An International Scout Restoration & Investing In America’s Backbone
I’ve had my eye on a classic 4x4 for the better part of a decade. Ever since we settled in San Diego, my dream rig checklist has stayed the same: 4-wheel drive, convertible top, and rugged good looks. Something I can drive to the beach, the desert, and up into the mountains.
A few weeks ago, I pulled the trigger on a 1970 International Harvester Scout 800A. No touch screens. No backup camera. No Bluetooth. Just roll-up windows, rusted panels, and a manual transmission that hasn’t shifted in twenty years. It doesn’t run. It doesn’t stop. It’s missing a few parts that I’m still learning the names of. I couldn’t be more excited.
This isn’t a midlife crisis. This is midlife clarity.
The Gospel of Grease: A Brief History of International Harvester
International Harvester wasn’t so much born as hammered into existence, forged in the fires of 1902 industrial America when McCormick’s reaper empire merged with other heavy hitters in a backroom deal soaked in grease and ambition. They built everything: tractors, trucks, fridges, and farm equipment that could pull stumps, plow earth, and probably survive a nuclear winter.
The Scout, a vehicle that didn’t try to be luxurious or sensible, was launched in 1961. It was a knuckle-dragging answer to the Jeep. A working-class tank with the personality of a red-necked farmer and the soul of a freewheeling outlaw.
No one bought a Scout because it was practical. You bought one because it made a statement: I can fix things, I know how to work, and I’m not afraid to get muddy. It was the spiritual opposite of modern SUVs that beep when you back up and panic if a car pulls up beside you.
Eventually, the weight of bureaucracy, mismanagement, and a shift toward corporate quarterly thinking brought the whole machine to a halt in the '80s. But the legacy? Still idling. Still strong. Still relevant.
Parallel Roads: Restoring a Scout, Buying a Business
I’m not restoring this Scout because it’s just a good deal. I’m restoring it because I want to. It also reflects how I approach building businesses. It has good bones, needs some work, and if done right, it will run forever. It won’t be flashy, but it’ll get the job done. That’s the kind of business I like to invest in. Calloused-hand companies with customer loyalty, legacy relationships, and a product that still matters, but with a little modern help to keep up with the times.
Blue-collar businesses are the forgotten Scouts of the American economy. They’re dirty, underappreciated, and sometimes leaking fluid. They’re also irreplaceable. Plumbing, paving, HVAC, remanufacturing, these are the industries AI can’t touch. Infrastructure doesn’t code itself. Somebody still has to bolt the real world together.
For the next 20 years, skilled labor will be the most valuable currency in the American economy. The companies that value, train, and reward those workers will outperform. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s the right thing to do, and smart business.
Our Investing Model Is a Restoration Shop
When we invest, we don’t strip a business down for parts. We look under the hood. We find what works. We replace what’s worn out. Then we build it better, stronger, and ready for another 30 years of reliable work, with partners who know what they’re doing.
Just like the Scout, most companies don’t need to be reinvented. They need to be respected. You don’t toss out the old drivetrain if it still pulls. You swap the carb for EFI, fix the wiring, and maybe weld in a new floor pan, but you keep the soul intact and the look intact. That’s the long game. It takes patience. It takes trust, and it takes a team that’s in it for more than a quick flip.
Why Not Just Buy One That’s Already Done?
Sure, I could’ve written a check for a fully restored Scout and skipped the headaches (shout out to New Legend 4x4, the best builds around IMHO). I’d rather buy something that needs work. I’d rather build it myself (with help, let’s be honest) and know every bolt, bracket, and weld. The imperfections tell the story, and the process creates the value, the pride.
Same with investing. We don't just want to collect assets, we want to help shape them. We want our partners to win with us. We want our teams to stay proud of what they’re building, and we want to be proud of what we contributed.
Final Thought
Restoring a Scout is the same as investing in a blue-collar business: it’s about believing in something with great bones, putting in the work, and staying true to its original character while upgrading it for the future.
This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about recognizing the value in things that last. That includes machines, people, and companies that know how to grind.
Here’s to the ones still running, and the ones worth bringing back to life.