By Tim Odell
People ask me what breed my do is, and I can’t even answer. He’s roughly boxer-shaped, but only 50lbs. He’s got the paint job of a rottweiler or maybe mountain dog and a long curly tail. Adding to his charm is an underbite, a tongue that’s two inches too long, eyes that don’t point the same direction and a crooked forelimb thanks to a badly healed broken leg from a gunshot wound.
Anyway, much like Smokey The Dog, International Harvester trucks mixed in parts from across the vehicular landscape: occasional AMC engines, Chrysler Transmissions, NP transfer cases and Dana axles. With a few exceptions, I-H used their own motors, but this seller’s decided an Olds 455 backed up by a TH400 would make for better motivation than the original 345 or 392. On one hand the loss of originality is sad, on the other it’s cool to see an oddball(ish) power plant dropped in. Those distinctive front seats? Volvo.
Condition-wise, it’s cosmetically ugly as hell rough, but just rough enough that you won’t feel bad hauling around a bunch of grimy stuff, wet dogs or surfboards .Also, the front axle’s apparently for a later Suburban, suggesting it’s probably got disc brakes and better steering geometry. Topping (bottoming?) it all off is a near-new set of spendy Goodyear MTRs, certain to last dozens of miles under the weight of this beast.
1974 International Travelall for sale – eBay Motors
Jeff Glucker 