My 74 Scout II

[Scooter]

Finally getting around to post up the build of my 1974 Scout. I actually got this rig around 2004, for free from a co-worker, all due to me driving my 72 Scout into work. Yes - I have two scouts, a 72 and 74.

This build is of my 74, which started of as a non runner. First photo is around the time of when I first started working on it and got it running. And I do have the original hard top, but had to take it off due to a couple of bolts, for the windsheild part of top, were broken in threaded inserts on the roof. Along with cancer rust on the hard top. And my 72 project sitting there in the back ground, patiently waiting for the someday to be completed.

 

[Scooter]

Drove the 74 around daily in that condition for several years. Till one day at a car show, a buddy of mine and I got to talken about how tired we were of the multi colors my rig was dressed in. So we got busy setting up a day to change it. I wasn't worried about the getting paint on the ole crapy bald tires at the time, since they were gonna be replaced.

Also, a few months before the paint job, I did the shackle reversal transormation. Which all parts were purchased from Jeff at IH Parts America, then installed by myself. Man, what a difference(night and day) in how it handles on the road.

 

[Scooter]

Another thing I did before the painting, was completely re-wire the whole Scout with a new 20 something curcuit wire harness. I had to re-wire the beast soon after I installed the new head lights, also purchased from IHOnly north. During the wiring up the new harness, I also added decent gauge panel wired into a pigtail to make it easy to completely remove the panel out of the rig.

 

[Scooter]

Well, since I ended up having to stick my other Scout on financial hold for now, 12 months ago I decided to swap the axles between the two scouts. The rear Dana 44 housing, I had modified by having the axle flanges (that hold the brake drums) cut off and the Ford 9" big bearing flanges welded on, which was done by a shop that was better equiped for the work than I was at the time. Then I proceeded to build it up with an ARB and 4.56 gears and 35 spline Dutchman motorsports axles. Yes - you read correctly - 35 splines in a Dana 44. Then I had the teraflex rear Ford explorer disk brake set up mounted. For the front end, I purchased a Dana 44 housing out of a later model Scout, from another shop and had them do the spring over conversion with the cut and turning of the housing. Again, I proceeded to build the front with another 35 spline ARB and 4.56 gears. Then I had ctm make up a set of inner 35 spline axles and send me off a set of their u-joints at the same time. Attched them to the warn outer axle stub shafts and hubs. From my recolection most all the front brake set up is Ford rotors

 

[Scooter]

Here's a shot of both my scouts after swaping the axles over. Along with the new Tom woods drive shafts just received a few nights before. After installing the new shafts, I was getting binding in the u-joint on the front shaft at the transfer case. After a call with Tom wood's shafts, I ordered up an off set u-joint which solved the problem.

When I first got started in gathering all the parts for the spring over, I had ordered up a pair of front shock towers. Well, I kinda didn't like the thought of cutting into my inner fender well in order to make them work. So after some research, I chose to fab up a pair of shock hoops out of 1-1/2" (.120 wall) dom tubing. And had then drilled through the frame, then welded them on the outside and inside of the frame.

I was using the old crappy shocks as a template during the test fitting of the hoops. Then when I had the hoops welded in place, I then placed a call to Jeff to order up a set of Bilstein's 5100 series

One thing I did before I painted the frame and installed the new shocks, I fabed up a 1/4" thick plate to be sandwiched between the frame and steering box. My frame was already starting to get a little deformed at one of the bolt holes. I had drilled a bunch of 1/2" holes to basically do a spot welding filled in, to blend in. I did the same thing to the passenger side frame too. The end result is shown above with the new shock in place.

 

[Scooter]

Finally, after months of down time, as of the last week of July 2011, I'm able to drive my Scout again. Man, what a huge different in how it handles now. The ole shocks, which sucked from day one when new a couple years ago. The street I stay on is grand canyon of pot holes and these new Bilstein's just laugh and keep going. Kinda like a cadillac on steroids. And then the itch to take it out onto the trails started to hit. So I took it down to hollister for a few hours. Everything seemed to handle better than I expected.

This last weekend I had a chance to hook up with franked and scoutaddict to head upto the rubicon. Suspension wise, everything handled great. Only issue I had was carburation. The carb wasn't setup for that high of an altitude, and I kept stalling when trying to climb up a few of the steeper rock and inclines. There maybe some photos floating around of me in action somewhere.

 

[rivera78s2]

Very nice man looks good

 

[Scooter]

very nice man looks good

Thanks. It looks a whole lot different now since I barrel rolled it last November. Currently have it stripped back down to the frame and tub. Along with axles. Gues I will have to update this at some point

 

[rivera78s2]

Yeah it seems like theres more old posts from last year or even the year before than current ones haha seems kinda dead but its still a great source of Scout information and inspiration, glad the sites here. How did you roll it?

 

[Scooter]

Indeed on the great resource of info. This has been and still continues to be my source of inspiration to continue on.

I wont re-post most of the pics. But it happened last November in hollister. I made a post regarding it here. Plus there was more replies regarding it in the hollister thread.

I May rebuild it back up, since I was able to keep it after my insurance deemed it a total loss. In the mean time I will be starting up another build thread soon on my newly acquired 73 Scout II. So stay tuned

 

[rivera78s2]

Kk ill check it out. And you should definatly rebuild! Can never have to many scouts all they are is fun and there so universal its awesome