# Long road to recovery: 1962 International Scout 80



## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

I'll make this intro short and sweet. 

Bought this 1962 International Scout a few years ago and wasnt able to put much time or money into at first.. Now I've set me goal to have this thing on the road/trails by July first. Hopefully you'll see me reach this goal here.

Stats:

-Purchased for $350
-152 ci 2.5l IH 4cyl with 86 "Gross Horsepower"
-3 Speed manual
-Twin stick Spicer Tcase
-Dana 27 axles
-Lots of rust
-Originally came from the factory with a 'half cab' top (gave the appearance of a very small pickup truck)

Since the date of purchase I have been stocking up on NOS and aftermarket parts for this thing. This spring has graciously allowed me to finally got to some work done on it!

Some mods so far:

-new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil
-Pertronix Breakless Electronic Ignition
-Replaced clutch slave cyclinder (yes it has a factory hydro clutch!) 
-new rear wheel cyclinders/lines
-new coolant hoses
-new battery
-painted travel top 
-cleaned and refilled diffs
-swapped old style oil canister for screw on type oil filter

Unfortunately this will not be a 'frame off' job. Just a first timer project that I would like to see road worthy by mid summer. Mind you, this will not be a hack job. Perhaps in the future the body will come off and I'll get down to the nitty gritty of what's underneath.


Anyway here's a list of what to look for in the future updates from me.

-Body work
-New floors
-new rocker panels (inner and outer)
-More body work
-Half cab (pick-up style top)
-New bed
-New Exhaust
-Carb rebuild
-More body work
-New wiring harness
-IH Scout II Dana 44 Axle swap (SOA)
-Paint

Next year my plans are to get more into the lift/gearing/tcase/steering/tires options.

Anyway, hope you guys can provide some motivation for me to get this thing to completion. 

Now for the pics...

DAY 1:




































More Recent:


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## 04VR (Sep 9, 2007)

nice scout i have the same one except green, but it was originally blue. i've had mine about a year and i still haven't been able to drive it. what filter did u swap in? i want to do this but i dont know what filter to use.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

That's funny seeing as mine was originally green and now it's blue.

I bought an adapter for the oil filter (you can find them almost anywhere; ebay, super scout specialists, etc) 

I forget what the actual filter number is. I just went to Napa and asked them for a Scout II v8 oil filter since the adapter is essentially the part that's on the later IH engines. I'm pretty sure the later 4cyl, 6cyl and 8cyl engines all used the same oil filter.


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## 04VR (Sep 9, 2007)

ok thanks, have you been over to binderplanet.com? great international harvester site, they do every thing from scouts to tractors over there


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## sixdoubleseven (Apr 24, 2003)

Very cool, but I like the military style wheels on the before better. They look bad ass.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

The unfortunate part about the 'military style' wheels/tires is that they are completely dry-rotted and not safe for road use.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Cleaning up the chassis:





























Also, trekked the Golf out to Western PA to pick up a half cab top... My scout actually came from the factory built with this style top as opposed to the full top you see in the photos above.


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## Seitan (Nov 1, 2002)

awesome buy! I have been a huge scout fan as long as I can remember (child of the early 80's so I can't attribute it to when they were new on the showroom floor). I've been drooling over a semi-restored pair of Scout II's that the same seller has on ebay in the southwest for a few weeks. Good luck with the build :thumbup:


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## tip (Aug 8, 2008)

subscribed! Love those things, don't see too many these days. I've heard old timers say the old Internationals have nothing but white wiring (instead of all different colors) ... is that true with yours?

edit: What are you using for paint on the frame and axle in those pics?


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

tip said:


> subscribed! Love those things, don't see too many these days. I've heard old timers say the old Internationals have nothing but white wiring (instead of all different colors) ... is that true with yours?
> 
> edit: What are you using for paint on the frame and axle in those pics?



For the most part, those old timers are right! My scout came with nothing but green wire! I have a brand new wiring harness that I picked up from NorthWest AutoWire, so hopefully we'll have that problem solved in the coming months. As for the chassis paint; I'm using this: http://www.eastwood.com/rust-encapsulator.html It's pricey, but not as expensive as POR 15 and doesn't seem to be sensitive to UV rays. 

Here are some update photos... I started hacking away at the rot and rust. 


Body brace:









Outer rocker removed:



























Inner rocker removed:




































HOLES


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Also:

Picked up a flanged Dana 44 rear axle out of a 1970 Scout 800a. This is a big upgrade from the tiny tapered axle Dana 27 that currently resides on my scout. When I opened her up, I found the ring gear to be in great shape, no metal shavings and a POWR-LOK! Sweet! Turns out the gear ratio is the same as my existing front axle; another bonus!


