Vintage crew cab trucks aren’t the most common variety to find like this International Travelette. Equipped with 6 seat belts, a small gun rack, a pick up bed, and 4 wheel drive, this International is a real catch. With several days remaining, bidding has risen to $3,607 with the reserve not yet met. Take a look at it here on eBay out of Central Point, Oregon.
The 345 V8 is a good runner with a recently installed Holley carb, an overall tune up, and new fuel pump. The only notated issue with the engine is an exhaust manifold leak. This truck is equipped with power steering but sadly no power brakes. There is some mild corrosion in the engine bay, but nothing serious.
The interior is quite reasonable with nice seats, 6 functioning seat belts, and a small gun rack. The dash is in fair shape, but there are a few wavy areas, and most likely a few cracks with those waves. There is no radio installed, and some of the gauges, dash lights, and turn signals do not work. So there may very well be some electrical work needed in this old truck.
Thought to be original, the paint is worn on the hood and doors, but much of the paint has survived. The body is remarkably straight for a work truck, and the bed is very solid as well. There is no evidence of rot on this truck, and really there is little surface rust to be seen. Ready to roll, this crew cab classic is a cool find that you just don’t see enough of. There are a lot of directions you could go with this truck but the number one option needs to be that this truck gets driven! What do you think this International Crew Cab will sell for?
There was a time when you couldn’t give a crew cab away, now everyone and there dog is driving one. The 345 IH engines were tough and reliable. When I worked in fleet maintenance for a school bus company we had several of them. There is no surprise to me that the exhaust manifold is leaking this was a chronic problem. On the buses they run so hot that they would glow red and the heat would overtime disintegrate the centre of the manifold. I think it was a design flaw where the manifold was to restrictive. Other than that these were good, they adapted well to propane which at the time was what the entire fleet was on. The down side to this truck will be the 10 mpg that you will get no matter how you drive it, there just geared to low. A 5 speed gear box would help but don’t expect any miracles. That’s why there’s two fuel tanks on it.
Again, just goes to show, what kind of doofus was running IH. They discontinue the Scout ll, just when SUV’s were catching on, and they quit making these great trucks that are the norm today. I agree with Mark, crew cab pickups were few and far between. Utility crews, construction crews used these (hence, the name)but rarely outside of those places. IH was on top of their game in the 70’s and 80’s, and concentrated on the heavy duty truck market, but that fell to pieces, and I don’t even know who owns IH anymore. Volvo killed that market for them. This particular truck is still a ways off compared to modern 4 door pickup trucks, and meant for hauling workers back into the woods, I-80, not so much. With the popularity of these types of trucks, you’d think this would be gone yesterday. Also shows, people, just like 40 years ago, just didn’t go for IH pickup trucks. Too bad, their loss.
If you’ve not yet read “A Corporate Trajedy”, it’s a worthwhile history of the downfall of IH.
*Tragedy…
Built back when a truck was used as a truck! Just another tool for work. Not like the glorified minivans everyone is driving now just to say, “Yeah, I drive a truck!”
No, you don’t.
I want to agree with you but when you look at the towing capacity and torque of current trucks, it’s quite impressive. I do wish a person could buy a truck without so many bells and whistles. On that front, Nissan’s Frontier is probably the best option but even there, bells and whistles have now crept in. This IH, though, is one I’d definitely look at buying if I was in a buying position. I’d LOVE an older crew cab like this.
The problem however being the torque and towing is resulting from computer controls and smaller turbo charged engines. New trucks simply aren’t built for regular truck use, and their various systems’ complexity seriously shortens their ‘best before date’. My yardstick, is if you’re worried about getting a scratch in your truck bed…you should buy a minivan.
Oh, I fully agree with you on the scratch comment. If you buy a truck, use it as a flippin’ truck.
The trucks that are built now a days have a lot of torque and HP but there is no weight behind it, which gives you no traction to pull anything. I ll take an old vintage truck anyday over a new one.
I would love to have a truck like this, but I’d have no time of space to work on it. Would do all new electrical and maybe a Cummins diesel engine…
I love this truck just as it is, go over all mechanicals and drive it like a truck. No fancy paint job, no flashy rims, maybe some decent tunes but that’s it.
Given the rush to four door trucks these days, my guess is that the reserve is over $10k. Gone (for now) are the days when you could get a truck like this for a couple bills.
Used to call those racks, ‘Easy Rider Rifle Rack’.
My dad had a ’69, first year of this body style. Dad’s truck was highly unusual for a farm truck, unless the farm was a Hutterite colony. Dad’s truck was fairly well loaded, with a 392/auto and A-C. Interesting that Dad never got another one. He turned around and got a Ford 3/4 ton in ’71. I remember the Binder as being a good puller but not very fast out of the chute. It handled the livestock trailers and the flatbed without protest as long as you kept those gastanks full…
I think you pretty much summed up IH’s dilemma. The only people that bought these, generally, were farmers. They could get combine parts and truck parts in one swoop. I remember, many parts houses didn’t carry IH parts, it was like owning a foreign car. Non-farmers that bought these, usually only bought one. Standing at the IH parts counter next to Farmer Brown, wreaking of manure, wasn’t for everyone.
I looked at this truck when it was on Craigslist for $7500. Seats were recovered and it has newer tires. If someone wants me to look at it again let me know.
did you go out and see it
Yes, I took a battery jumper box, got it started and drove it in the yard. I loved it but decided I did not need another project. Another guy watched me go over it and it was off Craigslist by the time I got home. Looks like he cleaned it, put a new battery in it but did not fix anything else.
Power brakes are an easy remedy, boosters are available and not hard to install
Boosters are not available for this truck. You can find master cylinders though.
That truck would be awesome go over all the mechanics then put small 3 inch lift with set of wheels. And heads would turn. But to get the old girl back to Maine would probably cost a small fortune.