Share memories of your original old Scouts

[DaveGunter]

I had a buddy in high school who had a Scout, it was a total beater, he loved it but we teased him mercilessly about it. One day we hooked up one of those spark plug firecracker gags so he would think the thing blew up…parking lot full of guys after practice, good memories.

 

[maynard]

My earliest memories of an IH Scout was riding in the one my uncle owned - It was a red two door with a white top and he would take my brother and I on the beaches around Pensacola (in the 60's when you could still drive on them) and we'd look for interesting stuff - crabs, shells, washed up stuff... That's when my desire to be a Scout owner started.

By the time I could afford cars other than $500 specials - Scouts were hard to find or outside my price range. I finally bought a '80 diesel Scout II in 2000 and loved it. I lived in Colorado and went on every trail I could find. Off roaded with many Jeep owners who were surprised by its ability to keep up (and sometimes lead)... Unfortunately the transfer case died at about 180K miles and when I had it in the shop I was told the engine didn't look good either - he showed me a crack in the block that was seeping oil/antifreeze - so I sold it to a local IH enthusiast.

Sadly, in 2004 my computer was stolen and I lost all the pictures of the Scout that I had taken. It was a dark green 2-door with essentially no modifications other than a warn winch... I have searched for pictures online to no avail - will just have to rely on brain cells...

 

[travelinscout]

My dad was always on call for work, and we lived in PA where it actually snowed in the winter. When his old VW Squareback died, it was right around 1980, and he needed another vehicle that could handle the snow. our local IH dealer was closing up shop, and he had a whole bunch of Scouts that he was going to have to pay to ship back to Ft. Wayne, if he didn't sell them. My dad made a deal for a '79 Traveler for dealer cost. 8K I think. He had them install the larger 38 gallon tank, along with bucket seats that did not match the Tahitian red interior at all, as they were light tan! I was 10 years old at the time, and I can still remember crawling around on the vinyl in the back in the dealer showroom. We drove that thing everywhere including up to cape cod for a fishing trip with the family. As I got older, I got my license and of course was always on the hunt for Scouts. They were available and the prices were nothing compared to what they are now. The best deal I ever got was on a '77 Traveler 304 that only had 68K miles. It was perfect, and the owner just didn't like that there were two very small holes in the back and some exhaust was getting into the cab. I paid a whopping $450 bucks and drove it on the turnpike all the way home no problem. The most we ever had at one time was 5 of them. Only one was the shorter Scout 2, as my dad liked the Traveler better. One of them was a baby blue Midas with the carpeted ceiling and the captains chairs. Ran well but man was it ugly! I ended up moving to AZ for the US GOV, and the Scouts ended up getting sold. My dad drove them as long as he could until he finally got a GMC Jimmy because it was easier for him. In AZ, I was always looking for one, and I found one that the original owner had purchased in Ohio, and then drove straight to AZ. It was a '77 Scout 2, with the 304, automatic. It didn't have one single spec of rust, anywhere. Paid $2000 for it. After I got all the dry rotted rubber parts sorted out, I gave it lots of love and enjoyed it with him when he would come out here for about 7 years until I got married. The Scout was just sitting and I got tired of the pack rats trying to chew the wires. I sold it for $3500 bucks, I thought I made out! That was in 2006. When my dad passed in 2020, I started really regretting selling it, and unfortunately now, they have become way too expensive. When I heard about the re-launch, was praying for a hybrid, as I just don't think the tech is there yet for a 100% EV and the AZ desert. The Traveler option was the obvious choice for me, and I placed my reservation. I cant wait to see what the production models look like!

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

My first introduction to Scout was in 1962. My dad bought a brand new unit and we traveled everywhere, Colorado (where we lived), Utah mostly. We drove it to the Seattle Worlds fair in 1962, then down the coast to grandma’s house. Going through San Fran, the clutch went out. The first of four. I was 10 years old. I think this was the one where he had the hood latch malfunction at speed. For anyone who doesn’t know, this why International hinged the hood at the front of the II’s.

His next one was a ‘67 with the 266 v8 and 4-speed. I learned to drive in that one. And first drove the Black Bear at 16 in that one. His last two were a ‘72 and ‘76, both with 345 and wide ration 4-speed. You couldn’t stop these guys.

My first car was a ‘66 800 with the 152 and 4-speed, slow but it got me there. My best memory with that unit was driving up the I70 hill above Georgetown, CO. As we slowed down with the slope, the old VW bug ahead of me was even slower. The problem were the three cars quickly coming up in the left lane. No time or speed to pass, so I passed on the right—on the shoulder. Plenty of room but not exactly… appropriate. The looks on the faces of the VW occupants were priceless (along with the people in the left lane). We all passed at the same time. My two buddies were laughing their heads off. All this time I was losing speed too. After pulling back into the right lane I had to downshift to 3rd. but still pulled away from the beetle. Just before the top of the hill I almost had to downshift to 2nd.

What fun!

P.S. I had a ‘73 Scout II for a time, 345/wide range 4-speed. My wife hated driving it as the clutch gave her leg cramps. She called it The Brute.

 

[jeffjacksonMTB]

BMX as a kid. The scout was how we got there every weekend. Looking forward to getting a Terra for my mountain biking.

 

[Kitkraft]

I had 5 Scouts. Don’t even recall all the years but the first was a 75. Loved them all except the 79 4-banger not so much. My fave was the 80 turbo diesel. Slow but massive torque…..

 

[Kitkraft]

Oh yeah, it was ugly but beautiful to me!

 

[Julio Murray]

Work in progress

Nice car. I'd love to see you restore it.

 

[Neps]

Learned to drive in a Scout II, had many good times in High School and early years in the Navy. Wheeled all over the country as I was transferred to different duty stations, but eventually parts became hard to find and operating costs were more than a junior sailor could afford and I sold it in the '80's.
Always regretted having to sell and my wife became tired of me pointing out every IH I'd see on the roads and she gave the go ahead to buy one in '98 prior to my transfer to a Carrier in San Diego. Contacted a few clubs and found one for sale in Reno and made a deal site unseen, got off the plane from Hawaii and got a rental car and drove straight to Reno with the kids to pick it up. Paid $3800 for a '72 Scout II 345 727 Dana 20, it had 50K mile when I bought it, and I drove it as my daily driver for 10 years. Now she's in the driveway along with an assortment of her siblings, at one point I had 8.
My kids know that I'll have that Scout until I die, then one of them will hopefully enjoy it as much as
I have.

It was never very fuel efficient, and the modifications I've made over the years haven't helped any, I average 11 MPG and with fuel costs in Cali it becomes hard to justify as a daily driver. I'm hopefully the new Scout can live up to some of my expectations and allow me to once again drive a Scout everyday.

 

[PMurphy]

Thank you for your service and the cool Scout pic. 10-4 on the fuel milage. Had a 80’s V8 Jeep CJ as a work vehicle. You could almost watch the fuel gauge fall as you drove it (still was an awesome ride).