Scouts of seemingly every variety are desirable trucks at the moment, even if they’re tired projects like this one. The combination of rugged drivetrains and go-anywhere abilities rarely fails to catch the of enthusiasts, and Scouts in project-grade condition have remained far more affordable than its square-body counterparts like the Bronco and Blazer. This one should go fairly cheaply given it doesn’t run and the title has been lost, and bidding is fairly quiet at the moment. Find this 1962 International Harvester Scout 80 here on eBay with one bid to $2,500 and no reserve.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Larry D. for the find. The seller doesn’t seem to know much about the truck, and overall it has the vibe of a vehicle that was discovered on a property and put up for sale rather than that of a long-dormant project the owner has decided to part ways with. The listing notes that the engine sounds like it wants to turn over but that it hasn’t yet fired up, even after getting new points and a fresh distributor cap. The Scout came with a few different engine options over the years, but this one appears to have the standard-issue 152 cu in Comanche four-cylinder.
The Scouts weren’t much different than a Jeep inside, featuring minimal equipment and the kind of interior you could hose out if needed. The seller doesn’t offer any details on the health of the floors, but seeing as there’s visible rust in the body, it wouldn’t surprise me if the undersides are crunchy in places. The dash at least retains factory gauges and the steering wheel, and there even appears to be what looks like original radio controls. The gallery photos show a parking sticker of sorts in the back glass with a giant number 93, which could indicate the year the Scout received a parking permit or other registration indicating when it was last used regularly.
The Scout looks quite healthy from the front, with no obvious body damage or panic-inducing rust. The driver’s side looks even better, with none of the corrosion that has begun poking through the rockers on the passenger side. The front bumper is in good shape, along with the grill and lenses (though it looks like the iconic IH grill badge is missing.) The seller admits to not being a mechanic but opines the non-running condition could be due to the timing being off, but further investigation will be required by the next owner to determine whether this forgotten Scout is worthy of a refresh. Would you bring back an example like this?
60 through 65 Model 80s only had one engine choice, the slant 4, 152 cubic inch engine. Having had owned a 61 and a 65, they were great little vehicles, except for rust and weak spider gears in the rear differential. Got really good at working on rust and minor repairs. But those Scouts could go anywhere. Reliable as can be generally. Very reliable compared to most vehicles of the time.
I too had a 65 great little vehicle. Like you I spent a considerable amount of time trying to keep the body together. It was a challenge but lots of fun to keep the body intact. Not much stopped it it could go just about anywhere
Judging by the “comment-o-meter”, nobody cares for the little Scout. I do, it’s one of the considerations for my “back hills” shenanigans I have planned for this year. While they were a viable alternative to the CJ, not many were sold, and due to the very nature of the vehicle, the ones they did sell, rusted to bits. While all the mechanicals are at most parts houses, the same can’t be said for anything else. You know vehicles are getting scarce, when a group of enthusiasts with like vehicles get together for a cruise, like I saw last summer. It’s a great find, and if it wasn’t 2,000 miles away, it would be mine, for sure.
Lots of these out west. Thanks to International’s reputation and several aggressive dealers Scouts outsold Jeep at least three to one. I remember back when they were first introduced, our local dealer cautiously ordered five of them (two SUV bodies and three pickup versions like this) thinking he’d be stuck with them for most of the year. Well, two were sold, practically off the carrier. A third within the week, with the fourth selling the next weekend. The dealer held an annual customer appreciation day, every Shrove Tuesday. He and the crew cleaned up the dealership, set up a bunch of tables, displayed new farm equipment, new trucks, and cooked up a bunch of pancakes for the masses. As in every year, there were IH factory reps on hand and there were lots of promotional films (and even cartoons for the kids) to watch. Paul (the dealer) thought the NEW Scout would be quite a novelty to have on display that day. He had one full-bodied Scout left, bright IH (#50) Red, with a white roof, and hubcaps. It was about as deluxe as they came back then. The morning of the celebration, they polished up the Scout and prominently displayed it just inside the main shop door of the dealership. Just about the time they were firing up the griddles to start the day, a guy came in and bought the Scout for cash. So much for wondering if they were going to be a good seller. But he wanted to drive it home that day and was quite insistent about it. Paul had to beg him to leave it there for the day. He couldn’t bribe him with anything because the pancakes, eggs, and sausages were already free. He somehow managed to persuade the guy (probably got Dad or someone else to get him a bottle of whiskey–Paul was an abstainer–to sweeten the deal) to leave it until the next day. Anyway, right out of the box, the Scout was a strong seller and remained that way well into the 70s. Paul once confided to Dad that he sold almost as many Scouts that first year as he did pickups. Dad actually considered one for his vet practice but declined because it was too rough and didn’t offer an automatic transmission which he was getting quite used to…