The Scout is so popular today and it would be fun to see what a 2020 Scout would look like. This 1979 International Scout II Terra Rallye edition can be found here on eBay with a current bid price of $9,700 and there is no reserve. It’s located in one of my favorite cities in the Midwest: Mason City, Iowa – home of two fantastic Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and the birthplace of Meredith Wilson, the genius behind the musical and movie The Music Man. Enough with the trivia, let’s check out this Scout!
The Scout II was International Harvester’s last version of a vehicle that they had made since 1960. They’re red hot right now and this example has a lot going for it. It’s a Terra which was the pickup version that came with a removable fiberglass top. The company also made a Traveler version which was basically the same but with a full and also removable fiberglass top and rear liftgate. These two unique models were made from 1976 to Scout’s final year of 1980 and they also included an extra eighteen inches between the rear of the doors and the rear wheel wells.
This Scout II Terra is also a Rallye edition that adds the wide white stripe and nicer wheels and tires which should have been raised letter originally. The seller talks about portions of this Scout that have been touched up and there are some scary areas that show what looks like bodywork. The stripes are reportedly original but you can get replacements if you’d want to fix the rust and bring this one back to its former glory.
The interior looks very nice and by the end of their run, the Scout was a nice vehicle, not a bare-bones off-road beast. But, it can do off-road duty and it can also do pickup duty – although obviously it isn’t an 8-foot-long box. This Scout has five new tires and ice-cold AC.
The engine is International’s 304 cubic-inch V8 which the seller says runs great and the buyer could jump in this Scout II and drive it anywhere on the continent at a moment’s notice. Would you fix the rust and restore this Scout or just maintain it and drive it?
I’m not a big fan of 4WD trucks but will make an exception for the IH!
This truck is in really good shape and I wouldn’t mind owning this rig at all!! Looks stock and like it’s been well cared for!!! A really nice example of this truck!!!
That’s a nice one.
I saw it on eBay because I am always checking everywhere for Scouts and pics of Scouts.
Someday maybe.
With few exceptions, once you own a Scout, you are a Binder fan for life. I haven’t replaced my Scout since it was totaled in 1986, but I’m seriously jonesing for another one. I hope to be able to pull the trigger soon.
I like it. I,d fix what needed fixed. Paint the undercarriage with a paint like bed liner .Up under the fenders and inner fenders and drive it. These International,s were good running trucks and you can work on them .Without the electronic junk.
Show me a Scout looking that good today and there will be a unicorn in the cargo area. Nice trucks, but had major major major rust issues.
Rust issues are not the fault of scout’s. Rust is caused by what is put on the roads in the winter.( salt or other chemicals to get rid of ice /snow.)
Yea, International Harvester really messed up when they discounted their Scout line. Look how the suv market took off in just a few years, the powers to be that made that call are still kicking themselves.
That was the problem. The management were so busy giving themselves huge bonuses they lost the ball. For years the tiny Scout group struggled to update the truck. They had a rig on the drawing board that looked a lot like a Jeep Cherokee from the mid 80s. They knew the SV series of engines would never meet the new 1980s emissions, so they held talks with Chrysler about buying the 318 and 360. Chrysler was interested. They already used their automatics. That kept the gas engines American. Can you imagine an SS2 with the police version of the 360 small block? That would be a hoot. But instead they just ran out the contracts and folded the tent. No investment. Missed the boat.
I had a sky blue Scout II a long time ago with the 345 engine, 4 barrel and dual exhausts. That engine has gears to drive the cam, and on a cold morning start those gears make the most wonderful music, just a smooth whine, it’s great. It’s a shame these trucks rusted out as fast as they did. I owned 3 in all and all of them had serious rust issues.
Hope somebody gets rid of those Dodge truck wheels and that chrome on the wheel arches. I was looking at it trying to figure out what was wrong with the wheels. First though they spray painted the rally wheels and put trim rings on because the were rusty. Dish is all wrong. Nice looking Scout. It deserves better.
Really nice! Have one, but a little rougher.