I’ve often debated whether a vehicle that is largely original should be altered from stock, especially if the changes lead to it becoming an arguably better vehicle. This 1973 International Harvester Scout has been improved upon by the seller, who started out with a pretty solid platform to begin with. Most of the improvements have been made to improve drivability and overall reliability, but it also sports lift kit and aftermarket wheel and tire combination. The body is said to be fair, with areas of rust scattered throughout and not immediately obvious when you’re looking at it from this vantage point. The Scout will eventually need rust repair, but the good news is the mechanical components have largely been refreshed. Find it here on eBay with bids up to $20,100 and no reserve.

That bid number actually surprised me a bit, because while preserved Scouts will always fetch a fair price, this one does have some issues to resolve as it relates to body rot. Still, perhaps buyers are looking at the fact that it’s mostly good news with a solid frame underneath that mostly solid body, and a ton of upgrades and fixes performed that they won’t have to deal with. The Scout is a survivor in some ways, with its nicely patina’d original paint still visible and cool period decals still intact. You can tell the truck has been lifted, courtesy of a Rough Country four-inch lift kit, while the vintage Eagle wheels definitely feature a lower offset than stock and sit perfectly on replacement rubber. Out back, you’ll find a new exhaust system with dual mufflers.

The interior is like the exterior – not perfect, but holding together nicely for its age. Amazingly, the dash pad isn’t cracked and the headliner is still in good shape! The seller is including an OEM air conditioning system in the sale, and while it’s not currently installed, it will be a great value-add for the next owner. The seller notes he got the turn signals working while the truck was in his care, and also rebuilt the windshield washer system. The Scout will come with a new windshield seal installed, along with a bigger steering wheel to help turn that upgraded rubber. Other improvements include replacement LED bulbs for the dashboard backlighting.

The engine bay is the freshest part of the whole truck, befitting from a recent top end rebuild. The work done to the 345 included having the heads completely cleaned and resurfaced. New seals were installed throughout, and power coating was utilized when appropriate to dress things up. The seller claims that everything that needed replacing, got replaced, which includes the carburetor, plugs, wires, exhaust manifold gaskets, master cylinder, oil pan gasket, rear main seal, and much more, along with an upgraded PerTronix electronic ignition. The Scout also comes with a new radiator and hoses, and the list of improvements seems to go on forever – which may be exactly why we’re seeing such strong bidding. What would you pay for a mildly customized Scout like this?