2012 Scout & Light Truck Nationals

131 1302 01 Binder Bonanza 1928 Ih S Series

Somewhere along the line, this 1928 IH S-series IH truck was fitted with a corn mill for farm use that’s powered by a Ford flathead V-8. This truck won the Best Engineering award.

Somewhere along the line, this 1928 IH S-series IH truck was fitted with a corn mill for f

For 22 years now, IH Scout and light truck buffs have had a national meet in Springfield, Ohio, the place where International Harvester once built farm equipment and where its offspring, Navistar International, still does business building trucks and engines. Springfield is also home to Super Scout Specialists, an arm of Scout/Light Line Distributors, which is the firm that bought all of IH’s remaining Scout and light truck interests and assets, including trademarks and the rights to build parts.

Jerry Shook’s ’73 Scout II half-cab had 16,205.5 miles on it. He bought the Scout from the original owner in 2001 with 15,995 miles. Just 200 miles in 10 years. Other than the tires, battery, and muffler, it is all original and looks it. It still has some of the paper tags and crayon.

Jerry Shook’s ’73 Scout II half-cab had 16,205.5 miles on it. He bought the Scout from the

While any type of IH or IH-powered vehicle is welcome, each year has a theme vehicle. This time around it was the Wagonmaster and Travelette—two of IH’s four-door trucks. This time around the oldest truck was an unrestored 1926 S-24 1-ton. Predominant are the Scouts and the IH light trucks, a good many of them 4x4s. While you will find built rigs, the majority of the IH interest is restoration. Of the 150 vehicle at the show this year, most were stock or nearly stock, but there were a few notable nonstock rigs too.

131 1302 03 Binder Bonanza 1974 3 4 Ton 1210D

Darrel Foster mated the front of a ’74 3⁄4-ton 1210D 4x4 with the final drive of a Minneapolis-Moline 302 tractor. The tractor hydraulics, including the three-point hit and PTO, all work, so in theory it could still be used as a tractor. The truck’s original tranny and transfer case are intact, as is the tractor’s five-speed and two-speed range box. The combination delivers a total of 36 forward and 16 reverse gears.

Darrel Foster mated the front of a ’74 3⁄4-ton 1210D 4x4 with the final drive of a Minneap

Traditionally, the Scout and Light Truck Nationals are held in early/middle September at the Clark County Fairgrounds just off Interstate 70 in Springfield and coincide with the huge Fall Cars & Parts Swap Meet and Car Show, a huge event in and of itself. Like most event stories, this one is best told in pictures.

The Midas interior was available in late-’70s Scouts and may well have been the cushiest interior to ever grace a vintage 4x4. In the long-wheelbase Traveler (as shown here) you could order a plush Midas rear seat that turned into a bed.
The Midas interior was available in late-’70s Scouts and may well have been the cushiest i
For 1973, International Harvester brought a new concept to light and called it the Wagonmaster. Essentially it was a 1⁄2- or 3⁄4-ton four-door Travelall SUV with the top shortened and a bulkhead placed behind the rear seat to make a short pickup bed. Tom Thayer’s masterful ’73 1110 Wagonmaster restoration is a topnotch example of the breed and won several awards at the show. The initial idea of the Wagonmaster was that people could install a fifth wheel and have a more comfortable tow rig, but it was discovered that the fifth wheel idea wasn’t going to work well because you couldn’t put the hitch forward enough to have the weight over the axle. The marketing folks altered the campaign to highlight the Wagonmaster as a family pickup. It was offered for the ’73 and ’74 model years. In 1975 IH quit building trucks in an effort to consolidate and bolster a company that was teetering financially.
For 1973, International Harvester brought a new concept to light and called it the Wagonma
The limited edition Scout Red Carpet was offered in 1964 to celebrate the 100,000th Scout. Greg Robinson is partway through the restoration of this Red Carpet Scout 80. The Red Carpet, and its companion Champagne Edition, answered the need for more plush variants of the Scout.
The limited edition Scout Red Carpet was offered in 1964 to celebrate the 100,000th Scout.

Allen and Joan Blakeman’s 1210D 4x4 Campermobile (IH’s version of the ubiquitous camper special) was ordered with just about every option. This included the 392 V-8, automatic, factory-approved winch, AC power steering and brakes, camper package dual tanks, and all the comfort goodies. Only a few boxes on the options list were left unchecked, but the Blakemans weren’t the ones who originally checked those options boxes. The truck was ordered by a pair of Connecticut brothers who became notorious for a brazen crime spree that included bank robberies, bombings, and murders. By the time their truck was ready, the brothers had been tracked down and jailed. The dealer was desperate to sell, and the Blakemans were happy to find such a highly optioned truck.
Allen and Joan Blakeman’s 1210D 4x4 Campermobile (IH’s version of the ubiquitous camper sp
Whether you called it pink, coral, or persimmon, Kara Herman’s ’57 A120 4x4 is a peach. This was a family restoration that was only finished a day before heading off to the show. The A120 is powered by its original BD240 Black Diamond six backed up by a four-speed manual. Originally it came with 4.77:1 ratios, but in the restoration the optional 4.10s were installed to make the truck better on the highway.
Whether you called it pink, coral, or persimmon, Kara Herman’s ’57 A120 4x4 is a peach. Th
Ian Burnett’s ’57 S120 Panel is a rare bird. Not only is it in the 1957 transition year when the S-Line trucks morphed into the A-Line, but it is a rare 4x4 panel. It will be nicer when a vintage winch is refitted in that classic ’50s-style mount.
Ian Burnett’s ’57 S120 Panel is a rare bird. Not only is it in the 1957 transition year wh

One of the more well-used built rigs at the event was Dan Schwarz’s ’67 Scout 800. If you follow Four Wheeler’s Top Truck Challenge, you might remember this Scout from the 1998 event. It’s much the same as it was then, save the detachable “lift law” front bumper and the scars of 15 years of wheeling. It was pretty state-of-the-art back in 1998, with a 5.7L LT1 Tuned Port, a TH400/205, a D60 front, and a D70 rear.
One of the more well-used built rigs at the event was Dan Schwarz’s ’67 Scout 800. If you
Mike Ismail’s ’59 Travelette (a three-door crew cab) bridges the gap between vintage and modern. Power comes from a Cummins 12-valve backed up by an NV4500 five-speed and an Atlas II transfer case. The front axle is a Dodge D60, but the rear is still the OE RA-15 (Eaton dropout) axle. Gears are 4.30, and the truck turns 40-inch Ground Hawgs. Suspension is more or less custom using Deaver springs at both ends and triple shocks up front.
Mike Ismail’s ’59 Travelette (a three-door crew cab) bridges the gap between vintage and m
Under the hood of Ted Delong ‘s ’67 Scout is a TBI small-block backed up by a GM slushbox. The suspension looks nicely executed and has a shackle reversal up front. Built Scouts are less common on the trail than they once were because they are getting so collectible, but they are still a great cornerstone for a unique buildup.
Under the hood of Ted Delong ‘s ’67 Scout is a TBI small-block backed up by a GM slushbox.