- A rusting 1976 Scout II and a refreshed 1980 Scout frame sold for just $10.
- Big bucks will be needed to breathe new life into this classic model.
- Donor car includes its original 345 cubic-inch V8 and four-speed manual.
What would you pay for a rusted-out 1976 Scout II, complete with its original drivetrain, plus a refinished 1980 Scout II frame? A few grand, maybe? Well, you would be way off the mark. The package recently changed hands on Bring a Trailer for ten dollars, roughly what a Big Mac meal sets you back these days.
Read: Scout Denies Delay Report Pushing Pickup To 2030, SUV Back Six Months
The old Scout and the new frame were listed for auction at no reserve in Casco, Michigan, and clearly didn’t attract much interest. Photos show the 1976 Scout doesn’t run and was purchased as a donor vehicle, using the updated frame, and was recently fitted with new Rough Country leaf springs. However, it seems as though the donor vehicle needs its own donor.
The body is finished in red and is in an awful state of disrepair, appearing to have spent decades exposed to the elements. A look under the hood reveals the original 345-cubic-inch V8 is still there, as is the four-speed manual transmission, but the seller has never started the engine. Chances are, it probably doesn’t run.
An All-New Body Is Needed
Very little of the cabin could be saved either. The body has rusted through, and the metal pieces inside have gone the same way, pedals and shifters included. This is a vehicle that has clearly been left to the elements, though we have no doubt there are restoration experts who could bring it back to life, even if that means keeping only a handful of the original parts and replacing the rest with new ones.
The seller doesn’t mention why they sold everything, but perhaps they realized they had bitten off a little too much. It was listed for sale with no reserve and ultimately sold for just $10, seemingly making it the cheapest item ever sold on BaT.
The seller does not say why they let everything go, but our guess is they realized they had bitten off rather more than they could chew. Listed with no reserve, it ultimately sold for just $10, seemingly making it the cheapest item ever to cross the block on BaT. A trawl through the site’s previous Scout auctions turned up a 1975 model that went for $3,600 back in 2017, and that was the bargain of the bunch until now.
