History
Originally a May 1978 model this Scout 2 is known as Traveler but Vicroads have it down as a 1981 model. It a LWB model, two door with a one piece lift up tailgate. They are an unique vehicle being made by the American International Harvester corporation and manufactured as a RHD mode in the USA and feature a full length one piece removable fibreglass roof and canopy. The canopy featured an integral steel roll protection device, I wouldn't call it a roll bar though. A bonus with this design is given a few hours, the roof basically from the top of the windscreen back can be removed and you have an open top vehicle. You don't even have window frames on the front doors to interrupt the view. It confuses the hell out of vicroads but its total legal to roll around with the roof off. Even stranger is standard equipment seat belts for this were only a lap belt.
The car itself as the specs above say is pretty much in standard form, 345ci V8, 3sp auto, spicer transfer and Dana 44 diffs. I would say its been through several owners during its life and each and every one of them have fiddled with the wiring at some stage, it was a real mess and I am slowly getting it sorted. Wiring is not colour code but is nearly all green or black with number printed on the insulation which over the course of time have faded or rubbed off. Very challenging when comes to fitting electrical stuff. One interesting thing to note, like the HK to HG Holden range most of the electrical faults can be traced back to the bulkhead connector which also has a nasty habit of starting underdash fires, really handy as the dashboard is fibreglass. I want to do a complete rewire and quickly!
The ergonomics are crap, instrument are typical 70's, speedo off centre to the right and is a horizontal type like the old HK Holdens, off to the left of the column are the fuel, amp, oil pressure and temp gauges in the same style but smaller, none are particularly accurate. Indicators are on the left of the column like a lot of Euro cars are now but headlight dipper is on the floor. The actual headlight switch and wipers switch are on the right hand side of the column and on the left are the heater and fan controls. The bonnet release knob is in the centre of the dash and the bonnet hinges forward just to be difficult. It also features one of those painful foot operated handbrakes which is on the right hand side of the accelerator pedal, close to the kick panel and is released via a release knob on the lower right dash.
Being a two door, the front buckets tilt forward for access to the rear seat which isn't all that wide, suitable for two adults or 3 small kids. The seat folds forward to extend rear storage area, big enough to put down a mattress and sleep two. There is no transmission tunnel extending into the rear foot area and the rear seat mounts on a step up of the floor pan which extends to rear of the vehicle at the one level. The rear passengers get a sliding window on each side that opens about 30cm if they still slide at all.
Modifications
Starting upfront the scout has picked up custom chromed front and rear bumper bars, an alloy nudgebar, spot light mount, aerial mount, LPG system, overhead console with stereo and CB, bucket seat console, sport steering wheel, side steps, dual exhausts, a complete interior retrim, swing away spare wheel holder, storage locker over the rear wheel arch and non standard wheels. the chrome roof rack and bars were on it when I got it but I think they may have been options
