A significant amount of work was done to the structure and body of the Traveler. Eighteen inches of the rear frame was discarded and four new crossmembers were added. The body is hard-mounted directly to the frame, the rear was narrowed and all of the fenders were radiused to give the big 44x19.5-16.5 Pit Bull Rocker tires plenty of room to move. Hummer H1 wheels have Copperhead Fab centers and rock rings. Other mods include a custom front tube bumper holding a Warn PowerPlant HD, a set of custom 2x3-inch square-tube rock sliders, and a rear square-tube bumper.
International threw in the towel on the Scout back in 1980, but even after 28 years there are still a slew of Scout Faithful and they're as enthusiastic as ever. Case in point: Cheston Beck. Beck hails from the Land of Moab (i.e., Utah) and he pilots this trail terrorizing '78 Scout Traveler. Sure, it probably would've been easier for Beck to build a Jeep, Chevy, or Ford, but this finish carpenter loves a challenge. You voted him in as an alternate, and when someone bailed, Beck got the call. Now he'll get the challenge of Top Truck.
Specifications
Owner name/city: Cheston Beck/Clinton, Utah
Occupation: Finish carpenter
Vehicle model: 1978 International Scout Traveler
Estimated value: Unknown
Engine/aspiration: 460ci Ford, bored 0.030 over, propane injection, Dove heads, Edelbrock intake, Flowmaster muffler, 3-inch-diameter exhaust, Pro Comp distributor and coil, Accel wires, MSD ignition
Transmission(s): C6, NorthWest FabWorks Black Box underdrive
Transfer case: NP205
Suspension (f/r): Dual triangulated four-link, Deaver coils, dual Pro Comp shocks at each wheel/Superlift leaf springs, Summit Machine Flex Joints, Bilstein piggyback-reservoir shocks, single custom traction bar
Axles (f/r): Dana 60, Yukon chromoly axleshafts, Detroit Locker, hydro-assist steering/14-bolt, Yukon alloy axleshafts, Detroit Locker
Axle ratio: 5.38:1
Wheels: Hummer H1 with Copperhead Fab centers and rock rings
Tires: 44x19.5-16.5 Pit Bull Rockers
A propane-injected ground-pounding 460ci V-8 engine resides under the traditional Scout reverse-open hood. Estimated to produce 375 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, this Felt Auto-machined engine has been bored 0.030 over and features Dove Performance heads, an Edelbrock intake, Pro Comp distributor and coil, MSD ignition box, and two Exide Orbital marine batteries. Power is routed through a C6 transmission with Redline clutches and internals before being transferred through a Black Box 2.72:1 underdrive from NorthWest FabWorks to the Chevy NP205 transfer case.
The interior of the Scout is simplicity defined. Auto Meter gauges, a pair of "junkyard Neon seats," a Pilot steering wheel, B&M Megashifter, and a NorthWest FabWorks triple-stick transfer-case shifter keep it real, while a custom rollcage by Casper Customs keeps it safe. | 
The stock leaf-spring front suspension has been replaced with a flexy dual-triangulated four-link coil-spring setup that uses coils from Deaver. A Dana 60 with Yukon chromoly axleshafts, Summit Machine drive flanges, and a Detroit Locker resides up front. Hydro-assist steering makes pointing the big IH easy. Both the front and rear axles are fed power by J.E. Reel driveshafts. | 
Out back a tried-and-true 14-bolt rear axle has been fitted with disc brakes and stuffed with Yukon alloy axleshafts, 5.38:1 gears, and a Detroit Locker. The rear suspension is a simple leaf-spring setup that uses Superlift springs, but it's unique in that the rear of each leaf pack is mounted to the custom rear bumper via Summit Machine Flex Joints. A custom traction bar and a pair of Bilstein piggyback-reservoir shocks help to keep things planted. |