1978 INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER SCOUT II

Brice Adams, of Austin Texas owns this 1979 International Harvester Scout II. this truck has gone from totally stock, to Big Dog crawler status in less than two years, all the while being used as a daily driver. 

The Scout first came to Brutal Off-Road in April of 2000. It had already been subjected to a spring-over by Rock Mountain Off-Road, using 2" Rancho springs. This allowed use of the BFG 35"X12,50" Mud Terrains. according to Brice, shortly after that the Scout was rolled on a switchback in Colorado, causing severe damage to the Scout and to Brice. The Scout was trailered to Bandera, TX. and Brice began the salvage operation. Off came the front fenders, the hood, both the doors and what was left of the hardtop. A new windshield and frame found its way onto the Scout, as did a few minor pieces. Once the Scout was again street-legal, Brice began wheelin' with a new found attitude. One trip thru Brutal Off-Road's ( now closed by tree huggers) trail, and the crawlin' bug bit hard. Brice made the decision to transform the Scout into the baddest, dual-purpose Scout around, which would ultimately involve every moving part of the Scout.

Once the Scout was delivered to Brutal Off-Road, the first order of business was safety. Having already survived a near-death experience in the previous roll-over, Brice wanted a cage built. A six point cage was built, including an over head "rock bar", an integrated seat mounting system for the new buckets that also provided mounting points for the RJS 4 point seat restraints.

After the cage and interior had been completed, we turned our attention to the rear suspension. the Scout received a custom drop-arm conversion and H.D. custom shackles to stand the added abuse. (see more pics in the custom suspension pages)

The tired 345 V-8 was also in need of attention, It was rebuilt after receiving a .030" overbore, a .010"-.010" treatment to the crank and resizing the rods. the heads were decked and treated to a quality three angle valve job, with back-cut valves. Externally, the engine recieved a new water and fuel pump as well as all coolant hoses. Champion Truck series plugs and wires make the most of the MSD ignition that was relocated into the interior of the Scout, above the projected water line.A custom engine intake snorkel was also fabricated, with a genuine N.O.S. International Harvester intake strainer for a Farmall -D tractor, mounted on top for good measure!

While the engine was out of the Scout, Brice made the decision to put the O.E.M. installed three-speed manual transmission into mothballs and replace it with an automatic.Several options were discussed, then the decision was made to go with a Chrysler/International 727 Torqueflite 3 speed from Scout M.A.D.N.E.S.S. in Lubbock, TX. B&M supplied the quicksilver shifter, along with a N.O.S. brake pedal to replace the factory clutch/brake combo.A 36 gallon fuel tank and shid plate was also installed to keep the beast fed for long periods of time without re-fueling. An electric supply pump and fuel pressure regulator were also installed as part of the fuel system.

The front and rear O.E.M. Dana 44 axles were completely disassembled and inspected for wear and damage. The factory 3.54 gears and open carriers were replaced with a set od Dana 4.56:1 ring and pinion gears, that were installed along with a full Detriot Locker for the front and a Strange Engineering steel spool for the rear. New brake shoes and pads for the brakes, along with a H.D. stud kit for the new Premium Warn hubs up front.

After adding a new set of 15"X10" black Rockcrawler steel wheels and putting a couple of hundred miles on the finished Scout, Brice felt a road trip coming on, and promptly left for Colorado. 

Here are a few shots during a pit stop in New Mexico.

The next operation for the scout was to convert the O.E.M. A/C system into an onboard air system. The compressor was converted and a 7 gallon tank was installed. The entire system was plumbed using DOT. approved high pressure lined hose. Modifications not pictured are; AGR steering box and pump, front and rear line locks, diamond-plate hood and door filler panels.  When you see Brice out on the trails or the highway, stop and take a look at the Scout, It was designed by Brice, and built at Brutal. For more information, or to contact Brice, check out his website at: www.briceadamsart.com