AS SEEN IN OUR DIESEL WORLD MAY 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

Greg Herren’s 1969 International Harvester Scout 800A

Greg Herren has been building cars and trucks for the last 55 years, and it all started when he was a kid helping out and working alongside his dad. Typically, Greg builds vehicles with the intention to sell, really only driving them to work out all the bugs. FRISCO, a 1969 International Harvester Scout 800A, has been one of the few that breaks this longstanding tradition. Greg has dedicated this build to his late father, Norm Herren. Norm had retired from the Frisco Railroad after 44 years, so Greg found the Scout deserving of the FRISCO name.

We met with Greg in Springfield, Missouri, and immediately fell in love with the Scout. The PPG Brittany Blue and the PPG Wimbledon White two-tone paint by Tim Goller of His Creations absolutely sang to us. The stance is the perfect blend of practical and aggressive. The grunt and snarl of the 2.8L Cummins piqued our interest. But then you take a step closer and peer inside the interior, and you realize it is a symphony of leather, machined stainless steel, and top-notch craftsmanship. Those moments are what help us understand the depth of someone’s love and patience for a build. Greg at one point worked deep in the stainless steel industry, so his affinity for the material makes sense and is why you can find it all over this build. This kind of Scout checks every box in the best way, and Greg told us with a huge smile that he has driven this thing across the country to various IH meetups and shows and has plans to go to Moab in the future. Knowing that something this special and immaculate is no stranger to being ripped on brings us great joy.

The Scout has gone through quite the transformation to get to this point, of course. Greg took it down to the frame and did all of the fabrication and suspension installation himself. He threw on a D&C Extreme 4-inch lift with a D&C Extreme 4-link asymmetrical kit, Eibach stage 2 coilovers and 22-inch shocks in the front, complete with coil Rancho 9000 shocks in the rear. The 4-link bars have been color-matched to the body, and you’ll find 33-inch BFG A/T tires wrapping American Racing slotted aluminum wheels. The frame has been powdercoated, and Greg even cut and turned the axle pivot yokes from 0 degrees to 6 degrees, a crucial must on a lifted solid-axle Scout. By cutting the knuckle mounts from the axle tubes and rotating them forward 6 degrees, the steering geometry was corrected so the truck tracks straight, self-centers properly, and feels stable at highway speeds rather than wandering like a zombie.

The interior upholstery was done by Lucas Gibbs of Gibbs Upholstery, taking Bride seats out of Japan up a notch to match Greg’s vision. More D&C Extreme parts can be found on the inside, including a custom roll cage. A beautiful blue Bird’s Eye maple dash with a bunch of machined stainless steel knobs and buttons adds a perfectly accented space that houses a Dakota Digital HX Series gauge cluster. Now, here is where Greg really went above and beyond; he added heated seats front and rear and USB charging ports, as well as a keyless entry and push-start system. It’s bizarre seeing someone walk up to anything from 1969 and see it unlock itself as the owner approaches.

The R2.8L I4 Cummins and the rest of the drivetrain looked cozy and right at home in the engine bay. To be honest, it looks original. Technically it is, being that it’s a stock Cummins crate engine, but the way it was set up and wired made it look like it was an optional motor you could get from the factory. Greg adorned the engine bay with stainless steel charge tubing, an aluminum radiator and intercooler, and a custom stainless 3-inch exhaust. Sitting at 161 hp with 310 pounds of torque right out of the crate, it’s significantly more than a stock diesel Scout ever saw, making for stress-free cruises and effortless trail driving. The transmission is a Tremec TR4050 5-speed, and trust us, we’re right there with you—we’re stoked at finding out the baby Cummins got a manual!

Greg says he plans to sell FRISCO eventually, but seeing and hearing him show us everything, we’ll be surprised if it’s gone anytime soon. The Scout has already been east and west, so it stands that Greg will continue on some more epic adventures (we are really hoping to see this at Moab one day!). This build is truly top-tier, and we are thankful to our friends at Northeast Diesel Service of Springfield for linking us up with Greg.

1969 International Harvester Scout 800A

ENGINE

• 2023 Cummins I4 R2.8L crate engine
• Custom motor mounts
• Aluminum radiator and intercooler
• Stainless steel charge tubing
• K&N air cleaner

Suspension

• D&C Extreme 4-inch lift
• D&C Extreme 4-link asymmetrical kit
• Eibach stage 2 coilovers
• Eibach 22-inch shocks
• Coil Rancho 9000 shocks

Interior 

• Custom Bride seats by Lucas Gibbs of Gibbs Upholstery
• D&C Extreme roll cage (full DOM)
• Dakota Digital HX Series gauges
• Alpine stereo
• 9 speakers
• 7-inch Bluetooth touchscreen
• Blue Bird’s Eye maple dash
• Heated seats
• Digital Guard Dawg keyless entry and start security system
• GPS anti-theft tracking
• Tuffy 12-inch console
• 3 USB charging stations