Scout Design Ideas

[TA_n_TN]

Just some design ideas for the new Scout...
The thing that former and current Scout owners love is the sense of freedom / airiness when the top is off like in the pic of this Scout 800

Jeeps and Bronco’s used to have this sense of airiness in the previous versions but in the new versions shown below, because of the pillars / window tracks, it hardly feels that the top is off at all. The new Bronco does a better job of opening things up than the Jeep but it is still confining.

If at all possible in your design journey on the new Scout, please try to keep the open air spirit of the original as much as possible. I know that safety dictates that there be occupant protection in case of a rollover incident, but it doesn’t have to be obtrusive the way the new Bronco or new Jeep are designed. Think minimalist with a rollbar like the pic of the Scout 80 below. Very good occupant protection but still very open and free to the sky.

Just a thought on how to raise and lower side windows on a “minimalist” rollbar equipped 4 door Scout would be to look at the side window design of a mid 1960’s (’65) Lincoln Continental Convertible shown below. The side windows on it could be raised or lowered independently and the rear side window had a seal on its front edge that sealed against the back edge of the front side window to keep out wind / weather.

My personal body style preference is the Scout II and if you could make a 4 door Traveler I'd be all over it, as I'm currently looking at the feasibility of adding rear doors on a '77 Traveler for practicality sake of getting passengers and gear in the back seat area. So the idea of the Continental windows converging together is what I'm looking to incorporate in the Traveler.
Todd (TA_n_TN)

PS. I grew up 20 miles from the Fort Wayne, IN International Harvester Scout plant, so on behalf of all of us out here in “Scout Land” that grew up with Scouts, have owned Scouts, or just appreciate the history of this iconic brand, I want you to know how glad we are that this is coming back and that we are rooting for you and the rest of the Scout Motors Team!

 

[61ih80]

With metric you only have to count to ten.

With american standard you reference the square root of an axe handle, just saying.

 

[J Alynn]

I am of an age that I learned both. Yet, for the life of me, imperial/standard/whatever you call it measuring is still difficult for me. Metric is way easier.

I’ve been designing for nearly 30 years so imperial makes full sense to me from scaling and working with CAD but metric is so simple and scalable. My daughters archery bow is Korean made so all metric and so much simpler to work with

 

[RebelliousPeasant]

Yeah, I'm always a little amazed when I remember that even the US military uses metric. The science organizations do of course, like NASA but it's interesting that even the US military uses metric so it's weird that US society are pretty much the last imperial holdouts in the world. Given that Scout is owned by VW I'd be curious to know whether they too will be using mostly metric in their vehicles or the square root of an axe handle system...

 

[Harris005]

On that topic....one of the better SNL skits in case you haven't already seen it.

 

[J Alynn]

On that topic....one of the better SNL skits in case you haven't already seen it.

I just saw this for the first time last week. Didn’t watch whole skit but was dying watching it.
Great post sir!

 

[RebelliousPeasant]

On that topic....one of the better SNL skits in case you haven't already seen it.

Ugh, apparently the video is unavailable outside the US so I'll take your word for it. SNL does good stuff.

 

[Chaparral]

Car companies that do not produce vehicles running fully on alternative power do face a California deadline prohibiting sales or even importing from other states if I read it correctly. It just happens to one state. Other states in many cases adopt CARB restrictions above and beyond DC but are not required to.

As far as I understand it the California 2035 target still allows for new plug-in-hybrid vehicle to be sold. If so, it does not mean ‘all electric and the end of fossil fuels’ as media reports have made it seem. Gas engines will still be allowed in new vehicles so long as they also have electric and can be plugged in. So people that still want or need gasoline power will still have it and vehicle manufacturers may well do the minimum necessary to qualify these vehicles as plug-in hybrids.

I don’t think there will be an abrupt, complete shift to all electric and no fossil fuel powered vehicles.

 

[RebelliousPeasant]

As far as I understand it the California 2035 target still allows for new plug-in-hybrid vehicle to be sold. If so, it does not mean ‘all electric and the end of fossil fuels’ as media reports have made it seem. Gas engines will still be allowed in new vehicles so long as they also have electric and can be plugged in. So people that still want or need gasoline power will still have it and vehicle manufacturers may well do the minimum necessary to qualify these vehicles as plug-in hybrids.

I don’t think there will be an abrupt, complete shift to all electric and no fossil fuel powered vehicles.

