Buyers had a few choices for 4×4 vehicles in 1980, perhaps the most unique would be a last-year Scout II with a Nissan-sourced diesel engine. This 1980 International Scout II has that diesel engine, along with a four-speed manual transmission, it’s listed here on eBay in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and they have an $8,000 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer.
The Scout II would be the last consumer truck option for International, if you don’t count the huge International XT from the mid-2000s. Made from April of 1971 through 1980, they came in several special editions and engine options. This Nissan-sourced diesel engine has to rank among the most unusual of the powertrain options available in a Scout. This example is in need of a full restoration, or maybe not if a person just wanted an old 4×4 to tinker with.
I’ve always wondered if a four-door Scout II would have made any difference in sales. Maybe not in this era as this was before every truck buyer needed a four-door vehicle, or wanted one. Now, most people can’t live with just two doors on their trucks or SUVs, yet they don’t like vintage cars with four doors. I’ve always wondered what a four-door Scout might look like, hmmm… (SG Photoshop shop version here)
The seller says that this one is showing 47,324 miles on the odometer and they believe that it’s an Arkansas farm truck so those may be the correct miles. They say that it has mostly surface rust and they do show a few underside photos, which is nice, and it shows heavy surface rust but I don’t see any rust holes. Behind this tailgate and the rear hatch is the cargo area, but we don’t see it in the photos. We do see the back seat through the side window and it needs help inside, too, but you already knew that.
The real oddball factor with this Scout is its rare Nissan SD33-T, a turbocharged six-cylinder diesel, which would have had 103 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. Backed up by a Borg Warner T18 four-speed manual transmission, this Scout would probably climb a mountain but do it very slowly. It’s not running, as you can tell from a few missing parts. Have any of you owned or driven a Scout diesel?
Scouts are the latest “hot button” and like all “hot buttons”, I can’t understand why. I see their keyboard “skips” on the zero,,,$8 gran,,,meanwhile, pull the motor, attach a 10 foot logging chain, be a great boat anchor, and install any number of decent gas motors. There was a half baked infatuation with diesels in passenger vehicles, mostly because diesel was always 1/4 the cost of gas,heck, when I was a kid, they threw it on gravel roads to keep the dust down,or as a pesticide, it was .10/gallon. A by product of gasoline. Today, my local gas station guy told me, he sells diesel almost 4 to 1, over gas. And a dollar more a gallon, to boot. Who cares,swipe the card, lets go,,,
This? “Oil motors”, no matter how long they sat, usually will go, albeit poorly, be a good plow truck, $500 bucks, tops.
I heard a rumor once upon a time, that IH had a contract with Nissan to purchase a number of these engines. In order to fulfill that contract the diesel was thrown in the 1980 Scouts unless a gas engine was special ordered.
The diesel Scouts were HORRIBLE.
That’s what happens when you install a Nissan Forklift Engine in a road going vehicle.
This engine was used quite a bit in the early Datsun/Nissan forklifts. They were junk no matter how they were used.
I drove one in 1985, Scout II ‘80 Diesel and 4 speed. It looks so good with its Fire Orange color when parked, but it was extremely slow on the road.
A pathetic engine in such a vehicle. That was part of the eighties. Looks good, but nothing else.
Almost had one a few years ago but the owner ran it hot and ruined the head.
At that time, Harvester wanted $3K for a new one.
It went to the junkyard.
.10/gl? How old are you?
I was assistant manager of a Highway Oil Co. station in South Fl. we got caught in a gas war, gas went down to $0.11 per gallon. We had a line 1/2 mile in both directions, then we ran out of gas to sell, pumped both tanks empty. This Scout Looks ready for the scrap yard. It is rough inside and out.
I bought a demo in late 80,,,6,000mi. I had for 6+ years loved it 181,000 miles sold for $3650. Sorry I sold it
Looking at the pics it’s not that rusty by Scout Standards.
Great swap candidate just not at $8K.
I just purchased another Scout Terra last week in TX in much better condition with no engine (that’s what ya got here) for more than 2/3’s less money and in better body condition and this one above ain’t that bad.
junk
When I see a Scout of this era, I wonder if there are some engineers/designers etc. around today who worked on their development, and now shake their head at the current proliferation of SUV’s (and pickups), and wonder “what might have been.”
I had a Scout Nissan, but never drove it as it was a parts source for my Dodge M37 and Chevy C10 short bed 4×4, both powered by the SD33T. The M37 had a 4 spd with a Advance Adapter’s OD that allow splitting each gear, making it a 8 spd and you needed all of them. The C10 was ok but slow on acceleration with the 4 spd w/low hole. Both only could manage 17 mpg and that was with high sulfur fuel. Durable engine, but not the most fuel efficient and needed glow plugs to start and when very cold it was a fight.
Back in 1980 when I was 18 I was following a school bus at approx 5mph. Snowing bad, roads slick and traffic creeping. My 68 Charger just slid across the road and into a deep ditch. I had to climb out the pass side and it was like climbing a ladder using the seats and console. A guy with a Diesel Scout was coming in the opposite direction and saw what happened so he stopped. I laughed and said I need a tow truck, he said he could pull me out so I hooked the chain to the low side(drivers) axle mounting plate and climbed back down into my car. He took up the slack and walked me right out of the ditch like my car was a pedal car. I thanked him profusely as he wouldn’t take any money and told him if he wanted to sell I wanted to buy. He laughed and said he’d keep it til he died. Thing is, it was a two drive.
I think the writer for this article needs to look a little closer at the engine… SD33T’s were blue, this one is yellow and the indicates a SD33 non turbo……
Arghhh, thanks, Jack – my mistake. I had the light blue engine bay in my brain and automatically thought “blue engine” for some reason. Sorry about that, thanks for the clarification.
Call #puddinsfabshop he’ll do it up right
Informal poll: did anyone click on the four-door photoshop Scout link? Should I keep doing those or are they a big waste of time?
Always interesting
I enjoy them. It is nice to see someone’s creativity come through. I always find it interesting. Keep it up!
Thanks, folks! Nobody ever mentions them and I just wanted to make sure that people didn’t think that they were advertising or anything like that so they weren’t clicking on the links. We add those links to the articles for additional photos and things like that. Thanks!
The first time I ever heard of these was on Vice Grip Garage. Rather underpowered little turbo diesel.
Auction update: this one is gone, which one of you grabbed it?!
Guaranteed that the only response you’ll hear are crickets. The chatter suddenly stops with that one simple question. Funny.
I had the naturally aspirated 6-33 HDHS
in my orange pop top Scout. The 727 Torqueflite auto tranny behind it made it even weaker. Having already disconnected the A/C(+5hp), would still be passed by VW buses.20 mpg.