Around 1830, Cyrus Hall McCormick started building a solid reputation as a manufacturer of dependable agricultural equipment. Later, after merging his company with Deering Harvester and a few smaller ones, International Harvester was created and went on to build legendary machinery, tractors, and trucks. IH introduced the Scout in 1961 to compete with Jeep and jump into the relatively new off-highway automotive adventure lifestyle. The Scout was built for backcountry exploration, hunting, and farm life, and was always advertised slogging through mud, rocks, and rivers. Today, enthusiasts like Brian Carta keep International Harvester's reputation alive with cool rigs like this rockcrawling, sandblasting '70 Scout 800.
The license plate reads "SCT AHLC," and we think Brian certainly is a Scout-aholic with the amount of work he has put into his rig. The rear of his 800 is fully tubed and caged and fitted with a 30-gallon custom aluminum fuel tank and a very cool custom aluminum toolbox.
It's not very often we find longtime four-wheel fanatics that still own their very first off-road machine. Brian bought this Scout in the early '90s to satisfy his personal need for off-road adventure. As a seasoned technician at Tag Motorsports in Escondido, California, and an avid fabricator, Brian has the skills to customize his rig. This build has been many years in the making, and he tells us that it may never be completed. But it's moving right along with unique custom features such as the entire firewall of the cab which has been tube-framed, reinforced, and fitted with sheetmetal. Plans for the Scout include a front triangulated link suspension and King coilover shocks. The old rig certainly isn't a "pretty" restoration job, but it is purpose-built and functions exceptionally well off-road-and this Scout's beauty is more than skin deep.
Rather than spend a month building the Scout engine, Brian decided to purchase a GM Performance Parts Ramjet crate engine. For the price you really can't beat the turnkey engine since they now come with a two-year warranty and offer enough horsepower and torque to propel the Scout just about anywhere. | 
King coilovers provide an optimum amount of travel, and the custom triangulated four-link suspension gives the Scout the geometry it needs for serious rockcrawling. The custom Currie 9-inch rear end is virtually bulletproof. Both are wrapped with the right amount of tube and frame work, which enables the vehicle to endure the toughest four-wheel outings. |
We get the feeling Brian likes to fabricate aluminum, since we found so much trick fab work on the rig. His custom dash is extremely functional since the Auto Meter gauges are in clear view and the buttons, switches, and gizmos are in easy arm's reach. The Lowrance GlobalMap Baja navigation GPS is one of the better navigation systems and helps Brian plot and track his routes across California's deserts and mountains. | |
Tech Specs
1970 SCOUT 800
Drivetrain
Engine: GM Performance Ramjet 350ci
Transmission: NV4500
Transfer Case: Dana 300
Front Axle: Currie 9-inch prerunner housing, 35-spline axleshafts, True Hi 9 third member, spool, 4.86 gearset
Rear Axle: Scout II Dana 44, Detroit Locker, 4.88 gearset
SuspensionSprings & Such: 14-inch King rear coil-overs, double triangulated four-link rear suspension, leaf-spring front suspension
Tires & Wheels: 37x17 Pro Comp Xterrain, Mickey Thompson 17x9 with OMF beadlocks
Other Stuff: Custom 30-gallon aluminum fuel tank, Warn 900-pound winch, York air compressor, J.E. Reel 1350 rear driveshaft with 1350 U-joints, custom-made aluminum toolbox