International Harvester was the first on the scene to produce a midsize SUV type four wheel drive vehicle. They introduced the International Harvester Scout 80 in 1961 and continued production of this model until 1965. The Scout 80 was replaced by the Scout 800 which was the second generation of the Scout and manufactured until 1971. International Harvester brought the third and final generation of the Scout, called the Scout II, to market in 1971 and produced it until 1980. This Scout 80 is listed for sale here on eBay and the ad says “Needs Work.” That might be the understatement of 2021 but with 10 days left in the listing, there are a lot of good parts and this one might be restorable. The Scout 80 is located in Bainbridge Island, Washington and the Buy It Now Price is $3,000.

The interior is spartan on early Scouts and this one looks trashed. It will probably need new floors but has been sitting in Eastern Washington which is known for its dry climate so it may be in better condition than one would think. It will definitely need new seat covers and door trim pieces. The base engine in the International Scout was a 152 cubic inch inline four-cylinder engine which was rated at 93 horsepower. During later production, International Harvester offered optional engines including a larger inline 4 cylinder, an inline 6 cylinder, a 266 cubic inch V8 and a 304 cubic inch V8 engine. This Scout 80 does not have its original engine but does have a later model Turbo 350 automatic transmission installed.

This International Scout 80 has a roll bar and the original frame is still intact. The seller states that the frame was modified in order to add a Dana 44 rear end. The Scout looks like it has a lift kit added or something. The glass looks intact and the whole rig looks like it needs a bath in bleach and to sit in the sun for a while. Overall, the pictures do not indicate any rot or significant rust in the body panels. However, the front end looks like it has been kissed by a trailer and rock outcropping at some point.

The Scout competed against the Jeep CJ-5 and the Ford Bronco which entered the market in 1966.If you are looking for a good starter project, this might be a good candidate if you have a trailer and you can buy the Scout 80 inexpensively. The seller is open to offers and once this rig gets cleaned up the restorer can focus on installing a new engine between the front fenders.