Ford Broncos but they have become popular as well.  The average retail price is said to be over $15,000 but eBay sales for similar Scouts are much less. This Scout appears ready to work or play. Would you drive this offroad and have fun or would you just keep it nice? If someone is looking for a tough and reliable little 4 wheel drive truck this Scout could make sense if bidding doesn’t get too silly. It could also be a nice driver for someone who wants a classic little truck.

Comments

  1. Avatar Miguel

    I sell tail light lenses for this model, and I sell a lot of them.

    That tells me there are a lot of them still on the road or that a lot of them are being rebuilt.

    Like 7
  2. Avatar Rock On

    That window tint looks like a ticket waiting to happen.

    Like 5
  3. Avatar Jimmy

    I like these Scouts as well as first generation Broncos and yes they are cheaper to buy. Are those front bucket seats original ?

    Like 6
    • Avatar RayT

      I never paid much attention to the Scout II — my father had a first-gen Scout that we racked up a lot of miles with — but the seats don’t look original to me. They look comfy, though….

      My ex-BIL wanted to drop a SBC in our Scout when the original engine showed signs of needing major work. That slant-four was a heavy piece, and I wish we had made the swap. I suspect the IHC V8 added a lot of weight.

      If I needed a 4×4, I’d probably hunt up an earlier Scout. They were rugged, if pretty Spartan. But this one looks too good cosmetically for my taste: “nice” doesn’t really cut it when you’re out there rubbing on bushes and rocks!

      Like 7
      • Avatar Beemoe

        Nice Scout, though I have a hard time believing the “top to bottom” restoration claim. I’d bet it was more of a “complete maintenance.” The seats are definitely not factory, but look really good. It’s at $10k now, which is low in the current market for Rust free Scouts

        Like 5
  4. Avatar Lance Nord

    As a former Scout II owner and a not-to-distant-future Scout II owner, I can attest to the ruggedness and reliability of these trucks. The 345 V-8 may be the smoothest running V-8 ever built. Put a glass of water on the air cleaner and the water won’t even vibrate. Their biggest problem was corrosion; especially the quarter panels.

    This was not a restoration but a cosmetic upgrade. Those seats are not original buckets but they sure look nice.

    Fully restored Scout II’s will sell for $30K-$45K and it isn’t unusual for a clean, low mileage survivor to sell for $20K-$25K. The value is still below a first gen Bronco. Given the choice, I would rather own the Scout II; it is far more versatile than the Bronco.

    Like 4
    • Avatar half cab

      I run over corn pickers just to get to agood mudd hole..👅

      Like 2
  5. Avatar 72 Monte

    When did International cease production in the US Car Market?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dan

      I think 1978 was the last year made.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar wayne mikosz

    You guys: If the paint has been redone and the interior has been redone and, as it appears, the bucket seats have been changed out IT ISN’T ORIGINAL. Your misuse of the term is disconcerting and misrepresents the car.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Neal

    Nice rig.
    I follow lots of groups and listings for these. I hope to have one someday. Grew up with one. I wouldn’t even need the 4wd.
    I have seen another one of these for sale in the past that had similar seats. I found that rig after its sale and delivery while visiting in Portland Oregon. Of course I connected with the new owner. He said the seats were from a Ford van. Looks similar here.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Mike L

    Agree with Wayne… its not original if its been painted and interior has been along with other reproduction parts added.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar bobk

    A friend had one back in the ’70’s. Despite our best attempts, we never could get that thing stuck. Loved it.

    On a lesser note, one of my brothers has 5 of these in his back pasture, only one of which has ever run while in his possession. “But, Bob, I’m going to restore all of them”…….

    Like 2
  10. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Ended: Jul 01, 2018 , 7:00PM
    Winning bid:US $14,400.00
    [ 79 bids ]

    Like 1

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