Date: Jan. 31st 2000
Title: The Prospective Prospector (My First Scout)
Story: How to start ? I was helping this fellow at a bush camp when I was 18, and everytime I went by Jack's place in the morning I would see this Pea-Soup Green truck sitting there. One day after hauling 4 or 5 logs out with the cable skidder I asked Jack what that truck was, he said it was an International Scout.
I went and had a look at her and she had a nice little tag on the dash to tell me it was an 800. She had two decrepid bucket seats up front and a well oiled back deck, with a back bench being used as a swing seat in one of the cabins on the lot.
Well now I had to get the story behind why the Scout sat there unused, so I asked Jack. Otto, Jack's deceased brother, used for propecting in the "Wild's" of Northern Ontario, Canada (To some that snowy place to the North :) When his brother died he had decided to leave the truck alone and take care of his business in Southern Ontario. Jack would go up to the Camp every summer now for some R&R from the everyday. Anyways I asked one time while cutting some trees would he sell the old Int'l ? He
said make an offer. I said how about $500, he replied how about $300 and that get's you the winch and plow. Well I left it there for another 2 years before i finally got around to taking it out for a spin and bring to my camp. Well 'lo and behold drop the battery in with 5 gal of fuel and a little to prime down the carb, she lived ! (Note: don't start an engine that has sat for 10 years without first priming the oiling system, that's another story)
My sister loves the beast and calls her Betsy, silly name if you ask me but I still have her and my "new" '77 Traveller.
Marc Kruithof
Classics are the Best !!
'66 Scout 800
'77 Scout Traveler
Contributer: Marc Kruithof
