My inbox is a mess. Really, it’s to be expected when anyone can email you, but sometimes this mountain of messages offers up prospector vibes. Case in point: In between pitches about the market cap of methylene di-something-or-other and press releases hawking the latest vaporware sat pure gold. A reader, whose email I unfortunately couldn’t find for some reason, sent over a link to this: An International Scout that doesn’t quite look like an International Scout.
Obviously, restomods are fairly common these days as everyone likes old cars until it’s time for old car problems, but this is a little more extreme than new suspension and a modern powertrain on a classic frame. Instead, it uses the entire chassis and running gear from a different vehicle clothed in heavily modified sheetmetal, so let’s see if you can figure out what lies beneath that familiar surface.
Oh, and before anyone cries sacrilege, the only original Scout part here is the cab. The front end, roof, tailgate, quarters, and hatch are all fabricated either from scratch or from other vehicle panels, and since there’s no shortage of derelict classic off-roaders lying about, it’s likely no pristine classics were sacrificed in the creative process.
The first impression of this green rig is that even when parked near a forest, it looks big. That hoodline is so much higher than normal, obviously swelling to contain something taller than an International straight-six or V8. The front bumper is also some modern aftermarket body-on-frame stuff, although that’s not much of a clue as to what’s going on below the body.
The profile view offers up some better clues. Not only do the lower doors look modern in their treatment, those are some straight-up 21st century door handles and mirrors. Think you know your minutiae? These two parts are the key to unlocking exactly what’s going on with this build.
Yep, this is actually a 2017 Nissan Titan XD made to look like an International Scout. The modern interior completely shatters the illusion of antiquity, but at least it adds amenities like dual-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, and an audio system you can connect your phone to.
Under the hood, you’ll find a five-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8 making more twist than any Scout of old. We’re talking 555 lb.-ft. of torque and a decent 310 horsepower. Hitched to the factory Aisin six-speed automatic, it ought to make for adequate forward progress, even though this powertrain was never really on the level of the diesels in domestic heavy duty pickups. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why the unloved second-generation Titan doesn’t seem like an obvious choice of donor vehicle, but in a way, it’s weirdly fitting.
International existed for the sort of person who looked at Big Three offerings and wasn’t quite into them. When it came to pickup trucks and what we now know as SUVs, it often did things with a quirky tilt, and Nissan’s bigger-than-a-half-ton, smaller-than-a-three-quarter-ton in-betweener is nothing if not quirky.Perhaps this build is a little too quirky for some, as it didn’t actually sell on Bring A Trailer despite being listed there. Bidding wrapped up at $36,500, which wasn’t enough to meet this vehicle’s reserve. It’s understandable, this is a niche proposition for those with deep pockets and a disposition of “yeah, why not?”
Still, the execution is impressive, yeah? From the use of a Ford F-100 windshield to the commitment to maintaining proportions, this one-off Scout-inspired creation really takes the concept of old-meets-new to the extreme.
Top graphic image: Bring A Trailer
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That looks like a Scout?
Fast and bulbous!
Negative, Ghostrider.
Should soon be the top vote getter on Reddit ATBGE (Awful Taste But Great Execution)