Re: [ihc] Thank you, Santa Claus!!...(Long)

[mark stegmann <truckdriver_1977@xxxxxxxxx>]

Mike, Great Job on getting such an important piece of
IH History. Was wondering if it would be okay to
mention on Red Power Forum. 

Also, who owns the last IH pickup(That white flatbed)
I've seen pictures of it before on Redpower.

Thanks
Mark

--- Mike & Sherry Bolton <ihmike@domain.elided>
wrote:
> Here's a note from a long-time lurker; I've only
> posted once or twice.
> Now that my "Quest" is realized, you'll hear more
> from me.
> After a long time (7 years) of stopping by at a
> neighbor's and offering
> to buy his *Special* Scout, I finally contacted them
> this fall, and they
> were willing to sell. (A sad note, the original
> owner was stricken with
> Alzheimer's, and had no more use for it as a hunting
> vehicle.)
> I've been a Scout owner since 1987, and have been
> very happy with my
> Diesel Scout. It's been a loyal servant, taking me
> to the Nationals
> twice, RMIHR 4 times, Lynn Faeth's Midwest Classic 8
> times, and to 4 Red
> Power Roundups. Some of you may have seen it, a 1980
> Green-and-White
> Rallye with the White-Yellow-and-Orange Rallye
> stripe.
> It's time to turn the page now, and devote my time
> and treasure to the
> true object of my IH fixation. The *Special* Scout I
> mention is none
> other than the *Last Scout Built*. Its condition
> leaves something to be
> desired, but it is far from hopeless. It will take a
> considerable
> investment, but the special nature of this machine
> demands that it be
> brought back to a respectable condition. 
> It will be made available at occasional show and
> events for those who
> want a glimpse into the past to that moment when
> that particular Scout's
> rolling down the line meant the end of a very proud
> endeavor.
> 
> Here's a view of how it looks today:
> 
> 
>
http://www.redpowermagazine.com/uploads/upload.cgi/Visitor2Woods.JPG
> 
> While the Scout was being built, the workers at the
> Factory wrote
> somewhere on the truck where it would not be
> discovered for some time.
> They painted the bellhousing Farmall Red, and wrote
> in Permanent Marker.
> Here is what was written on the bellhousing on *The
> Last Scout*:
> 
>
http://www.redpowermagazine.com/uploads/upload.cgi/Clutch2.JPG
> 
> The purchase of this Scout at this time represents
> the Christmas present
> from my wife to me, as she has been very
> understanding and supportive.
> In truth, it'll probably be Christmas presents, and
> birthday presents
> from her to me for years to come, as the Scout gets
> body mounts, and
> floor pans, rust patches, and end caps. I'll keep
> all you Digesters
> informed as days go by.
> 
> Ironically, the *Last Light Line* is a scant 20
> minutes' drive away. A
> friend of mine was looking for an all wheel drive
> heavy
> last-year-of-production IH truck to pull his rare IH
> tractors to shows.
> I found him that particular truck on an auction
> listing that came in the
> mail. No one knew that it was the last one. It did,
> however have a build
> date of May 5, 1975. I told him to check it out,
> just because its build
> date was so remarkably "Late". As it turned out,
> research by Navistar's
> Legal and Reliability people found that it was
> indeed the *Last Light
> Line IH Truck*. 
> There is more information posted at:
> 
> http://www.last.cornbinder.com/
> 
> When the weather gets more favorable, and the salt
> is off all our roads
> up here in Iowa, I'll roll the Scout over to my
> friend Nick's house, and
> get pictures of the *Last 2* together. That will
> have to be a first.
> 
> That's probably enough for now, but to say to Ed
> Sohm that it was nice
> for him to stop over yesterday; that was a nice
> visit. Always a
> pleasure.
> 
> Mike Bolton


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