The seller of this 1979 International Harvester Scout claims it’s been sitting in his driveway for too long, stuck there after a family emergency took his attention away from restoring the vintage off-roaders. The Scout looks like a worthy project, although it does have rust around the body. The interior is the desirable tartan plaid cloth type, and it remains in excellent condition. If you can deal with the rust, there’s a lot to like here. Find the Scout here on eBay with an opening bid of just $950 and no reserve.
Despite the fact that the seller discloses lots of rust on the exterior panels, he says the floors are solid. In addition, it ran and drove fine four years ago when the seller purchased it out of Oklahoma, and the A/C was even still (barely) working. After a series of family events, children, and a new home project took priority, the Scout went on the back burner and hasn’t been run since. The automatic and transfer case functioned correctly at last start-up, and the wheels and spring shackles are said to be the only non-original items.
Check out that interior – how sweet is that. While you may not like plaid, it’s impressive to see the seats and door panels survive so well. The back seat looks even better, so hopefully, this Scout will be saved just for the cabin alone. The seller notes that the rear floor is coated with a rust-preventative and remains quite sound, so it would seem based on that and the general condition of the seats that water intrusion isn’t an issue and that the Scout wasn’t abused as a trail rig but perhaps just used as a daily driver. The dash looks quite nice, too.
Under the hood is a 304 V8 paired to a Trak Lok differential. Mileage is reported at 106,900, and I can’t imagine it will take much work to get a motor like this re-started. With the Scout now being in New York, I would assume it didn’t have much road exposure in between now and the time the seller bought it out of Oklahoma, but it may simply be the prolonged outdoor storage that led to the rust bubbling up on the exterior. Someone buy this Scout and get in indoors and preserved – it’s way too nice to part out, in my opinion.
I have two early broncos and liked them before they were gold plated! If this were a bronco it would be at 20 grand already it looks like a good little truck and would be fun to drive!! Good luck to who gets it!!
I loved my Scout II, but it was 1) a rust bucket; and 2) something always needed to be replaced or fixed with parts impossible to find. I trolled every junk yard I passed in the hope there was one there. It was like a boat: best two days were the day I bought it and the day I sold it.
Sweet rig and a good start.
I’d love to have another someday.
I grew up with a Tahitian Red ’79 in Philly from 78-92.
Rust of course! Same interior as this, except ours had russet vinyl floor coverings. Mom called her Foxy Lady. I have Scout lust everyday. Here she is new.
Ok. Just checked the eBay ad.
Sounds like a good start if it isn’t bid up too high.
Does have some rust but seems like it might not be too bad. Windshield frames are hard to source I think, but if the cab mounts are good and the floors are too then it should be a good platform for a runner.
It’ll need some help for fuel system and brakes after four years probably too.
Does it sound like I’m thinking about it?!?
I wonder how high it will go$?
And I really wonder about the Traveler they hint about in the listing?
Hmmm.
That’s is the upscale Midas interior.
No, I don’t think that’s Midas. Just stock russet plaid from ’79-80.
Wow, life story there. Just shows, these always have a story behind them, most often, sad stories. Nice Scout, priced WAY below anything here in Colorado. Scouts seemingly retreated to the back woods after the bodies fell off north of I-70, I rarely see one driving here, but plenty in back yards. Somebody gonna flip this, for once, I say, they aren’t asking enough. If it was closer, I’d go for it, but if it was closer, it wouldn’t be this price, for sure.