Eric Monse says that he first became involved in the collector vehicle hobby in 1980, when he graduated from high school and bought his first car from his father’s friend—it was a 1973 Volvo 1800ES sport wagon.  He says it was unique in that it was a seven year old limited edition vehicle with only 25,000 miles on it; he adds that the design was “almost like a Jaguar.”

“It was an awesome looking vehicle,” says Eric.  “I kept the car for four years, and then I really started looking into sports cars.”

Eric says that after owning the Volvo, he went on to own a 1967 Triumph TR4-A model, which was a full frame off restoration.  He had that car for three years before cleaning up and flipping a GT6 Triumph; he then owned a 1978 280Z for two or three months, which he says brought one too many speeding tickets to hold onto for much longer!

By the time the early 1990s hit, Eric was hoping to switch things up, and he began looking for a Bronco.  But, one day, while on vacation in Pennsylvania with his wife, Eric noticed an old International Scout being pulled by an RV, along the PA Turnpike.

The idea entered his head: Eric was going to buy a similar vehicle.  And, that he did. 

Towards the end of 1993, he purchased the photographed 1969 International Scout 800A in San Antonio, TX.  The car had 90,000 original miles on it and was in need of some work.

Eric says that he never expected a complete overhaul was in store, but that all changed when he let his brother-in-law, a mechanic, become involved.

“It was like I turned around, and when I looked back, it was completely dismantled,” he says.  “A face lift turned into an overhaul, and it took five years to restore.”

After some troubles with body shops and on-and-off-again restoration, based on the financial impact of such an overhaul, the project was finally completed about a year and a half ago, says Eric.

And, while there are still some minor changes to the interior lined up (installing wood trim pieces on the dash, door skins and carpet), the Scout is pretty complete as is, he says. 

Eric says that he brings his truck to local car shows and swap meets, and the car gets special attention because of its rarity and uniqueness. Eric says that not everyone knows exactly what his rare vehicle is, bringing all the more attention to it.

“At first people call it a Jeep,” explains Eric.  “I quickly correct them, and let people know that ‘No, no. This is NO Jeep!’”

He says that there aren’t an abundance of International Scouts, because not many were sold to the average commuter; these vehicles were mostly used by farmers and were left to rust in fields.  He was lucky in that his truck was in fact originally used as a commuter, and not as a utility vehicle.

Story by: Becky McLaughlin