Clark Cole likes his Scouts--and his diesels, for that matter. He has owned three Scouts over his 4x4 building career, and all of them have had the Nissan 6-33 turbodiesel. As Clark puts it: "They're simple, extremely efficient, and have cheap mechanical fuel injection." What could be better than that? Especially in this day and age.
This '80 Scout Traveler is the last of its kind and served as a daily driver with some weekend wheeling and snowplow duty, then sat engineless for a long time before Clark realized he wanted to refurbish it. Needless to say, it was in pretty bad shape by that time. For two years it was completely reworked from the frame up to become what you see here, this pristine wheeling machine. Clark has had this Scout for a decade now, but it never looked this nice after being a daily driver in the Rust Belt. It has been completely redone from the frame up with a fiberglass body from Kentrol and attention to detail you wouldn't expect from your average International owner.
It might look too pretty to be bashing around the woods with its shiny new coat of Starburst Orange, but this International has been built to tackle the hardest terrain around. It was originally put together as a vehicle for running the easier trails with the family, but somehow morphed into a serious trail rig. We're sure that once it has a little bit of damage there will be the inevitable itch to see what it can really do.
The interior has remained stock except for the addition of a full rollcage that extends the entire length of the truck and passes through the Rhino-lined floor to the frame. The transmission tunnel on the fiberglass body had to be custom made in order to clear the new driveline setup. The T-19 wide-ratio transmission, Klune-V extreme underdrive, and Dana 20 transfer case with twin shifters can provide a low range of up to 250:1. A bit extreme for practicality, but with mixing and matching all the levers, you're sure to find the perfect gear for any situation, even if you're pulling a house.
Tech Specs
1980 Scout Traveler
Drivetrain
Engine: Nissan 6-33 Turbodiesel
Transmission: T-19 wide ratio (6.32:1 1st)
Transfer case: Dana 20 and Klune-V
Front Axle: Dana 60, 4.88 gears, Ox locker, 35-spline Yukon axles
Rear Axle: Full-floating Dana 60, 4.88 gears, Ox locker, 35-spline Yukon axles
Suspension
Springs & Such: Front: 2 1/2-inch Skyjacker springs, airbags, Pro Comp reservoir shocks. Rear: 2 1/2-inch Skyjacker springs, Gabriel Load Carrier shocks
Tires & Wheels: 35x12.5 Interco TrXus, 16 1/2-inch Hummer dual beadlock wheels
Steering: Scout steering box, heavy-duty linkage with Heim joints
Other Stuff: Kentrol fiberglass body, 10,000-pound Braden PTO winch, and custom rollcage, bumpers, and body protection
The end of production for...
The end of production for International's Scout line was 1980. It was also the only year this Nissan 6-33 turbodiesel was available as a factory option. This motor was rebuilt, but left original, and puts out 101 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque.
Up front a stout 35-spline...
Up front a stout 35-spline Dana 60 is suspended below the axle by 2 1/2-inch Skyjacker springs that are augmented with airbags. Pro Comp reservoir shocks also help with damping on the heavy end of this Scout. Above the front end on a custom bumper resides a 10,000-pound Braden PTO winch run by the Dana 20 transfer case.
Skyjacker 2 1/2-inch springs...
Skyjacker 2 1/2-inch springs and Gabriel shocks control the rear full-float Dana 60 with Yukon 35-spline shafts and 4.88 gears wrapped around an Ox locker. Interco's 35x12.5 TrXus tires were mounted up on a set of Hummer H1 dual beadlock wheels so the radials stay put at low pressures. For rear quarter-panel protection, a section of tube was brought up from the rear bumper and around the usual spots for body damage. You can't be too careful running a glass body.