This 1970 International Scout 800 may look like a first-gen Ford Bronco but the big difference isn’t the visuals, it’s the market price. Bronco’s numbers are on another planet, the Scout? Not so much so. Subjectively speaking, I prefer the lines of the Scout to those of the Bronco, it’s simplistic and hardy appearing but not so agricultural. While not produced since 1980, the Scout and revised Scout II make regular appearances here on Barn Finds, so scarcity doesn’t seem to be an issue as much as the general condition of found subjects does – most need a lot of work. So with that thought, let’s review this 1970 example and see how well, or not, it fares. This Scout is located in Altoona, Pennsylvania and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of  $3,950 with three bids tendered as of this writing. Thanks to Russell G for this nice discovery.

On the surface, this old-school SUV appears to be fair but it comes with quite a few exceptions. First up, the finish is burned off of the horizontal surfaces and it’s missing both bumpers. The listing claims, “Frame is solid front to back, front floors were patched, some metal welded in on the body and inside front fender wells“. The glass is stated as being good with the manual windows working as intended and they are complete with new weather stripping for both the doors and tailgate. While this Scout’s exterior presentation exudes lots of outside time, that dreaded “P” word is not once mentioned, and that being the case, I will gladly refrain from uttering it as well. Actually, the very faded blue and white finish portrays a vision of a mail delivery truck but I doubt that was ever this Scout’s calling in life.

Under the hood is a 145 HP, 232 CI, in-line six-cylinder engine attached to a three-speed manual transmission. The seller doesn’t disclose the powertrain’s particulars but that’s what it looks like. What he does disclose is, “Engine supposedly rebuilt prior to sitting. Engine turns free, the motor was set in place hooked to transmission, needs additional items completed“. The mileage is recorded as 63K miles so whether that is an authentic measure, and how it relates to the engine’s current status, is not disclosed. OK, so it’s a flip, many of the vehicles that we review are, it’s just the old warning of caveat emptor is ever so relevant in a case like this -and I’d like to know what those “additional items” entail. Both of the fuel tanks have been removed, which I guess means that they are not present, but the seller adds that there are other spare parts included such as a radiator, intake and exhaust manifold, carb, and washer bottle.

What’s going on inside is a typical spartan and utilitarian environment. The front seats are said to not be original and they certainly look more comfortable than what was originally in place. The back seat, however, is claimed as the born-with item. The upholstery is only in fair shape, the driver’s seat is patched with tape, and the remainder of the interior is mostly hard surfaces, just as one would expect. Some paint application would probably go a long way in sprucing things up. I have to say that I like the instrument panel, it doesn’t appear to be lacking in driver information delivery and there are no indications of any unoccupied slots.

Why an International Scout, like this first-generation model 800, trails so far behind a competing Ford Bronco, value-wise, I do not know but it would be an interesting topic to debate and I ask all of our informed readers to kick that one around a bit. As I mentioned, I like the Scout styling better than the Bronco but this example serves up too many unknowns. If I were in the market, I’d pass, but maybe I’m missing something here, what do you think?