If the Willys Jeep is the granddaddy of American off-roaders, overlanders, and SUVs, the Scout has to be the next generation. The Scout was less military-spec and more a trusty farmhand with a family-friendly interior. The two-door off-roader was still as spartan as they come, pared down with basic mechanicals and characteristically temperamental electrical work. Owning and driving an all-original one today, like most old off-roaders, takes, well, patience. Luckily there are outfits like New Legend who bring the iconic American SUV into the 21st century without compromising its old world charm.
The LSII-One that’s now up for sale is a prime example of New Legend’s expert work. The fully-restored Scout wears a coat of custom Ceylon Green and Creme Brûlée and to fight off stereotypical Scout rust, it gets a poly-urethane protective bed coating on interior and underside and new weather stripping all-around. There are hints this isn’t entirely classic — the new roof rack, LED light bars and headlights — but that’s only the tip of the green and creme iceberg.
Under the hood there’s a 6.2-liter GM V8 good for 430 horsepower, which sends all that twist through a six-speed automatic, Atlas II Twin Stick Transfer Case, a Dana 44 Front Axle with Electric Locker from a Jeep Rubicon and a G2 Dana 60 Rear Axle with Detroit Lock. It all sits on a new Outrider chassis with four-link coil suspension setup like a Jeep JK, sporting more than three inches of lift with an AEV kit.
The interior gets a much-needed upgrade in the form of heat and sound deadening to make it bearable as a daily driver. And not just any daily driver. This was the first Scout New Legend owner Sean Barber restored to use as his personal daily driver — the restoration that started the business. So if you have $165,000 to spare and wants a not-so-original (but beautiful nonetheless) Scout in your stable, New Legends #001 is the one to get.
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