This one’s agruably a better fit for Truck Thusday, but the auction ends today, so we’ll take International Harvester’s word for it that this is indeed the Master of the Wagons. What’s that? You’re not familiar with the Wagonmaster? While most of us know our Scouts 80s, 800s, IIs and Travelalls, fewer of us know about the Scout Terra, Traveler, Travelette and Wagonmaster.
It’s a good thing, too, as had I not bought my Wagoneer, I’d probably be having a talk with The Missus about a roadtrip out to Colorado to pick this one up.
According to the seller (and some vague recollection of my own), the Wagonmaster was intended for those who wanted to tow a 5th wheel and bring the whole family along in the cab. Thus, it beats the the Avalance, Escalade EXT and Subaru Baja to the seats-and-a-bed party by a good 30 years. Otherwise, it’s basically a Travelall. Sold only in ’73 and ’74, there aren’t a lot of them around.
This example gets it right, with a 392ci V8, 4 speed manual and 3.73:1 gears in the axles. It’s got all the typical “classic that only kinda gets used” issues: mediocre paint, a couple of rust spots, slightly rough interior and a motor that could use a tune-up. It’s only got 72,500 on the odometer, but we all know that’s nearly meaningless with a truck this old.
The ownership proposition here isn’t too bad, really. You get the ability to throw a half-ton of dirt in the bed, combined with the opportunity to take five friends along to help unload it. Save a little bit of custom sheet metal, none of the parts for this beast would be any harder to come by than any other IH product.
As of this writing, it’s sitting at $3,000 with the reserve already cleared and an auction that ends today.
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