International Scout 1964 80/800

[Gearspoke]

Has anyone in this forum, ever owned or just driven an international Scout 80/800? You know the car that the iconic Ford Bronco was inspired from. The specs are 4.4L V8, with a 3 speed manual transmission and 154 hp. The car looks like a tank, and I have always been interested in getting an old beater of a car to drive around on the San Juan Islands.

If you own this car, what would you find the most annoying about this car? Would it be worth to buy as an island car only? (will only go on trails and the highest speed it would go would be 40 mph) Also are parts easily replaceable?

 

[MotoDave]

I say get one! But I may be biased (see signature below)

http://www.binderplanet.com/ will have way more info than this forum.

They're old, simple trucks - not much to go wrong, but not very well supported anymore. IH stuff is pretty obsolete, but seems to have been built to last. Don't expect too much in terms of bolt-on upgrades, although there are a few companies that make lift kits and parts like that.

If I were looking for a truck to keep mostly stock and cruise around, I'd try to find a 800 with a V8 with as little rust as you can.

 

[dwh]

I had a 69 right hand drive ex-post office Scout 800A. It had the 4 banger which I swapped out for a small-block Chevy. That was long ago when I was a teenager, and I can't recall off hand what the axles were, but it had a Dana 20 transfer case. I think the older ones had a different transfer case.

Pretty sure I've even seen one or two that had a fold-down windshield. Mine didn't. As a kid, I often wished it did.

It was a total blast. The top and doors come off easy, and that's usually how I ran it in SoCal. Beach Cruiser. Chicks dug it. It would be a perfect island runabout. Ugly but not very heavy. All metal everywhere. Dead simple. Basically the same as an older Jeep but with a touch more room in the back.

If I ran across a good deal on another one, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[superbuickguy]

I'd go with a later Scout - because you get much better axles (Dana 44s), a dana 300 transfer case. That said, a 304 with a manual transmission and you'll be as indestructible as you can possibly get.

 

[Gearspoke]

Exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you, everyone! On the island there is nothing too advanced that would be too difficult to conquer. But I will take a look into the Dana!

Oh, quick question if you wouldn't mind answering! I'm looking into rooftop tents, and there are two main ones on the market. The cheaper one, which requires lifting up to open the tent, but once it is open, it is snug and tight, with no wind ripple. But the fear is that a gear could fail and either not open or worse, fall in the middle of the night.

The second one that is on the market is the unfolding tent, where it folds in half when packing, and unfolds when opening. Main concern is the wind rippling the sides of the tent.

Now no eye rolling this is to get my wife to join me on long camping road trips. Any suggestion or comment would surely be appreciated!