Good morning! It’s Friday, it’s springtime, nobody gives a damn about rules on a day like this, so today, I just picked two cars I liked. No rhyme or reason, just stuff I’ve always thought was cool. I suppose we should finish up with yesterday’s gas-misers before we move on, though:
Ooh, that Smarts. Japanese technology laying the smack down on the little European go-kart. As it happens, I agree; I’ve always liked the first-generation Insight, and I like its successor the CR-Z even better.
But clearly, judging by my typical taste in cars, I’m not meant to drive little fuel-sipping runabouts. Because when I let my mind go where it wants, where do I end up? V8 town. Today we have a big slab-sided sedan and a rough-and-tumble 4×4 pickup, both built deep into last century, both with big pushrod V8s that suck down fuel like it’s going out of style. (Which, I suppose, it is.) These two, to me, would make an epic two-car garage, but if you had to settle for one, which would it be? Let’s take a look.
1966 Plymouth Fury II – $7,000
Engine/drivetrain: 318 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Hillsboro, OR
Odometer reading: 168,000 miles
Runs/drives? “A true daily driver,” the ad says
You may have noticed that I’m a bit of a Mopar fan. It runs in the family: my dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa all loved their Chryslers. They had their favorites, and I have mine, and the 1966 Plymouth Fury is one of them. Just look at this majestic slab-sided beast: the stacked headlights, the clean crisp angles, the dog-dish hubcaps, that long low profile. I just love it.
The Fury was available with a wide variety of engines beneath that long flat hood, from the 225 cubic inch Slant Six all the way up to a 440 cubic inch big block. This one is powered by the smallest V8 offered, a 318, backed by a Torqueflite automatic. It’s no muscle car, but it will get the job done.
The seller claims this was a daily driver and family hauler throughout the winter, driving all over the state. Mechanically, it’s said to be in great shape, and cosmetically it isn’t too bad either. There’s no rust, only one small wrinkle in the left front corner, and some wear and tear on the interior, but nothing you couldn’t live with. And the wool blanket on the seat looks like it belongs there anyway.
I can’t see this as a family vehicle in this day and age, with essentially no safety features, but kudos to the seller for using it as one for a time. I can, however, see it pulling our old Aristocrat Land Commander trailer. It’s even the right year. I’d rather have a two-door hardtop, of course, but I’m sure that wouldn’t be as affordable as this.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention – this car has a name. It’s Frank.
1976 International Harvester Scout Pickup – $7,500
Engine/drivetrain: 304 or 345 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three- or four-speed manual, part-time 4WD
Location: Monterey, CA
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Nope, has been sitting for years
And who doesn’t love a Scout? The legendary four-wheel-drive utility vehicle, which may be coming back at least in name, managed to out-cool Jeeps, Broncos, and Blazers, despite being descended from farm equipment. There’s just something about International Harvester’s signature sport-utility that oozes cool. And this one, the long-wheelbase pickup model, is set up just about perfectly: chunky tires, a brush guard, and a big rollbar with lights on top. It’s like a Stomper toy come to life.
Unfortunately, this Scout isn’t currently roadworthy. It has been sitting for many years, and the seller (a dealership, I believe) has no idea of its mechanical condition. It’s all there, including the big International V8, a manual gearbox, a low-range transfer case, and solid axles on leaf springs at both ends. It’s no luxury ride, but then, it isn’t meant to be.
Maybe the rough ride is the reason for the non-original seats, which look like they came out of a Chrysler Cordoba or something. The steering wheel and tilt column are also not original, and might be Jeep or Chrysler parts. Also, this truck was originally yellow. Clearly, it has some stories to tell.
International’s V8, which was available in the Scout in either 304 or 345 cubic inch displacements, has a reputation for durability, but also thirst. Gas mileage on this truck probably barely breaks into the double digits. But it’s a lazy, low-revving stump-puller of an engine that probably won’t be hard to bring back to life. International also sold the Scout with a four-cylinder engine that’s basically just half of this V8; ironically, its fuel economy isn’t a hell of a lot better.
’70s SUVs are hot right now, and while it’s the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer that have really seen big price increases, Scouts aren’t far behind. This rough pickup wouldn’t have carried a $7500 price tag even a few years ago, but that’s where we are now. I just hope the prices don’t get so crazy that these vehicles can’t be used as intended; if you can’t drive a 4×4 for fear of scratching it, what’s the point?
So that’s it for another week. Let me know your thoughts on these two long-time favorites of mine, and be sure to vote for your choice. We’ll be back bext week with more clunkers. Thanks for reading!
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
That Scout has DT written all over it. It even has rust on the steering wheel. How is that even possible?
Also, numerous tetanus opportunities without even leaving the driver’s seat.
That said, when one goes to guy it, I wpuld suggest taking a magnet to see if it’s more Bondo than machine.
Now this is a fun and cool choose your adventure. I like them both, scout would be easy and cheap enough to get running, but I am taking that Fury regardless.
The Scout is almost certainly a 10 second car…
It looks ok at a glance, but 10 seconds of scrutiny is enough to realize they slapped god knows how much bondo on it and then painted it with a crop sprayer to hide their sins from god
A definite yes on the Fury, but I actually want both.
Buy the one you can drive away in.
If you’re in the business of restoring Internationals, then the scout would be a fine purchase to add to your stock. But I suspect that’s a limited customer pool.
I can smell that Scout’s interior from here.
Fury, please – all day long and twice on Sunday.
Looking at the wear on the finish (roof, top edge of the rear quarter, door jambs), I think the paint is original. If it’s not, it’s been on there a long time. Overall it just looks really, really good IMO. A little freshening up (front doors, I’m looking at you) and Frank will be a nice cruiser.