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## tip (Aug 8, 2008)

DiabloNJ said:


> For the most part, those old timers are right! My scout came with nothing but green wire! I have a brand new wiring harness that I picked up from NorthWest AutoWire, so hopefully we'll have that problem solved in the coming months. As for the chassis paint; I'm using this: http://www.eastwood.com/rust-encapsulator.html It's pricey, but not as expensive as POR 15 and doesn't seem to be sensitive to UV rays.


sweet. never heard of that stuff, I'll have check it out.




DiabloNJ said:


> Inner rocker removed:


you are a brave man. looks good, keep it up!


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

A little progress to open a big window... Spent the afternoon removing the gas tank and re-routing a portion of the fuel line to run off of a small water bottle filled with gas in the engine bay. Now I can move the Scout in and out of the shop under it's own power whenever I need to, but will be able to continue to cut out old steel and weld in new steel without worrying about blowing up the scout, the shop or myself! Here are some pics.

Dirty gas tank, ghetto rigged with some aluminum strap and rivets.









not so stock mounting:









tank compartment sans tank... obvious rust needs to be addressed.









New fuel system (see vitamin water bottle on far left)









Fuel pump seems to have developed a leak at the fitting. Guess it's time to replace those lines!









That's all for now. Hope to make some significant process this weekend!


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## Iroczgirl (Feb 17, 2007)

That's quite the undertaking! I love these old Scouts, keep up the good work! :thumbup: 

Too many of the early Scouts are rotting away in driveways used as a winter snowplow...


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## wheeltowheel (Jun 19, 2007)

I liked the original wheels more but good luck!


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## flygliii (Jun 29, 2006)

Sweet rig! A friend had a Scout II waaay back and man, that thing was fun.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Thanks for the kind words! Definitely helps keep the inspiration going!

Made some progress over the weekend... Bear in mind; this is my FIRST project ever of this kind! My automobile knowledge prior to this undertaking was pretty much limited to oil changes, brake jobs and tune ups. I know my work is far from perfect, but I'm doing it all by myself and the experience I will get out of it is simply priceless to me.... This would not be possible without the help from some friends, the internet, my Scout service manual and the use of a shop at work...

blah blah... Sorry... Here's some pics..

Plasma torched out what was left of the original floor:









Plasma'd out two gnarly cancer spots (only one shown):









Patched cancer spot with sheetmetal, painted the frame:









Second cancer patch:









Floor and inner rocker (had to modify the tunnel cover area... This floor is for an 800 rather than an 80):









Some welding:









Outer rocker installed:









Etching Primer applied:

























The fit is not exactly perfect... I somehow miscalculated a bit and now the floor is about 1/4 of an inch lower at the front than it is at the back... Oops. Perhaps this could have been prevented if I had a jack beneath the body to support the shape. The outer rocker panel also sticks out a little further than it should at the front fender seam. 

The door has been re-installed and It pretty much opens and closes just the same as it did prior to these repairs. If I could go back, I would have taken measurements from the door seams before I took the door off and tried to close the gaps a little bit better before I started welding... I guess that's why they say hindsight is 20-20? Also wished I had patched the side panels where the inner rockers end. Guess I will put that on the list for next time.

I am holding off on doing the body bushings until I can get the rest of the body straight and solid. 

That's all for now, I'll be taking on the passenger side next.

Overall, I'm very happy with the outcome... far from perfect, but far ahead of what it used to be.


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## NoH2o (Sep 18, 2000)

Your floor is lower but the rocker still lines up? How do your door gaps look? 

Awesome project. Scouts are sweet, what are your other plans for it? Look forward to seeing your progress.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

NoH2o said:


> Your floor is lower but the rocker still lines up? How do your door gaps look?
> 
> Awesome project. Scouts are sweet, what are your other plans for it? Look forward to seeing your progress.


Thanks!

The floor difference is most visible in the last picture I posted. After you factor in perspective, you can still see that there is slightly less of the inner rocker showing as you go closer to the front of the truck. Like I said, it's only off by about a quarter of an inch across the whole span. The door gap issue right now is where the door latches to to the body after being closed. I will try to snap a photo of this to better illustrate. Totally wouldn't fly on a complete ground up restoration, but totally works for me. My goal is a clean; close to original revival of this truck. 

Here are the phases I have in mind for the project...note some overlap each other:

Phase 1: Mechanics
-Engine is tuned up and running like a top
-Carb needs cleaning or rebuild to be perfect
-Clutch is now operating properly with new hydraulics
-Needs exhaust

Phase 2: Body
-Replace all rot and rust with new steel
-Once body is solid, install all new body bushings

Phase 3: Drivetrain
-Install Dana 44 rear axle with spring over conversion
-Convert front axle to sprung over
-33" Tires

Phase 4: 
-Start driving it and work out all the kinks


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## NoH2o (Sep 18, 2000)

How were the door gaps prior to cutting? Was the rot in the rocker enough that it could have sagged prior to bracing? Did your doors 'pop' when opening?

