A perfectly restored vintage off-roader is a beautiful thing. But when a well-maintained car is 40-plus years old, one could make a strong case for leaving the vehicle as-is. It has lived a life, accumulated stories and perhaps the odd battle scar. It would be a shame to expunge that history with a slick refreshed paint job. Leaving that accrued charm intact is called patina, and this 1979 International Harvester Scout II being auctioned right now on Bring a Trailer has it.
The exterior paint job is “Tahitian Red Metallic” with faded white decals indicating this Scout has the off-road “Rallye” package. If you think it cannot get more gloriously 1970s than that, check out the interior with doors and refurbished seats trimmed in Russet plaid. Under the hood is a 345ci V8 with a three-speed automatic and a two-speed transfer case.
This Scout has had the light touch modding one would expect to keep a car that age running. There’s a new carburetor, an electronic ignition, an aluminum radiator, a replaced 31.5-gallon fuel tank and a modern rotary air conditioning compressor. The interior makes a couple of concessions to modernity with an aftermarket stereo and a center console with cupholders.
While you will find cleaner and more capable vintage off-roaders, it will be hard to find one that matches this Scout on charm for this price. As of this writing, bidding is at only $15,000 with one day left.
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