1977 IHC Scout II review from North America

I bought the truck from the original owner, and lets just say, being 80 something years old, he wasn't very good at maintaining it anymore. I had to replace the transmission, carburetor, steering box, and power steering pump due to lack of upkeep. Surprisingly, I was able to replace them all, with the exception of the transmission, with used parts from the junk yard.

I have always been a big fan of the IHC Scout and Scout II. Something about the line of the body, and the fact that it is fully convertible, really give it a classic, yet unique look. There is nothing better than, cruising to the beach, or hitting the open road in an SUV with the top off.

Don't let it's small size fool you. Though it is a bit smaller than your average SUV, with it's completely reliable V8 304 or 345 engine, it has torque and power to spare. With one of these, you can tow just about anything, anywhere! Get this thing off road, and you won't be disappointed here either. With the exception of a 4 inch suspension lift, and 33 inch tires, I was able to brave the Rubicon with my stock Scout II.

One complaint my wife has is that it's old, and doesn't have all the comforts of a newer SUV. I personally, like the "retro" look, and don't mind that it is 26 years old. While the interior is definitely late 70's, many of the design features were ahead of it's time. For example, a reverse opening hood, and a lift gate that locks open when you open it, and unlocks by simply pushing it up again.

All in all, for my initial $1000 investment, I could not have asked for a better truck. It has it all. Looks, style, power, and reliability. Despite the fact it was neglected for many years, a simple tune up was all it took to get the engine running like a top. While you don't see many of these on the road anymore, parts are easily obtainable, and for the most part, reasonably priced.