Marlon Garrett is the current owner of a 1976 International Harvester Scout II that has been in his family throughout its entire history.
The Scout was special ordered by his stepdad Charles after he became painfully aware of his full-sized 1973 IHC Travelette’s poor MPG numbers during the gas shortages in the mid-1970s.
Jim Sutherland
Charles wanted decent mileage, so he ordered a diesel engine for his Scout II. The engine was unusual because it was the result of a Nissan-Chrysler cooperative effort and was typically used as an industrial engine by Mopar.
International Harvester chose to use the little diesel engine in its Scout II and Charles liked its mpg numbers, so he ordered it for his ’76 Scout II. Unfortunately, Charles passed away in 1979, but not before he was able to teach young Marlon some solid car guy skills that ensured the Scout was left in good hands.
Charles set high maintenance standards with the Scout, including thorough undercarriage cleaning, garaging it, and winter steel wheels to prevent damage to its factory chrome wheels on heavily salted roads. The lessons were not lost on a young Marlon.
The net result is a 49-year-old vehicle with no rust issues, even though it was used as a daily driver during its early years. In fact, Marlon’s mother Shirley used it for a few years after Charles passed away but was not impressed with its performance and labeled it the “Screaming Eagle” because it was noisy.
Charles also joked about the Scout’s lack of speed and often said it was “Off like a herd of turtles”, according to Marlon. The upside was the Scout II delivered solid MPG numbers to counterbalance its poor MPH numbers.
Marlon told MyStarCollectorCar the Scout gets 22 MPG on the highway and 18 MPG in town, still very solid numbers for a 4-wheel drive vehicle. He also found 55 mph (roughly 90 km/h) is the perfect highway speed for the Scout because it performs best at that speed. In Marlon’s words, “I can do 70 (roughly 110 km/h)-but it’s not happy”.
The Scout II has an old school diesel engine that would likely confound younger car guys because it requires use of a glow plug to start it, a separate device from its key start, and both are necessary to fire up the engine.
It also has a Chrysler 727 automatic transmission to relay the diesel engine’s 92 horsepower (the Scout II’s brochure rating) to its 3:54 rear end. The rear gears are a solid reason why the Scout II is very noisy at high speeds.
Nevertheless, Marlon rode with his parents on family trips in the Scout II and he has taken the vintage IHC to various locations, mostly related to International Harvester events. One of his proudest moments was his first appearance at an IHC Scout show where he finished second at the event.
Marlon is still emotional about his high finish at the show because he felt it honored Charles–even though his late father would likely have wondered what all the fuss was about regarding the family heirloom.
Marlon fell in love with the Scout the first time he saw it and the magic is still there for him. He has spent most of his life ensuring the family legacy vehicle remains original and in excellent condition.
The 1976 IHC Scout II now has 153,000 pampered miles on it, including 10 years as a daily driver. It is in good hands with Marlon and will stay in the family because his daughter Marley also loves the Scout.
For Marlon, every trip is a trip down memory lane with his parents-and now his daughter. It makes every journey in the classic Scout a sentimental one for him.
Jim Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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