This is a recently restored and modified version of the International Harvester Scout 800, from the chassis on down almost everything has been changed including the axles, suspension and brakes.
The transmission, transfer case, and engine have all been upgraded as well, resulting in a Scout 800 that is vastly quicker and more powerful than the 4×4 it started out as.
Modified Scouts like this are becoming increasingly popular, along with their period sales competitors like the Bronco, Jeep CJ, Land Rover, and Land Cruiser.
Fast Facts – The International Scout 800
✱ The International Scout 800 was the upgraded version of the original Scout 80. The Scout 800 featured a range of improvements to make it slightly more comfortable, including better seats, instrumentation, heating, optional rear seats, an updated dashboard, and some new engine options.
✱ The model was sold from 1965 until 1971 over three major model variations, and the sheet metal would stay largely the same through the Scout II generation until 1980.
✱ The International Harvester Scout is remembered today as one of the original SUVs and the vehicle that inspired the Ford Bronco.
✱ The Scout 800 you see here has been restomodded significantly from new, but it keeps the original vehicle’s tough simplicity.
The International Scout 800
When the International Scout first entered development in the late 1950s there was only a very small market for civilian four-wheel drives, and this market was largely dominated by the Jeep CJ.
Above Image: The interior is upgraded over the original vehicle, with new instrumentation, power steering, , an upgraded sound system, and a slew of other mods.
There were a few other manufacturers out there of course, like Land Rover over in England, but the long and short of it is that the leisure 4×4 world was still in its infancy, and no one knew if it was going to grow or fizzle out.
The early designs of the Scout had angular steel bodies that failed to win approval for production, Chief Designer Ted Ornas later designed a plastic body with some curves that the board of directors did like. Production of this plastic bodied car never went ahead, however the basic design did form the foundation of the eventual production Scout, which would have a steel body.
The first International Scout was the “80” model, it was offered with two doors, a removable roof, and a fold-down windshield. It was a very simple vehicle with few creature comforts, International Harvester kept it in production from 1961 until 1965 when it was replaced with the slightly more refined Scout 800.
Today the Scout 80 and Scout 800 are the most sought after model iterations, and even rusted out junkyard residents are attracting serious money. There are two primary kinds of restorations undertaken, concours restorations and restomods, that is modified restorations with a slew of upgrades to make them handle better, go faster, stop quicker, and to make them more comfortable to live with.
Above Image: This Scout is now powered by a 5.3 liter LS Vortec V8 engine capable of over 300 hp.
International Scout 800 Restomod Shown Here
The Scout you see here has been comprehensively rebuilt by IH Parts America, it was subject to a full body-off restoration with upgrades and servicing by Bulletproof Restorations.
Power is now provided by a 5.3 liter LS Vortec V8 engine capable of over 300 hp and 330 ft lbs of torque. This is obviously vastly more power than the Scout came with originally, so the entire drive line was upgraded to better match the new engine.
Dana 44 axles replace the originals at the front and rear with a 3.92:1 final drive ratio, power is sent to them through a GM 4L60-E automatic transmission and a NP241C transfer case. The original drum brakes have been replaced with discs front and back, for safety if nothing else given the vastly increased power.
The interior of this Scout has been developed to stay true to the minimalism of the originals with only a few subtle ugrades, like a wood-rimmed Grant steering wheel, a wooden gear knob and custom-fabricated metal trim across the dashboard.
Since it was built this Scout has accumulated just 3,500 miles on the odometer, and it’s first servicing was completed by technicians at Bulletproof Restorations at 2,100 miles. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Collecting Cars.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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