1963 International Harvester Scout 80 Pickup
The International Harvester Scout is an off-road vehicle produced by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980. A precursor of more sophisticated SUVs to come, it was created as a competitor to the Jeep, and it initially featured a fold-down windshield. The Scout and second-generation Scout II were produced in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as two-door trucks with a removable hard top with options of a full-length roof, half-cab pickup, and/or soft top.
International Harvester, which was then still a major manufacturer of pickups and utility wagons, took quite a leap of faith when it began the development of the Scout in the late 1950’s. The civilian Jeep actually sold rather poorly in that decade, in part because surplus military Jeeps were available for peanuts. But leap they did, although the project almost died along the way. Early designs were too angular, which rightfully didn’t inspire the execs. When a more rounded design similar to the final version emerged from a late night session, it finally created some enthusiasm.
Originally powered by a simple, tough, and slow 4 cylinder powerplant – the 1960 Scout was no speed demon with only 93 horsepower on board. It was available in a removable hardtop, a soft-top, and a “travel top” which basically covered the entire bed of the Scout, added in a bench seat, and turned it into an SUV. That would be the first modern SUV ever sold in America!
The 3.9-liter Cummins 4BT turbodiesel inline-four was installed on this 1963 International Harvester Scout 80 Pickup and is fitted with a replacement Turbone turbocharger.
The cabin houses gray cloth bucket seats sourced from a later-model Chevrolet Trailblazer, along with diamond-plate paneling and a silver-painted dash. Appointments include three-point seatbelts, rubber floor mats, USB charge ports located in the glove compartment, and crank windows. The three-spoke steering wheel fronts Stewart-Warner and AutoMeter gauges consisting of an 80-mph speedometer, a tachometer, and displays for fuel level, oil pressure, water temperature, voltage, and boost pressure.
Unlike the sky-high prices of a good classic today, the International Harvester Scout is still fairly affordable, even as a resto-mod. Plenty of configurations also mean you can choose your kind of Scout, and most of these still retain their old and original qualities to be a viable off-roader today.
