Any International Scout II fans here? [Archive]

View Full Version : Any International Scout II fans here?

BulldawgMusclecars

12-30-2011, 03:04 PM

I just made a trade to get a '74 International Scout II 4x4 for my wife, and started picking up some of the extra parts today. She has a horse, and wanted an inexpensive 4x4 to drive to the barn (dirt road, hilly...not the best of conditions for her lowered '09 Mustang GT convertible!). Of course, instead of the beat down, late '90s-early '00s Cherokee she had mentioned, which would likely need some work anyway, I decided to get her the Scout. It has the original 304 V8 in it with a close ratio 4 speed, and 3.73 geared Dana 44s (the front from a Jeep with discs). It has a new posi unit in the rear, a new plastic fuel tank with all new stainless fuel/brake lines, an RnD Fabrications custom radiator (Sparky is actually a good friend and neighbor of the guy I got it from, who is also a new member here), a full roll cage, Auto Meter gauges and a E-Z Wire harness (as of yet uninstalled). Its a project, but will be more of a quickie driver style. Any other Scout owners here?

Flagmissed

12-30-2011, 03:15 PM

I am the proud owner of a 79 Scout II. 345ci automatic, spring over and 35's. Once I get my Camaro done it will get the rust fixed and some body modifications along with some nos ss parts that I have collected.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-02-2012, 02:46 PM

Cool, I wish this one was a 345, but the 304 will do. I'm going to pick it up in an hour and a half or so. I'll post pics when I get it!

rfrankb4

01-02-2012, 03:23 PM

My first six cars were all internationals. Just sold one of my last two remaining ones.

The 74 should have had a Dana 44 front with disks from the factory. the switch over point as i recall was officially 72 but lots of 73s still had the Dana 30 and drums to get rid of left over parts.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-02-2012, 05:31 PM

I thought it would have had them factory, but the previous owner mentioned that the front axle was from a Jeep. Here are a few pics; sorry for the lack of detail, but it was dark by the time we got it back to the shop tonight. I'll post more tomorrow.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0262-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0263-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0264-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0265-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0266-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0267-1.jpg

MonzaRacer

01-03-2012, 10:38 AM

Well clean it up, hit it with epoxy primer all over, get it rhino lined under and along bottom, decent paint on top. Make it simple and taste full but dont overly priced for working, heck if it was hunting vehicle Id have said camo, but a plainregualr color on the upper and say 8 to 10 inches of bed liner along bottom should make it enough utility.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-03-2012, 11:29 AM

Its not going to get the full resto treatment by any means, just nice enough to be proud of it. I've been unloading and storing all the extra parts this afternoon, and I just took the 17x9 Eagles and the BFG 35s (Hummer H2 take-offs) to the tire store to have them mounted and balanced. The previous owner didn't think they would clear without a 4" suspension lift, but I'm not so sure...we'll see.

John Wright

01-03-2012, 11:48 AM

Hey Joe...just curious...what does this beast weigh?(I got curious when I saw the trailer tires)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0264-1.jpg

BulldawgMusclecars

01-03-2012, 12:07 PM

According to the sticker in the door jamb, the GVW is 5,200. Of course, in the pic there was a spare 4 speed manual, a spare transfer case, and a couple hundred pounds of other miscellaneous parts. The trailer is borrowed, and even with a regular car on it the gap between the tire and fender is minimal. It did make contact on the way home, so I'm replacing one of the tires today. My F-150 wasn't too crazy about the weight either, but fortunately it only had to go about 5 miles.

John Wright

01-03-2012, 12:44 PM

I was noticing the tires were either under-inflated or that thing is a pig.
3500# axles under that trailer(5 lug) so 7K gross, plus it doesn't look like it's loaded very well considering what it weighs. I hauled a service van for a friend who broke down on the side of the road and had to load it backwards like that and it was a handfull to get that thing home hanging out over the dove tail like that.

Scouts were always cool when I was in school....several guys had Internationals of one sort or another and they seemed to do pretty well going through the mud. Keep us up to date as this build goes along. Always cool to watch these things progress from an object that had to be hauled home to a driver.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-03-2012, 01:17 PM

Probably some of both! it originally wasn't so far back on the trailer, but on the way to the house we were getting some fender contact with a tire, and stopped and shifted the weight back in order to lighten the load on that tire. It worked well enough to get us home, and considering the rapidly dropping temp and snow flurries (which lasted about 30 seconds), we didn't want to try to turn it back around the other way (considering that the wiring is half removed, and we couldn't just drive it).

We got in too much of a hurry loading it...my first instinct was to turn it around, but it had so much stuff in the rear I thought it would ride ok. On almost any other trailer, it would have, but on this one the fender arches are too close to the tires to begin with. If it were mine (its borrowed), I'd open the fenderwells up a bit.

