'67 Scout 800 Crawler

[LScout800]

Started this build a few years ago, my dad got this old postal scout for free in the early 2000's. It had been in a few wrecks, and the PO had ripped all the old drivetrain out of it with plans to drop in a small block and make it a drag car. Since it was already beat up, missing most of its parts, and was made from what appeared to be three different scouts I started cutting it up my senior year of high school. It is a fun rig that I beat on up in big bear and out in Johnson Valley, and was built by a poor high school/college kid in his dad's garage out of junkyard parts.

Specs:

• 2003 5.3 out of a suburban.
• NV3500, I cut the back of the housing and shortened it about 4 inches.
• NP241C doubler made with some steel plates and a NWF ecobox shaft.
• NP241C T-case with Tom Woods SYE.
• OBS ball joint 60 narrowed to 65 inches with high steer and a torx locker, 4.10s.
• C&C 14 bolt with a welded diff, 4.10s.
• 37x12.50r17 Falken M/Ts on H2 rims.
• Radius arm front/trailing arm rear with FOA coil overs.

I started working on this thing when I was about 17 and the plan progressed from a simple leaf sprung rig with dana 44s and 35s to a linked crawler on tons. Thing is a lot of fun, but still needs a lot of work. I learned to fab on this thing so some of the work is pretty ugly (but holding up to a lot of abuse), plus the IH frames are pretty shit to begin with, so I am planning on completely redoing it in a few years.

 

[BobbyHasARustyBronco]

Badass!

 

[Baconcreekmetal]

Love it! Show more!

 

[Donttellmywiferacing]

im probably going to have to pick your brain about moving the steering box and everything else involved in moving things for the LS swap, i know anything scout makes swap kits but hoping i can make it easier/cheaper if possible

 

[the_fablab_]

im probably going to have to pick your brain about moving the steering box and everything else involved in moving things for the LS swap, i know anything scout makes swap kits but hoping i can make it easier/cheaper if possible

Or just don't buy a swap kit and we can do it and you'll know it'll be done real nice

 

[Donttellmywiferacing]

Or just don't buy a swap kit and we can do it and you'll know it'll be done real nice

man you buy me dinner one time when I go visit you and Erin and are hell bent on taking all my money aren't you?

honestly though dude I think I'm probably going to call you for that, I want to get the body off and have you do all the chassis and axle work already anyways. one of these days we'll start planning and talking dollars.

 

[the_fablab_]

I'm just sayin, the more kits we end up buying to do swaps and stuff they more I realize its faster and cleaner to do things yourself

 

[LScout800]

Ran into some of you guys at off road expo this weekend and figured I would come and update my thread. There is a lot, most of it is coming over from Pirate/Irate I am pretty active there.

Anyways, some pictures from dropping the 5.3 in.



Had to move the crossmember, welded on a piece of C-channel to the frame and cut out the old one.


Figuring out the mounts.

Engine is in, built some horses to support the truck and gutted the old leaf sprung suspension.


Mocking up tires to see where stuff would fit.


Front axle is a ball joint 60 out of an OBS ford. $275 from the local LKQ yard.


Figuring out caster and how much to narrow it.


Good old cut and turn.


Radius arms tacked into place, along with the panhard. Cycled the suspension to make it clear. Panhard had to be bent, harbor freight piper bender bent the 1.5"x.250" DOM no problem.


Front suspension in and painted. Also have the shock hoops in.


Shock hoops in, suspension on its own weight for the first time.


Could not find picture of steering box, was pretty simple drilled a few holes in the frame and ran some thick wall tube through the frame to bolt the box up. Simple and strong.

Rear suspension, it now has trailing arms since the shocks did not clear with bigger tires.

Frame link brackets. From Barnes?


Lower link axle brackets.


Uppers.


Tacked in with links.


Figuring out shock hoops.


Shock hoops welded.


Welding up rear axle.


Will post more in the morning. Limited to 20 files a post .

 

[Kellyex1450]

Keep them pics commin! I never owned one of these but they're on my short list of vehicles i would love to own. hoping the prices don't go the way of the Bronco.

 

[the_fablab_]

Keep them pics commin! I never owned one of these but they're on my short list of vehicles i would love to own. hoping the prices don't go the way of the Bronco.

They will when the new scout is released. If you want one it would be wise not to wait.

 

[LScout800]

Keep them pics commin! I never owned one of these but they're on my short list of vehicles i would love to own. hoping the prices don't go the way of the Bronco.

They will when the new scout is released. If you want one it would be wise not to wait.

I am lucky to have this one! These have become collectors' items now and are pretty expensive, not bronco prices yet fortunately.

Anyways, skipping forward a bit I got it together and running, then drove it on its first drive.


Next up was a cage. I have since torn most of it apart into something safer, but this was the first one.


Weird these pictures are backwards.

Got a cheap winch, some 37s, and flexed it out a bit in the yard.


First trip out was a snow run in big bear.

Changed the rear to trailing arms since the shock rubbed badly and there was no room between the tire and frame with the H2 rims and 37s.


Added some more triangulation and harnesses. Somewhere along the line I also welded the rear diff and added a torq locker in the front.

Also added a doubler, it is 2 NP241Cs bolted together with an NWF intermediate shaft for an ecobox. I also shortened the transmission tail housing around 4 inches with a spool gun.




Also added high steer from Sky's Offroad.





And that about sums it up, there is a lot I am missing. Been having fun with it, but the level of fab work I am capable now with the fact I am not super happy with the performance makes me want to rip it apart and start again over the next few years, but for now it is fun.

 

[LScout800]

Random wheeling pictures.