About USS!!

 ScoutpluSS!! Was started to serve the Canadian Market as no other business caterers solely to the Scout/Scout II enthusiast in this country. We buy in volume from our American Brothers  who have specialized in IHC products and service!  As a large importer of these products we save on brokerage, duty & shipping fees and pass these savings on to you! We also search for hard to find and NOS items.  Our fleet of parts vehicles has grown! (3 Scout 80, 4 Scout 800, 6-Scout II's, 2 Terras, 3 Travelers, Some 1937-40 D series, a 1954 Panel, a 1968 Travelette and 4- 1970's IHC Trucks).  We have 4 Scouts that are either being restored/modified or used as daily drivers and one 1971 1210 pickup that has 65,000 original miles used as a parts/delivery vehicle. Our pride will be the 1937 IH Panel that was converted into a School Bus since new and used in Reardon, WA for many years.

  My very first Scout, a 1976 Traveler was bought used in 1980 with 76,000 miles on it.  I totally restored it in 1985 then enbarked on its maiden journey covering 9,000 miles in 31 days.  The trip started at the B.C.  border and headed south through Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and along the coast to L.A. proceeding east, passing through Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Dallas, Memphis (yeah...saw Graceland too!) Nashville, Knoxville, Roanoke and finally to Virginia Beach!!!  Heading north across the Chesapeake Bridge/Tunnel, went through Philadelphia, Boston, Portland, ME. and then to St. John N.B. to cross the ferry to Digby, N.S. and headed back across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver for a trip I'll never forget!

  Why Scout? Because... that is the name the International Harvester Company (IHC) gave it!  Ok, besides that, why do we own Scouts and IHC related products?  Or better yet, why should people own Scouts and their IHC relatives?  In automotive terms, Scout, all the light pickups and Travelalls through time have become ORPHANS a result of the parent company no longer making that product because the parent company folded or divorced the line.  Other noteable orphans include Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, (combined AMC) and Packard.   Back to why we should have Scouts and their cousins, #1 for me is UNIQUENESS!!! I'm an orphans fan and relish the thought that I'm keeping history alive with something unique.  ANYONE can own a Chev., Ford or Dodge, but I have found that it takes a special person to own an IHC product (Scout)!  Scout had 2 distinct bodies.  The first generation Scout 80/800 looked very similar and the second generation Scout II with it's offspring Traveler and Terra.  For 20 years that IHC built Scouts, I believe 500,000 were manufactured from 1961 - 1980.  That means we should have enough to find parts and find decent Scouts to restore or modify.  Because Scouts were built in enough volume, interest in restoring these vehicles has lead suppliers to the reproduction of parts that has eased the pain of looking for original parts.  We are also blessed to have resourceful, creative souls who design and build products to enhance the original Scout (such as Straight Steer, Disc Brake Conversions, Fuel Injection, Aluminum Intakes, etc.).  The International Scout was the first true Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) combining 4X4 utility with all the then present luxeries found on many cars (check out a Custom Midas Scout!), unlike Jeep which catered more to the diehard outdoorsman with a very basic vehicle. Ten years after the last Scout rolled off the line... a huge proliferation of SUV's came on the market with the same basic design philosophy that IHC developed.  I think every manufacturer now produces them in some manner.  Well, they can keep all those vehicles because few are built as tough and durable as the Scout.  (now we have to talk about RUST!)  For my money, I'd rather spend $15 - $20,000 restoring or modifying my Scout to the point that it is in AS NEW condition with added creature comforts, better driveability, improved off road performance and of course... it's not just another new vehicle that everyone seems to drive, that depreciates with every mile driven!  I know that maybe my Scout will not bring the bucks spent on it... but it will retain its value better than ANY new vehicle.  Oh, for my $15 - $20,000, it's still less than 1/2 of those new vehicles and I have something that is customized to my liking!

Rod MacDonnell, Owner of ScoutpluSS!!