Share memories of your original old Scouts

[DaveGunter]

I had a buddy in high school who had a Scout, it was a total beater, he loved it but we teased him mercilessly about it. One day we hooked up one of those spark plug firecracker gags so he would think the thing blew up…parking lot full of guys after practice, good memories.

 

[travelinscout]

My dad was always on call for work, and we lived in PA where it actually snowed in the winter. When his old VW Squareback died, it was right around 1980, and he needed another vehicle that could handle the snow. our local IH dealer was closing up shop, and he had a whole bunch of Scouts that he was going to have to pay to ship back to Ft. Wayne, if he didn't sell them. My dad made a deal for a '79 Traveler for dealer cost. 8K I think. He had them install the larger 38 gallon tank, along with bucket seats that did not match the Tahitian red interior at all, as they were light tan! I was 10 years old at the time, and I can still remember crawling around on the vinyl in the back in the dealer showroom. We drove that thing everywhere including up to cape cod for a fishing trip with the family. As I got older, I got my license and of course was always on the hunt for Scouts. They were available and the prices were nothing compared to what they are now. The best deal I ever got was on a '77 Traveler 304 that only had 68K miles. It was perfect, and the owner just didn't like that there were two very small holes in the back and some exhaust was getting into the cab. I paid a whopping $450 bucks and drove it on the turnpike all the way home no problem. The most we ever had at one time was 5 of them. Only one was the shorter Scout 2, as my dad liked the Traveler better. One of them was a baby blue Midas with the carpeted ceiling and the captains chairs. Ran well but man was it ugly! I ended up moving to AZ for the US GOV, and the Scouts ended up getting sold. My dad drove them as long as he could until he finally got a GMC Jimmy because it was easier for him. In AZ, I was always looking for one, and I found one that the original owner had purchased in Ohio, and then drove straight to AZ. It was a '77 Scout 2, with the 304, automatic. It didn't have one single spec of rust, anywhere. Paid $2000 for it. After I got all the dry rotted rubber parts sorted out, I gave it lots of love and enjoyed it with him when he would come out here for about 7 years until I got married. The Scout was just sitting and I got tired of the pack rats trying to chew the wires. I sold it for $3500 bucks, I thought I made out! That was in 2006. When my dad passed in 2020, I started really regretting selling it, and unfortunately now, they have become way too expensive. When I heard about the re-launch, was praying for a hybrid, as I just don't think the tech is there yet for a 100% EV and the AZ desert. The Traveler option was the obvious choice for me, and I placed my reservation. I cant wait to see what the production models look like!