Forget the Bronco. A Gorgeous Harvester Scout II 4×4 Restomod Is Heading to Auction.
It may not have the name recognition of the Ford Bronco or Chevrolet K5 Blazer, but the International Harvester Scout is still one of the most fondly remembered off-roaders of the 1960s and ‘70s. This is why it’s noteworthy that one of the best-looking examples of the SUV you’ll ever see just went up for grabs.
A gorgeous restomod based on a second-generation Scout II Traveler was posted for sale on Bring a Trailer late last week. The head-turning 4×4 has been treated to a number of significant upgrades, including the addition of a third row of seats and a totally different V-8.
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With Volkswagen having recently announced plans to bring back the model as an EV, the Scout’s days as a forgotten gem of the era appear to be over. The off-roader was introduced in 1960 by International Harvester as a direct competitor to the Jeep. It would never match its rival’s popularity, but it had its fans, especially its second iteration, the Scout II, which was released in 1970. The athletic bruiser had everything the off-road enthusiasts of the day could want, along with some nifty extras, like a removable hard-top roof.
The example up for sale is a long-wheelbase Traveler variant that was bought by its current owner in the midst of a full-scale restoration. They would go on to finish the project and look to have done an excellent job. The Scout II’s boxy body is finished in dark red accented with matte black rallye graphics to match its grille, bumper and roll bars, and comes with a removable tan soft top. The interior has been given a thoroughly period-appropriate makeover that mixes tan and dark red. All three rows of seats, including the spinning pilot chairs up front and the new bench in the back, are covered in brown vinyl and have plaid inserts. The cabin also has a new HVAC system, Bluetooth stereo and a powerful speaker system.
Under the hood you’ll find a 5.7-liter Chevy V-8 crate engine that’s been upgraded with Fuel Tech fuel injection, an aluminum radiator with electric cooling fans and an all-new stainless steel exhaust system, according to the listing. The mill is mated to a three-speed automatic transmission with a Dana dual-range transfer case that allows you to send power to all four wheels or just the back two. It also features a 4-inch Rough Country suspension lift that will make it that much more capable when you take it off road.
Like what you see? You may want to move quickly. The auction runs through Thursday afternoon. As of press time, bidding is up to $55,000, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it climb even higher over the next few days.
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