1971 International Harvester Other

square body

345 5.7L

T34 5spd

143208H316761

Clear

LPG

Up for auction is a 1971 International Harvestor 1210 4x4 pickup that I have owned since 2008. I am currently the third owner and it has been in the same 200 mile radius it's whole life in south central Montana. I bought it because it was a relatively rust free example that was in decent shape. It ran well but needed lots of replacement parts to get it in reliable condition. So the journey began...Over the years I've installed only quality parts to make it as reliable as possible while retaining the classic look that I originally fell for. I don't drive it much anymore and with a growing family I drive it even less. So the time has come for a new owner to enjoy what makes these trucks so unique. Body: The truck had been reprayed sometime in it's life which looks to be a single stage red, and while it's not original it suits the truck quite nicely. Its pretty thin and the sun has given it a nice faded patina with some patches of primer coming though on the roof and hood's edges. The original plan was to do some bodywork and respray it the factory Flame Red, but it grew on me very quick so I left it, and I'm glad I did. There are dents and dings that is has acquired over its time on the ranch and some drips on the front valance but its a good looking truck that turns a lot of heads and gets compliments everywhere I go. I replaced the front and rear bumpers with some better quality chrome bumpers and installed a factory 2" receiver hitch with trailer wiring in the rear. I believe it's held on with 14 grade 8 bolts...there's a reason these trucks are so heavy and tough! The grill has also been replaced with a fresher insert and the broken 'truck' mirrors have been swapped out to standard lower profile units. Custom CNC'd IH badges have been installed on the fenders and most people think they are original, until they look a little closer! All the factory lower trim is present and in good shape as is the glass. There are no chips or cracks, although the seals are showing there age but still hold water out. The bed has had it's rust in the back corners eradicated and sprayed to seal it from moisture. At the time, I also welded in adjustable bed tie downs which come in handy while hauling stuff around. There is also a ammo can that is mounted on urethane bushings to hold tow straps and what not. I was going to spray some tinted liner in the bed to finish it out but never got around to it but it's fine how it is. I never had a tailgate for it but they're not too difficult to find. I have also replaced the factory sealed headlights with some replaceable H4 units that have been properly relayed with heavy gauge wire. They are incredibly bright and make a huge difference in night driving while keeping the stock look. All exterior lights/turn signals function as they should. Interior: The interior has gone through big changes since I bought it as I wanted a comfortable cruiser. All gauges work and seem to be accurate and I have added a 4 spot auxilliary panel below the dash which is currently empty and a small Sun tach that attaches to the steering column. The seat is from an early Dodge truck and has a custom fit (aka not universal) tweed saddle cover on it with pockets in the back and front seat edge. The dash has been swapped for a cleaner and up until recently uncracked unit, but finally split a couple months ago. It has been sprayed with SEM vinyl dye that has held up well over the years. The door panels, behind the seat, and under the dash have been given a sound deadening treatment which has helped a lot with the 'tinniness' of these old trucks. The door panels are have been recovered in a faux leather with custom stitching to match the factory style and look the part although I'm missing one arm rest. The window cranks have custom machined in bearings and knurled knobs which look stock but perform unbelievably better. Very very smooth! I also installed a vintage '3 ball' billiard ball as the shift knob, the tcase is factory. The stock stereo has been given a new life with a sub control behind the left volume knob and backlighting that turns on with the dash lights. This controls a 4 channel amp behind the seat in a custom panel which gets a signal from the iPod of your choice. The hookup is in the glovebox and sends sound to the 3" speakers in a custom plate under the factory grill. Everything is hidden and looks stock, but has new components throughout. The plan was to add some additional speakers under the seat to fill the sound a little more but I never got around to it. You would never know this truck had anything other than an AM radio and 40 year old paper single voice coils. The floor has been cleared of any rust and new panels have been welded in and then top coated with POR-15 to make sure it doesn't come back...and it hasn't. The plan was to get a new vinyl liner or carpet installed but I never did. It works