I know the Scout has a good online following, but this area/structure looks and possibly needs treated similar to air cooled beatles with the bracing. There is a good amount of documentation on bracing the beatle for a body off resto. I am sure the Scout community has it as well.

I only mention the beatle as that is what I have experience with.

Good luck with the project.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

NoH2o said:


> How were the door gaps prior to cutting? Was the rot in the rocker enough that it could have sagged prior to bracing? Did your doors 'pop' when opening?
> 
> I know the Scout has a good online following, but this area/structure looks and possibly needs treated similar to air cooled beatles with the bracing. There is a good amount of documentation on bracing the beatle for a body off resto. I am sure the Scout community has it as well.
> 
> ...


I supose that's where I may have made my rookie mistake. The rockers were definitely compromised enough to the point where they would have an affect on the structural integrity of the tub. The door did have a bit of a droop to it once unlatched, unfortunately this is still the case. The door gap is the same now as it was before I installed the brace and started hacking away. In retrospect, I really wish that I had a jack under the rear of the tup to correct the gap prior to welding in the brace. I am all over the scout forums, and everyone has a different way of doing these types of repairs. Most of the followings on these scout forums are concentrated in the Midwest and West Coast. These regions would look at a tub like mine and render it as junk in a heartbeat. The northeast was not kind to these trucks, so we will typically have gnarlier cases of structural issues that usually don't even get a chance to be addressed on webforums.

I guess I'm just learning the hardway. No one ever said it was easy. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it greatly. Perhaps I should make an attempt to solve this problem now, before I get too immersed in other portions of the projet.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Tackled the DS mid body mount today... The body-side of the body mount (would that be called the frame mount??) had collapsed and hardly a spec of rubber was left beneath it. 

Got out the BFH and a pry bar and had that thing off in a matter of seconds. 

Here shows the body being supported and slightly jacked up to allow for correct fitment of a body bushing. The sheetmetal was behind the piece I removed was pitted but still usuable.. I hit the area with a grinder and then sprayed some weld-thru primer over the area that would be covered.









After removing the body mount piece, I torched off the mangled remains of the side that was spot welded to the back of the bulkhead. I decided to re-use the original with just a minor beef-up; 1/4" flat stock welded in to replace the previously removed area.










Mocked up in place...









Welding wasn't as easy as I thought... Between the old pitted steel and the semi 'weld-thru' primer, it was tough to get a good looking uphill vertical bead going. Function over form!









Painted









Side view of the truck.. Yup, that's 3 layers of sheetmetal removed... Cancer is a ruthless beast.









Also got around to drilling my DS floor out for body bushing and hardware.



















Glamour shot.











Doors close better on both sides now! Also, I got rid of the 'gangsta lean'. All in all, I'm very happy with the progress today.. Next time it's the fuel tank compartment.


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## MCTB (Dec 30, 2005)

Ever since seeing one rotting out in a field on the way to my parents cabin, I have wanted one of these. So cool. Simple diesel, upgraded axles and some 33s would make an awesome truck. Would need to get rid of that bulkhead (I think the 800 doesnt have it?) so that passengers could get in and out. Would make a great off road and camping truck (would, however mean that I have to buy a trailer and Im anti trailer). I would take one of these over an EB or 40.


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Why are we missing pics?


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

MRVW00 said:


> Why are we missing pics?


Re-arranged my photobucket albums... Ooops

I'll fix it!


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Photos fixed!


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## CORRADOFREEK (Jul 12, 2000)

very nice! looks like how i got mine. mine is a 62 with the short top


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## MRVW00 (Oct 30, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Update?


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## roccostud (Jun 7, 2002)

sixdoubleseven said:


> Very cool, but I like the military style wheels on the before better. They look bad ass.


:thumbup: seriously. Deep down I would like to see this truck restored to its original glory.  I knew a guy that had one and he hacked it all up and it was never the same and ended up scrapping it.


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## tip (Aug 8, 2008)

any updates?


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## Down Under (Dec 30, 2011)

*Just Joined*

Just finished reading your restoration story to date, encouraged me to join this, I am in Adelaide Australia and have a 62 Scout for a restore project. Looks like a big job! You are doing well, good on you, will keep track of your progress and let you know how I am progressing with a few photos etc.


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## DiabloNJ (Oct 6, 2004)

Unfortunately winter is my busy season... Hoping to get back to work on the scout near the end of February!


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## 04VR (Sep 9, 2007)

Looking good making a lot of progress, way more than me and I have like an 1/8 of the work to do on mine. Good job can't wait for more updates


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## nickval (Mar 15, 2012)

Diablo:

Thanks for sharing your scout, those body mounts photos are helping me with my '62.

What wheels & tires did you go with? I got most of the mechanical sorted on my project, just need bodywork, body mounts, paint, rear bumper, seats & wheels & tires.

Like the way yours sits with the new mounts & that wheel & tire combo.

Nick


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