Part of me wants to pull the body off the frame, repaint the chassis, and coat the bottomside with spray on bedliner, but I'm still undecided. At the very least, I'll do some quick spray can detailing underneath and in the engine compartment, and possibly Herculine the underside of the floor pan. Up top, the whole floorpan will be cleaned up, coated with rust bullet (after we patch a few areas), and coated with spray-on bedliner. The exterior is going to be painted in a dark green metallic, with all the trim powdercoated 60% gloss black. The roll cage is going to have to go, though. The headache bar is way too close, so we'll bend a new cage (basically just a 4 point) and put this one up for sale.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-03-2012, 03:58 PM

A few shots of the bed area. There is some rust, but nothing major.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0270-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0271-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0272-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0273-1.jpg

The dash panel was removed by the previous owner, who was starting to install the E-Z Wire harness and Auto Meter gauges. That stock steering wheel has to go!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0274-1.jpg

The roll cage is cool, but I don't like the location of the forward bar behind the windshield...its far too close for me, or my wife, to drive. I'll remove it, sell it, and fab up a new one that is a 4 point design.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0275-1.jpg

The body is pretty good, but needs a little work like any project.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0276-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0277-1.jpg

Someone cut out the rust here, but didn't put a panel back in...we'll take care of that.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0284-1.jpg

The hood has some surface rust, but there is a better spare hood that came with it. The tailgate is a little rough, too, but I did get a spare for that with the Scout.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0287-1.jpg

The RnD Fabrications aluminum radiator

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0280-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0279-1.jpg

The 304 International V-8.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0278-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0281-1.jpg

All new brake lines, including braided flex lines

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0283-1.jpg

Underside shots

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0285-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0286-1.jpg

The new Eagle wheels and BFG 315/70/17s:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0287-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0288-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0289-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0290-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/IMG_0291-1.jpg

SRD art

01-03-2012, 04:38 PM

Well, as with anything it needs work, but the wheels and tires really woke it up!

John S

01-03-2012, 05:20 PM

Nice thread. I've had my 72 Scout II for close to 30 years now. Replaced the 304 with a 345 years ago, also did the reverse shackle, body lift, suspension lift, complete re-wire and brake upgrades a long time ago. Over the past 7-8 years the body as succumbed to the dreaded NE rot and is beyond repair (IMO). I picked up a 73 project that was imported from AZ last month with the intent of rebuilding both intro one good Scout.
Unfortunately due to health and physical limitations I do not think that is going to happen. I may end up selling everything including one complete 345 and another 345 long block, 727 trans and all the spare parts I have.
My ultimate dream would have been to rebuild the Scout and install a 6.6 Dura-Max with the Allison tranny. A Scout set up like this would be unstoppable :)

Mine in better days...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/01/huntrig-1.jpg

SparkyRnD

01-03-2012, 05:43 PM

The RnD Fabrications aluminum radiator

RnD Fabrication (no s) :-)

BulldawgMusclecars

01-04-2012, 10:35 AM

gardnerme

01-05-2012, 06:21 PM

Man, I bet whoever got rid of that UGLY thing is happy to see it gone!

In all seriousness, Joe, I sincerely hope (and am quite sure) you will do it better justice than I ever could have.

1360

01-05-2012, 06:35 PM

I've wanted a Scout for several years now.....almost bought on, but it was 250 miles from home & I was driving a '64 1/2 'Stang.

BulldawgMusclecars

01-06-2012, 07:07 AM

Man, I bet whoever got rid of that UGLY thing is happy to see it gone!

In all seriousness, Joe, I sincerely hope (and am quite sure) you will do it better justice than I ever could have.

It looks like you got a great start on it, so this one should be pretty easy. All it really needs are the finishing touches.

NJSPEEDER

01-06-2012, 08:17 PM

Scouts are awesome trucks.

There is one not far from me that I bug the owner of once or twice a year if he will sell.

-Tim

zombiekiller

01-07-2012, 06:36 AM

i had a 67 scout with a 4 banger in it. It was the truck that would not die. It sounded like a really pissed off vintage lawnmower. there is a special place in my heart for those old binders. Last one I saw down here was in a field and had a tree growing through it.

gardnerme

02-23-2012, 06:59 AM

Any updates lately?

Protour_Pinto

02-23-2012, 07:15 AM

I had a Traveler for quite a few years. It was a hauling beast. I liked the removable top. I put a full roll cage in it and had a blast.

BulldawgMusclecars

03-01-2012, 06:14 PM

No updates right now...lots of customer cars, and my Project GNXcess, are taking up most of my time. Soon!

GeoffP

03-01-2012, 06:42 PM

I missed this thread - we had a 76 Scout II with a 345 automatic when I was a kid. I loved it and always thought it was cool (by fluke it was built on my b-day in 76 so I had a little attachment to it). My dad always said it had one of the better 4 wheel drive systems out there. However it was a major rust bucket. You don't find many of them above the rust belt because of the cheap metal IH used in their construction. Any rust you find needs to be fixed pretty quickly because of this. I'll be interested to see how it turns out!

77thor

03-31-2012, 06:13 AM

Not mine, but I just noticed a 345 with a 4 speed on Craigslist, in case anyone is looking....
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/2932270810.html

Malibu Lou

04-01-2012, 09:58 AM

Great thread! I've been an IH fan since I was a kid in the '50's. Dad had IH trucks/tractors for his business and his best friend bought a Scout new in '62 and I was hooked. I bought my present '75 Scout II in '79 from the original owner, 200,000 miles now and it still runs strong. It spends a good amount of time in the Sierras and the Nevada desert. Congress named the IH Scout as a national icon last summer. Well deserved.57638