Not far from me in the New England region is this 1979 International Harvester Scout Rallye edition, which the seller claims is a rare find. That may be the case, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should be running out the door to buy a Rallye-spec Scout. Like so many other packages from the 60s and 70s, it’s more about cosmetics than equipment. Still, it’s worth checking out the Scout here on eBay, as the $5,000 Buy-It-Now seems reasonable.

A few quick Google verifications on various Scout message boards confirms the Rallye package was mostly cosmetic in nature, with the stripes and graphics you see here, along with some upgraded wheels. In some years, the shock absorbers were also beefed up, but nothing significant was ever done with the axles or diffs. As you can see, surface rust is prevalent throughout, and the seller notes that the fenders and rockers are rotted.

However, the frame is solid, so that’s good news. The interior isn’t too shabby, either. Perhaps this is due to the Scout being in storage for over 20 years – the sun and general wear-and-tear from passengers couldn’t do their worst to the cabin like they typically do. Carpets and dash look decent as well, and Northeastern cars tend to be rusty but at least have crack-free dashes thanks to the more forgiving sunshine.

The seller says despite the long hiatus from the road, a fresh battery was able to confirm the headlights, wipers, radio, and blower motor all still worked! While the rust is undoubtedly unfortunate, fenders and rockers are two of the more common repair spots so fixing the rot won’t be rocket science; however, there’s plenty of good Scouts to choose from for more money, so which way would you go?