No one is outlawing fossil cars. The "EV Mandates" don't say anything about making gas vehicles illegal. They just force automakers to provide electric options as well. A decade from now gas cars will be like tube TVs, you'll still be able to buy them if you want to but why would you? No one will want them because EVs are objectively better and less expensive vehicles to own and operate.

No one will come and take you fossil burner. People still ride horses afterall. It's just fossil burners will be viewed as the antiquated and expensive technology that they are...like a steam locomotive.

 

[Chaparral]

No one is outlawing fossil cars. The "EV Mandates" don't say anything about making gas vehicles illegal. They just force automakers to provide electric options as well. A decade from now gas cars will be like tube TVs, you'll still be able to buy them if you want to but why would you? No one will want them because EVs are objectively better and less expensive vehicles to own and operate.

No one will come and take you fossil burner. People still ride horses afterall. It's just fossil burners will be viewed as the antiquated and expensive technology that they are...like a steam locomotive.

True.
Gas burners won’t be banned in CA.

But the sale of new cars that only burn gas is effectively banned in 2035.

You’ll be able to own one or buy a used one but won’t be able to buy a new one.

 

[2ndGen]

I am a second generation Scout 2 owner. I have the Traveler my father ordered. It has his name on the line ticket. My mom was even taken to doctors visits when she was carrying me in the family Travelall and my brother's first generations series Scout. I'm not sure if it was a Scout 80 or 800.

I've heard about and seen how tough a Scout 2 can be. I've heard about a Scout that fell through the ice in a lake bay one winter and was driven 40 miles with water in the engine block to get repaired. I heard about it from the mechanic/dealer that helped fixed. I know about a Traveler that survived being pushed at 40 ish miles an hour by a garbage hauler with failing breaks into a freeway bridge support. It need multiple new body panels, new shock and tire. The person inside walked away without a scratch. It was rebuild and is the one my dad owned and I own now. The original Scouts were unbelievably tough.

Please stay true to the sturdiness and sheer driving fun of the Scout 2 series. A Scout with no bounce in the suspension would be a great disappointment. I personally want an option for sturdy bumpers front and back. They are actually used as a tool to set things on or push things gently. So few vehicles have real bumpers anymore. Please try to use the aesthetics of Scout 2. Try to use those beautiful lines as an inspiration. I'm sure many old time Scout drivers would like to see the echos of the original manufacturer decals as options. Make sure it has a reasonable accelerations, and the serious towing ability of originals. The Scout 2 line some how had the ability to find the traction if it existed on a surface. I don't know how that was engineered in.

Beyond anything else, make the original tough and fun Scouts proud. If you can get this right, and build a rugged and sporty truck line, you will have built in costumers for years and possibly generations to come.

 

[oldgeeksguide]

I am a second generation Scout 2 owner. I have the Traveler my father ordered. It has his name on the line ticket. My mom was even taken to doctors visits when she was carrying me in the family Travelall and my brother's first generations series Scout. I'm not sure if it was a Scout 80 or 800.

I've heard about and seen how tough a Scout 2 can be. I've heard about a Scout that fell through the ice in a lake bay one winter and was driven 40 miles with water in the engine block to get repaired. I heard about it from the mechanic/dealer that helped fixed. I know about a Traveler that survived being pushed at 40 ish miles an hour by a garbage hauler with failing breaks into a freeway bridge support. It need multiple new body panels, new shock and tire. The person inside walked away without a scratch. It was rebuild and is the one my dad owned and I own now. The original Scouts were unbelievably tough.

Please stay true to the sturdiness and sheer driving fun of the Scout 2 series. A Scout with no bounce in the suspension would be a great disappointment. I personally want an option for sturdy bumpers front and back. They are actually used as a tool to set things on or push things gently. So few vehicles have real bumpers anymore. Please try to use the aesthetics of Scout 2. Try to use those beautiful lines as an inspiration. I'm sure many old time Scout drivers would like to see the echos of the original manufacturer decals as options. Make sure it has a reasonable accelerations, and the serious towing ability of originals. The Scout 2 line some how had the ability to find the traction if it existed on a surface. I don't know how that was engineered in.

Beyond anything else, make the original tough and fun Scouts proud. If you can get this right, and build a rugged and sporty truck line, you will have built in costumers for years and possibly generations to come.

Robust and repairable would be a huge benefit compared to most currently available EVs.