Hello...

["Jason and Maria Colavecchia" <jasoncolavecchia@domain.elided>]

Hi folks......This is my first submission to the digest!!

First of all, I have a few words of encouragement to the fellow who's had a
scout for a few months.....It's not only possible to completely restore a
Scout, it's also been done many times.  The main thing i've found is that
Scouts have very strong and durable mechanicals, and that for most of us
(especially us Canucks) the real humdinger is the BODY and finding quality
parts.  For me, I'd rather put fibreglass body parts on and have a daily
driver than own an all-steel scout and suffer the consequences of only
driving it in the summer.  I currently have to do that with my all-original
'69 travelall, but my 79 Scout see's the road EVERY day of the year (its
about 65 percent FG now...)

I'd like to ask a question that relates to this big tranny discussion about
t-19's, t-18's, etc....My travelall has the t-418 in it....its DEFINITELY
the wide ratio version, as in first gear the thing barely moves (i can let
the clutch out in idle and she'll start right up without a flutter.)  I
assume the gentleman who said that the wide ratio box wasn't available
until after 1975 was only referring to Scout II's....I suppose the only
real way to make sure the tranny is a wide or short box is to check the
number of revs in first gear in relation to the input to output shafts...

Here's an interesting question....has anyone ever tried putting a spicer 18
transfer case in a scout II?  I have an opportunity to get one of these
things at my friend's junkyard....

Just to add to the discussion about doing mechanical repairs, I agree
wholeheartedly with the idea that the best way to tackle a problem is to DO
IT....(albeit with caution and lots of help from maintenance books and
knowledgable people)...once a project is completed, the satisfaction of
doing it yourself along with the increased awareness of how your machine
operates more than compensates for any inconveniences caused by the amount
of labour/cost of parts/cost of bottles of hand cleanser/dirt in eyes
etc...