Bob's Howler (Click on the thumbnails to see fullsize pics)

Mud hole Mt. Lamentation _________________

Guardian MaBell, MA _________________

The Notch Beacon Trail, MA _________________

The Pinnacle Beacon Trail, MA _________________

'Howler' is a 1977 International Scout II XLC, with an IHC 345 CID engine and 727 Torqueflite trans. The 345 is topped by an IHC square-bore manifold and Edelbrock 600 cfm 4bbl carb. The Dana 44 axles were upgraded with 4.56:1 gears, and Detroit Lockers front & rear.

The nickname 'Howler' comes from the Q78-15 (35.5x11) Super Swampers on American Racing 15x8 Rockcrawler wheels . Even the 4" Skyjacker Soft-Ride suspension lift didn't make enough room to wheel with the Swampers. I had to lift the body 2" and clearance (what's left of) the fenders and inner panels. I also moved the rear axle back .5", had the rear driveshaft lengthened by 1" and installed skid-type U-bolt plates. Desert Steel 2" rear shackles give a little extra clearance, too. The IHC front anti-sway bar was removed (click to read the shackle story) to gain some extra articulation. The front fenders were bobbed and the rockers & wheelwells trimmed to fit the Q's. The rear wheelwells were extended and boxed to let the tires swing back further.

Other goodies include the Superwinch S9000 mounted on a Metalward winch bumper. That was followed by a dual battery set-up based on a manual type marine switch and heavy gauge cables. See how one thing leads to another? Later additions include a Scout Pro HD drag link and Backcountry Binder 1" DOM tie rod.

Safety & recovery items include the HighLift jack mounted to the 6 point roll cage, fire extinguisher, tow hooks F&R, Keeper stretch strap, a pair of shackles, tow chain, Midland 40 channel CB, 11 gallon air tank, Sears 110v air compressor, and a come-a-long.

Howler now sports an on-board Premier Power Welder for trailside repairs. The 160 amp alternator helps out day-to-day, when using the winch, and also provides 110v DC for the compressor and angle grinder.

Spares include all electronic ignition components, belts, hoses, fuel, oil, miscellaneous fluids, locking hub, throttle cable, starter & solenoid, electric fuel pump, both driveshafts, spare U-bolts, both front axle shafts, one with rotor \ hub \ spindle\ bearings, a rear axle shaft w/ bearing, drag link, tie rod, and of course a full size spare tire. The rear lifts 2" when the bed is unloaded.

Howler was shown in the March '99 issue of Petersen's "4Wheel & Off-Road" in the lead picture for the EC4WDA Region D Trailfest IV. Click to see the first (214kb), second (185kb), or third (163kb) page.

Howler was chosen for the logo of the '99 Trailfest V. It was quite a thrill to see 300 people walking about wearing a picture of my rig on their T-Shirts! It is also on all the awards, dash plaques & cup holders!

Howler has a new Kayline softtop now, but goes topless sometimes:
( Click on photo for trailride story )

Long Island Off Road
Eastern 4 Wheelers
East Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association Region D \ NorthEast

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rev. 10/30/02