This 1973 International Harvester Scout is described as a true survivor from Northern California that has clearly been cherished since new. The details are fantastic on this truck, like the original decals going down the sides and brand new factory hubcaps still in their original shipping boxes. The seller recounts the full ownership history in the listing, and is only selling due to a pending relocation and lack of garage space in the new abode. Find it here on eBay with bids to $14,600 and no reserve.
While it’s impossible to judge a vehicle as a “winner” from miles away, this Scout looks like the one to buy if you dig survivors like I do. The Scout retains its original 345 V8, and is equipped with an automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The body looks phenomenal, and vintage vehicles from this part of the world generally survive at a high level; they look even better when in the care of owners that strive to preserve them. The truck is equipped with dual Flowmasters.
The seller notes that the Scout was purchased by the seller’s best friend in 2002 from the son of the original owner. After that, his friend sold it to him in 2014, and he’s owned it since then. The interior is a bit tatty in places and is clearly original. The seller reports that while most features work as they should, the clock and gas gauge are inop. The dash is cracked, and obviously the bench seat is sporting some holes in the upholstery. A pair of sliding windows is included with the sale.
There are the windows, and you can see the hubcaps and boxes sitting just behind the rear seat. The sellers notes there is no evidence of rot or other corrosion lurking in the typical trouble spots. There is a small oil leak and an exhaust leak to sort out, but no other major mechanical faults are reported. These Scouts always command a lot of interest when they come up for sale, but when they’re as original as this one is, interest tends to be far greater. A beautiful specimen!
Not original paint, you can see the original green paint on the roof, which matches the green interior, which is the exact color of the 1974 model my dad owned and I plowed his driveway with. Good trucks, billy goat abilities due to smaller than truck size with 4wd capabilities. Tough v-8’s, big negatives revolve around body rot, low mpg’s. All cars rust, but metal used in the 70’s seemed thinner, and mixtures rustprone.
Are you sure that the green on the roof isn’t the primer showing through?
Good looking old corn binder. They were not much fun to drive, terrible fuel economy and the bodies fell off rather quickly.
You just done see many around any more.
Well according to eBay the auction is over and no one bid on it.Not sure where the $14,600 and no reserve came from.
The ad was pulled because it was no longer available, which means they probably got what they wanted locally
Scouts have got quite a following. With the shakeup with VW taking a bigger share in Navistar, a lot of people are speculating a new Scout model being introduced. Myself I wouldn’t object if they came out with a new light truck line to add some color to what’s already in the marketplace.
The 345 engine is very strong. Some say that they’re hard on gas. I guess that’s all relative to the era and how you run it. A good friend of mine had a ’73 model with a 304 and it sure was far from miserly when it was new, but with a little tweaking, my friend got it into the mid-teens. The 345 is similar. I tell people to go UP in jet size, not down. Richen the mixture and widen the advance curve (I didn’t say pull off the EGR and air pump in my outside voice did I?) and you would be surprised at how the performance improves. Parts are somewhat expensive and some are getting harder to find. The Holley and Prestolite distributors are a matter of concern. Well, you can install a Petronix ignition and we’ve got an outfit that claims they can supply rebuilt vacuum advance chambers. We’ve been putting out feelers to find someone who can produce the distributor drive gears (without breaking the bank) that we can adapt to GM HEI distributors. That would make life in a Binder a whole lot better. But there are also some enthusiastic aftermarket suppliers that are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that you keep your Scout on the road…
There are also some very good aftermarket fuel injection kits that are available for the Scout.
This was the same model as my dad’s first scout which we took skiing and hunting. His second was a ’76 scout traveler he bought because it was 18″ longer and we needed the space. The were both fun to drive and they went anywhere, but they did rust…
Being a 73, it’s a 1 year only front drum brake design. Needle in a haystack trying to find them, and very expensive. If I recall correctly, I paid over $500 for the 2 drums and shipping about 20 years ago. If you are into Scout 2, search for later models with better disc brakes and drivetrain components.
The mirrors are off mid 80’s GM trucks, but look good. Hope I don’t sound critical, just an observation. Would love to have this Scout, hope the buyer and seller are happy