Okay, hands up all of you who wanted to be a fire-fighter when you were a child. You can tell me. No-one is looking. Many a small child was attracted to the idea of riding around in a shiny red truck, and some people have never grown out of this concept. For them, the whole idea of owning their own classic fire-fighting appliance has its attractions, but the thought of trying to maintain a heavy tanker or a heavy pumper is way too daunting. Well, fear not, because this 1963 International Harvester Scout might offer a really viable alternative. It has a history on the front-line, but it has been beautifully restored and has a mere 9,132 genuine miles on the clock. It also should be an easy vehicle for an enthusiast to maintain. If you would love to have the opportunity to realize that childhood dream, then you will find the Scout located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set the sale price for the Scout at $23,500. I do have to say thank you to Barn Finder Levi A for referring the Scout through to us.

The first thing that I would like to clear-up with the Scout is the year designation. The owner lists it as a 1963 model, but then states that it was built and commissioned in 1962. The sliding side windows certainly gel with this being a 1962 Scout, as this was a feature that was standard on the Scout through until the early months of 1962. The Scout saw active duty with the Mineral Springs, North Carolina, Volunteer Fire Department from 1962 until it was retired in 1993. Upon its decommissioning, it was bought by the then Brigade Chief with a view to it being restored. This work stalled due to ill health, with the current owner purchasing the vehicle and completing the restoration in 2016. This work mainly centered around an external cosmetic refresh, and the results are pretty impressive. Having spent its life stored indoors, it is no real surprise to learn that the vehicle is rust-free. The panels are very straight, while the paint has a great shine to it. The vehicle was designed and built by W.S. Darley of Chicago, Illinois, for tackling brush and grass fires, and it retains all of the equipment that would have been required to perform this work when it was in active service. Unlike the heavy appliances, maintaining the equipment on this vehicle should be relatively straightforward. W.S. Darley has been involved in building fire appliances for more than a century, and continue in the industry to this day. That means that they could potentially be a good source for any spare parts that might be required in the future.

The interior of any fire-fighting appliance is a utilitarian and hard-wearing environment, and the interior of the Scout is no exception. The very nature of the work involved means that dirt, mud, ash, and soot are all going to find their way inside the vehicle on plenty of occasions, so everything needs to be robust, and relatively water-resistant. With that in mind, you get vinyl on the seat, rubber mats on the floors, and plenty of painted surfaces. The restoration of the Scout was focused on the exterior, so the interior is essentially as it was when the vehicle was decommissioned in 1993. The seat cover shows some stretching, but that’s really about the only criticism that can be leveled against the interior. The rest of it looks neat and tidy, and all of the original switches and controls for the fire-fighting equipment remain in place and are clearly labeled.

Powering the Scout is a 152ci 4-cylinder engine. Backing this is a 3-speed manual transmission with dual-range 4-wheel-drive capabilities. Fire-fighting appliances are not renowned for clocking huge mileage during their active life, and this particular one is showing 9,132 miles on its odometer. The owner states that these are original, and I see no reason to doubt him on that. With 92hp on tap, the vehicle is not going to be particularly fast, but once it is in low-range 4WD on a fire-ground, that’s where it would come into its own. One huge positive with these sorts of vehicles is that when they are in active service, they are maintained to the highest standards. This is essential because the last thing that any fire-fighter wants is for their vehicle to suffer a mechanical failure when a rapid retreat from an advancing wall of flame is required. Today, this old classic no longer faces flames, but it does see use in parades and shows.

This 1962 Scout is a great old vehicle, and even if you leave aside its history, finding a Scout of this vintage with 9,000 miles on the odometer has to be a rare treat. Its overall condition makes it even more special. When I was a child I had a pedal car. Mine was a Murray Fire Truck, and I really loved it. Today, I still harbor a desire to own a vintage fire-fighting appliance, and I have to say that I find this to be a really attractive vehicle. My wife is a fire-fighter, but I’m pretty sure that if I brought this home, then I would be in a whole world of trouble. So please, someone buy this old classic and save me from my wife.