great as is though but would obviously be quieter with some insulation of sorts. The dome light lens is cracked and the headliner could use some refreshening up but is all there, along with the hard to find sun visor/rear view mirror 'pod.' Drivetrain: The truck has had many parts replaced to get it where it currently sits. I converted it over to propane because the fuel system was a mess (I do have the stock carb and pump still), although I drove it around like that for years. All LPG fittings and lines are new and the Impco 425 carb, Model E vaporizor and vac loc have all been rebuilt. It runs fantastic all while reaping the benefits of clean burning propane. The air filter is just one I had lying around and works well, but isn't the greatest looking. The tank is an 80 gallon Manchester unit that has been properly reinforced under the bed and gives the truck quite the range. The tank sender is hooked up to the factory gauge and works as it should. The engine is a 345 V8 which has had various seals replaced although it still leaks oil out of the oil pan or oil filter housing even though those seals have both been replaced. The valve covers have been powdercoated wrinkle red and attach with stainless hardware. Headlight relays are in a Saab sealed relay box mounted on the header. Power steering has been added with a rebuilt box and new belts and has a Borgeson stainless joint in the steering shaft to remove most of the slop. On board air has been most of the way installed and one would just need to finish installing the York 210 compressor. All components are on the firewall in a custom IH logo'd manifold. The tank is a 3 gallon dual cylinder compressor tank mounted under the passenger side floor boards. There is also a retractable reel behind the seat that is accessed through the stock filler neck via a locked cap. The whole idea was to have a truck that could cruise, tow, fix on the road, and still look classic while being even more unique than it already was. The compresser has new seals and just needs to be bolted on and new drive belts installed. The ignition has been upgraded to the 'Mopar Conversion' which takes the stock Holley distributor, inserts a Dodge pickup with a Ford reluctor which sends signal to a GM module that fires the Ford coil. This all mounts to a custom aluminum mount I fabricated that bolts to the manifold. It sounds like a lot, but the conversion is great because it becomes an HEI, uses no points, never needs adjusting, and parts are cheap and easy to find. This was one of the first things I did years ago and haven't touched it since. It really woke the truck up! Autolite 85 plugs are in good shape as are the wires. The battery is a couple years old and has new 'welding cable' cables properly heat shrunk with custom quick disconnect terminal clamps. It also has a ball milled battery hold down that looks the part. Cooling system works perfect and has never overheated. A proper Robert Shaw thermostat controls the temps which a custom stainless reservoir catches anything that wants to spill. Hydroboost has been installed from a Chevy Astrovan and locks the 4 wheel drums up on a dime! Another upgrade that brings this old iron up to date. The brakes have been rebuilt with stainless lines from Inline Tube replacing the originals. Bilstein 5100 shocks were installed with Ford shock towers up front and make the heavy hauler ride quite nice. The 265/75-16 Kelly Safari tires have over a half inch of tread on them still and are studded but could easily have the studs pulled. The mount to the factory 16" steelies which have been resprayed several years ago in antique white. The exhaust is has been redone by a local shop with 2.25" coming off the redressed/resealed manifolds into a 'y' then a 3" flex connector which then goes through a 3" in/out Thrush muffler and exits out a stainless tip with a turned aluminum cap. It sounds great and isn't obnoxious. Just a nice cruising sound that wakes up when throttled. The transmission has been swapped out from it's original 4 spd to a T-34 factory overdrive unit along with a new HD clutch and rebuild flywheel from Fort Wayne Clutch (an OE supplier) along with a greasable throwout bearing and new rear main seal. The clutch linkage has been upgraded to utilize HD greaseable heim joints as well. Both the transmission and transfer case crossmember have been reinforced heavily to prevent the typical cracking that happens to them. The NP205 tcase has been resealed and works great. New fluids throughout including the D44 and D60 axles. The D60 also has a Solid diff cover installed. I also have the original Line Set Ticket and it has a clean title! All in all, this is a great one of a kind truck that has been a fun driver and a pleasure to own. It tows, cruises and gets lots of looks all while being reliable and roadworthy. I hope the winner has as much fun owning it as I have. Good luck and thanks for looking! Please contact me with more questions if necessary.