Combining a bit of Greek and/or Roman mythology, along with some Mike and Franky (American Pickers) lingo, the “Rusty Gold” name seemed to fit with this 1979 International Scout II Midas Edition. You’ll need to bring your A-game here if you plan on restoring this one. The seller has this very rusty 4×4 listed here on eBay in Leaf River, Illinois, and they’re asking $5,000, or you can make an offer.
Most of you have heard the fable of King Midas and how everything he touched turned to gold. That might seem pretty cool, but starving to death because all of your food turns to gold isn’t too cool. Although if he had touched these fenders and other sheet metal parts of this rusty Scout, maybe there wouldn’t be as much overwhelming rust as there is. A company called Midas Van Conversion out of the RV capital of the world, Elkhart, Indiana, reportedly made around 300 Midas Edition Scout IIs, so they’re pretty rare to see today. Jeff Lavery wrote up a nice one a few years ago here on Barn Finds.
This is the Scout II Travel Top version, but the Midas Edition also came in the Scout Traveler-Family Cruiser, the Scout Terra Pickup, and the Baja Scout SS II, all with standard Midas Edition features and Midas options. A requirement for taking delivery of a Midas Edition Scout II was having to wear plaid elephant bellbottom pants at all times, or it should have been. The rear portion of this rig is the best-looking part, I think.
The Scout II was made from 1971 through 1980, and blanket seat covers aren’t on the options list. You can see the Russet plaid on the door panels; the seats would have had the same material as would have the headliner. A plaid headliner! We don’t get to see it, sadly, or what’s left of it. You can tell that parts of the interior look pretty good, but a lot of it needs help. The back seat is matching Russet plaid fabric, and we don’t get to see inside the rear cargo area or underneath this 4×4. The front bucket seats swivel, by the way, how could they not?
The engine is International’s 345-cu.in. OHV V8, with 148 net horsepower and 265 lb-ft of net torque when new. It’s backed by a Chrysler-sourced three-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic, a Dana TC-145 transfer case, and Dana 44 differentials front and rear. This one is rougher’n a game of touch football with King Midas, I can’t imagine it being restored back to like-new condition again. Have any of you heard of a Midas Edition Scout II?
I don’t remember ever seeing a Midas edition Scout before. However. I am going to say that I’ve actually seen worse as far as rust goes. That being said, if the frame is good, maybe someone would have a go at restoring it. The options list seems pretty heavily checked off with the 345 V8 and an automatic. And this package too. International certainly had a good number of stripe and appearance packages back then. Maybe this one can be saved.
What’s great about this site, is the optimism that somehow overshadows, or at least equates my pessimism. Okay, it’s the authors job to present even the most dilapidated subjects, but, you can’t possibly think this is worth saving. There’s no frame pics, because there isn’t one, or maybe a partial frame remains. It’s sad the rust belt can devour an entire vehicle, the very environment they were designed for, and not even belch. A major shame, as this was one of the nicest Scouts, all the “special” editions were top notch, with one glaring flaw, and we’re looking at it. I don’t recall too many of these, it was something the mainstream just wasn’t looking for. It couldn’t shake that truck image.
This is just a really fancy plow truck now, unsafe for any road travel, and I don’t know if you could even find replacement panels or fenders. Maybe some dude in Fort Wayne stashed some away, however, Mike and Frank, may he rest in peace, would have found them by now. Even Frankie, who was known for poor vehicle purchases, would pass on this one.
Never seen a “Midas” edition Scout. Far out groovy 1970’s aesthetic. I kinda dig it. Too bad about all the rust though.