The 318 is a good solid engine that will run forever, though I’m a little surprised to see a 904 rather than a 727, particularly on that platform.
The other vehicle for today is just… no.
Side note/tangent: after Torch’s piece on the JC Whitney catalogs, I picked up a couple on ebay just for grins. One of the items for sale in there was a little shelf for your elbow: it hooked over the top edge of the door in the window slot like one of those cup holders, but was a flat platform to prevent your gross arm from degrading the finish of the car. Frank could have used a set of those.
If you name the car, you love the car. Also, those steel wheels with the poverty caps are just excellent. Fury for me
My father owned a ’66 Scout (four-cylinder/three-speed) and it was pretty reliable, but it rusted. In California, no less…. Other than that, it was decent (if noisy, slow, rough-riding and not terribly economical), and I got my first lessons in off-roading in it.
The Fury is too big for my taste. But I like it anyway, for reasons I can’t explain. It runs, and doesn’t look as mangy as the I-H. Seat covers (where have you gone, JC Whitney?) and I’d just keep on driving it.
After the Scout was running — I looked at parts prices for these a while back, and they are high — I’d want to find a full top, ditch the roll-bar and other add-ons, and probably cover the blue paint. Not worth it.
J.C. Whitney is now at https://www.carparts.com/jc-whitney
Yeah, but it’s really not the same: all they seem to have now are some off-roading parts. 🙁
The paper catalogs always had a mixture of useful, sketch, really sketch, and hilarious items. I bought a full carpet set for a Super Beetle *mumble* years ago and it was actually a pretty good fit.
Unless I can get a Bermuda Bell and/or Hollywood Wolf Whistle, all bets are off.
Can you still build a complete MB-style Jeep — albeit one with a body made in the Philippines — by ordering parts from Whitney?
Sadly, no. The catalog page indicates they have 966 items; 749 of them are fuel tanks and fuel tank accessories (heh heh!). The rest are mostly related to lights and bumpers.
That’s a dang shame, I tell ya what.
Yes, it looks like they just bought the rights to the name. I also miss PAW. Anyone remember that one ? Performance Automotive Warehouse (I believe it was in Tennessee. Mail-order in the days prior to internet (for me anyway). If I remember correctly it had about a 500 page catalog that was mostly engine parts. I bought some engine rebuild kits and cam kits from them.
Frank seems like a sweet old guy.
(“Old” – one year older than me)
I was especially charmed by the wear on the driver-side door card … from decades of driving with the window open and an arm perched on the sill.
We’ll take him.
Also: the Scout’s seats are actually out of a Fifth Avenue sedan.
(pushes glasses up nose)
Fury for me. It’s running. And the blanket stays because even if I get the seat re-covered, vinyl seats in the summer are probably in violation of the Geneva Conventions or something.
The Smart put up a good fight! I expected the Honda to beat it even harder. lol
Honestly, not even I would have paid that price…
This filled me with Fury. Send that seat out for a new cover, make sure the V8 and automatic are up to snuff and away we go to the ice cream stand on Saturday afternoon after Cars and Coffee.
Freind of mine has a 77 fury… Ol poly block 318 finally bit the dust. Got a newer 360 for it… And I have my sights set on a 76 rally edition scout, to restobuild and flip. Both are cool ..personally would take the fury for a driver and sell the scout for profit.
IF the Scout had been the original yellow, IF the Scout had more original pieces (are you serious with those seats?), IF the Scout had been running, I would probably still vote for the Fury
The Scout interior killed it for me. Love that Fury but would love it even more with a slant 6 and 3 on the tree
this depends really on what you want to do witht he vehicle. the scout currently has a lot more money making potential, but will also cost either time or money, but more likely both. the bed pan is readily available, and easy to install. the motor missing a distributor is not a good sign. but LS swaps area also common on these and a rusted out 2004 Silverado with a decent running drivetrain is only a few states north of there.
But if you just want to drive what you buy, the 318 dodge is pretty reliable and even with more doors, this one looks plenty slick.
Voted for the Scout just because I have a soft spot for those things but yeesh, both of these are a bit too rich for my blood given what they are. Maybe I’m just out of touch on what vehicles of this vintage are going for.
I miss the days when a somewhat rough, but drivable scout was 2000 all day long. the price on that, especially in cali is probably fair. I cannot fathom why 70’s Cadillac seat were stuffed in it though. and the half ass attempt to cover the holes in the bed are also mystifying
The Scout is one of those vehicles I kick myself for not buying when they were cheap, I definitely missed the boat there. When I was a kid and they were new, there was a man at church that had a Scout II in that seafoam green and white two-tone, and I have always wanted one. Oh well.
The Scout is rusty even in California, so I chose the Fury
I wish there was a “Gimmie Both” option, because I would LOVE that Scout.
But, that Fury is soooo much better.
The vehicle that runs wins by default IMO. That Fury is in the sweet spot where you can enjoy it as is, fix it up as you go, or restomod it with modern brakes and the like. I’d buy it and work on things like the body and interior at my leisure.
Frankly, I am into the furry. Don’t kink shame.
This sounds like the start to a tongue twister. The furry in a Fury found four more furries.
I picked the Fury, just looks sorta sinister with the steelies and dome caps. And it has a vinyl bench seat, perfect for melting flesh in the summer!
Running > not running
I love Internationals, and I’m not really a Mopar fan but I can’t resist that Fury. It’s from my birth year, it’s in great shape and only needs some new upholstery and a good polish to be a classy boulevard cruiser. The 318 is a solid, dependable engine too. If the Scout was running and in better shape, I’d be tempted, but yeah, Fury for the win.