OK, I didn't get to play with my new Scout for the next three days. Darn work always interferes with my social life. Sunday afternoon, I finally get to play!!! I grab the creeper, flashlight, rag, and head for the truck. On the outside, there are a few more dents I didn't notice before and there is a rusted out spot on the drivers side ahead of the rear wheel. The right front fender is Bondo where the IH emblem would have been if it hadn't fallen out. (hmmm, just happen to have two in the garage). The floorboards are rusted pretty bad, a PO had installed an outdoor carpet over the original vinyl floor mats and installed bucket seats from a Volvo car. The rear window is out but the PO I bought from said it was in the box behind the seat. Turns out to be a tinted slider window, new, never out of the original packaging. Only one dash light works, none of the warning/indicator lights work, neither the stock oil gauge, nor the after-market mechanical gauge hanging by the nylon tube work and most of the knobs are missing. Under the dash resides a scary tangled mess of after market wiring, some of which I can't even guess what it was for (more on that later) and the remains of what was probably a top of the line alarm system from the 1980's. (Later found cig lighter and wiper knob under the seat.)Tranny and transfer case shift smooth, glove box is in good shape, evicted the mice living behind it but did it politely since they didn't eat the glove box or anything else under the dash. If they had resisted, I would have been forced to call the C.A.T. police. Moving along, door seals are shot, windows roll down but not easily and door lock knobs are MIA. Seats are tattered and torn but worst of all, you can tell they are Volvo seats though the windows. Yech! may as well join the Sierra club, PETA, Green peace and buy a Toyota prius. (writers note: for those now thoroughly offended, I have respect for many things ((but not all)) the Sierra Club and Green Peace accomplish. PETA really stands for People Eating Tasty Animals, and if you really own a Prius...)
Heading back outside, both side mirrors have been smashed into the door so the door skins are buckled and neither mirror will stay in place. Driver side provides an excellent view of the under belly of over-flying 747's and the passenger side view is random depending on the severity of the pothole in the road.
The front looks good, the grill
is intact, bumper is straight, lights work; even has a chrome and rust grill
guard with Warn fog lights (not wired). Hmmm, something isn't right with the
front springs, the shackles are pushed forward all most touching the frame.
First thought: they are nearly 30 years old and shot. Still didn't seem right.
Closer inspection, a PO has put rear leaf springs on the front so, of course,
they are to long.
Shackles are shot, polyurethane bushings are shot (well the bits that are still
there) shocks are shot, power steering leak has coated everything from the front
bumper back, with oil. Looks like it's been leaking for long long time. Left
hub is missing three bolts, the rest are loose, drag link has a slight bend
in it, oil is dripping between motor and bell housing, both valve covers are
leaking, transmission is leaking and so on and so on...
Now know why oil gauges don't
work, electric sending unit is gone and mechanical gauge feed tube must have
broken in the past so a previous owner tied the nylon tube in knots to stop
the flow. (takes five knots to completely stop the flow).
Under the hood is another mess of aftermarket wiring, crumbling vacuum lines,
belts and hoses that look factory original. Heater hoses have IH printed on
them and are rock hard. Closer inspection shows the radiator had been repaired
and doesn't leak anymore. Overall, engine compartment looks OK.
Working back, all the fuel
lines have been replaced with rubber hose that is brittle and coming apart,
there is an after market fuel filter(?) canister about the size of a big-rig
oil filter. Both mufflers are shot, and pipes are badly rusted, gas tank has
three large bolts poking out though the bottom of the tank and the vent hoses
are rotten and leaking. Rubber body bushings are shot, rear leaf spring retainers
are broken and two leaves are rubbing against the frame and have been doing
so long enough to wear a groove in the frame. Rear shackle bolt holes are elongated
and spring bushings are completely gone, one bolt is nearly worn though.
On the drive home I thought the u-joints might be bad; rear u-joint had 1/4"
of play and upon replacement I found most of one lobe was ground away. (yup,
shoulda trailered her, but God looks out for drunks and fools and I ain't drinkin)