Sometimes a comments turns into a post. Here is another good history piece from Bill.
“My native Louisville, KY was home to a LARGE International Harvester plant in the 1960s and 1970s, so I have a fondness for their trucks. In my neighborhood growing up, the argument for best pick wasn’t Chevy vs Ford, but rather International vs Ford (both were built-in Louisville).
Little known fact about the Louisville International Plant: it was licensed by Chrysler Corp to build 318 engine blocks at the foundry. Yep, there were many 318 V8s in Scouts and International Pick Ups, and Volares and Aspens for that matter, with the “IH” cast into the 318 block.
Another tidbit; the Louisville IH plant built CUB CADET riding lawnmowers and tractors.
I got to visit the IH foundry once when the FBI and ATF was bringing in confiscated firearms to be melted into 318 engine blocks. My uncle worked as a Federal Penitentiary guard, and I got to ride along and watch thousands of handguns go by conveyor (heavily guarded) into the smelters. The guys joked with me that once one gun was loaded and the bullets went off as they neared the smelter door.
Kind of sad that International Pick Ups and Scouts are forgotten today. They sure were great products.”
Thanks Bill. All my trips to Louisville, I never heard of the IH plant there. But what I can tell you is that you are correct, they were great products. How do I know, I owned a 1970 International Scout, in all places Germany. I purchased the truck from another airman headed back to the states.
This isn’t the one I owned, but similar with two exceptions. It was green and with a white removal top and HUGE MUD tires.
This truck was a 4 wheel drive, indestructible, piece of U.S. Iron. The huge tires I had on it, made it sound like a tank driving through the narrow streets of the small Germany towns I frequented. indestructible and unstoppable. Only three things happened to it while I owned it.
One was reverse light switch went out, that’s trouble with the tough vehicle inspection for cars in Germany. I installed a switch and convinced the inspection technician that the truck tires were too big and that I need to drive it up on the ramps. While sitting there he conducted the inspection and when he had me toss it in to reverse, I pulled the switch on simultaneously – Passed!! The second was a door hinge on the driver’s side. The pin sheared in half which required it to be drilled out…and that was a chore at the airbase machine shop…that was real U.S. steel at it’s finest. I did get through it and replaced the pin with the largest allen wrench could find. The final thing that went wrong was I blew a u-joint on a back German road. No problem. Climbed under pull the drive shaft out, tossed it in the back and locked the front hubs. I drove it in “front wheel drive” mode untill I sold/traded it for a Camaro. (HEY COME ON!!! A CAMARO IN ON THE AUTOBAHN…THAT’S A DREAM FOLKS!!!!)
I have fond memories of that Scout!!! OH..yes..it had the 318!!!
Thanks for the note Bill.
Tim
