What Equipment on a 1973 I-H 1210 Pickup?

[bjornebraten]

Hi! i have had some ihs earlier and now i am buying a 1973 1210 2wd. I live in Norway and have to import from another country in europe. It has long bed,392,automatic,powersteering ++. Could someone tell me the length , height and  weight of this truck?  What kind of ratio does this model have in the final drive?

thankful for answers.

[Moses Ludel]

bjornebraten...Thanks for joining us at the forums!  The 1973 I-H 1210 2WD pickup was a very rugged vehicle.  I-H made these trucks with a variety of equipment and many outsourced parts from industry suppliers.  For that reason, there is no single type of equipment for all 1973 I-H 1210 pickups.   Each truck was built to order with its own specifications, the options were chosen from available components that I-H was using for that model year.  These specific items for each truck were listed on the now legendary "Line Set Ticket" that came with each vehicle's invoice, passed to the buyer/owner of the truck. 

The Line Set Ticket was a guide for the assembly line to build each truck.  The vehicle identification number (VIN) is unique for each truck.  A VIN provides useful information.  The first digits of the VIN are about the model and equipment.  Ideally, you want to see the original Line Set Ticket for the truck.  If that is not available, have the seller share the VIN number, we can break that down for some of the important features of the truck.  

This description of the 1973 VIN is courtesy of "Old IHC".  Here is how the VIN number applies in 1973:

"For the 1973 model year, the VIN was modified to consist of a 5 character model code, followed by a letter indicating the model year of production, the plant indicator, a production line within the plant indicator, and a 5 digit serial number that started with 10001 each year. The plant indicators were the same as above. The model year indicator was a C for 1972, D for 1974, etc. The production line was either Line A or Line B for Fort Wayne and Springfield and A for Chatham. The Scout line was always line D in Fort Wayne (there had been a C line for a time, but it was discontinued about 1970). C and D were used at Springfield when the A and B serial numbers passed 99999 and started over. Example: H0062HGD39515."

 Actual equipment for a truck is detailed and itemized on the Line Set Ticket.  If the Line Set Ticket is no longer available, you're still okay.  A copy can be secured from I-H/McCormick Archives, Wisconsin Historical Society.  Here are details on how to get a copy of the Line Set Ticket, courtesy of the Red Power Magazine forums: Line Set Tickets.

The Line Set Ticket is a parts map for your truck, including important component parts, the wheelbase length, axle ratings and the rear axle gear ratio.  Actual curb weight per vehicle varies by equipment, but it's likely an I-H 1210 2WD pickup is in the 5500-6000 pound curb weight range.  Aftermarket equipment like a stake or lift bed, tool boxes or a utility bed would increase the vehicle's weight from stock.

Let us know what you find.  If you can post a picture of the Line Set Ticket, I will help break down the actual equipment and answer your questions.  As a point of interest, I-H had its own number/model descriptions for outsourced parts; for example, an axle listed on the Line Set Ticket might have an "FA-" designation but actually be a common Dana or Spicer assembly.  We can break that down, too.

Moses

 

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses ! I have not the car home yet. It is  located in another country in europe . I will bring it home to Norway in the middle of january. Seller will look for the ticket behind the glove compartmen for me. My garage is not that big so i hope i`ll get it in there. Length of my garage is 581 cm. will come back with photos later.

 

Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Thomas...If you can get a clear copy of the Line Set Ticket, post it as a photo here at this topic.  I would be glad to help break down the equipment and details about your I-H truck.  We can be specific about the wheelbase and length of the truck.

Good that the seller is willing to help find the Line Set Ticket.  Otherwise, if he can provide the VIN, you could get a Line Set Ticket copy.

Moses

[bjornebraten]

I will . I travel 14 january to belgium to check out the truck.

Thomas

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses! Here is a copy of my lst. Very interesting.

lst3.pdf

lst4.pdf

[Moses Ludel]

Thomas...This is very exciting!  First off, the truck looks very much intact.  The LST takes you back to the truck's original build at Springfield, Ohio, every item, and also where it was first sold.  The first selling dealer was Haynes Buick (apparently an I-H dealer as well) at Concord, California.

To interpret the two pages of the LST is not difficult.  Many of these numbers are actual I-H part numbers, which is very helpful when you need replacement parts.  An excellent guide to break down the individual line items is available at Super Scout Specialists, an I-H Light Truck parts outlet for many decades.  I visited SSS the first time in the late 1980s:

https://www.superscoutspecialists.com/store/t-codereference.aspx

You will find that Super Scout Specialists has translated I-H "code" into real world parts descriptions.  This includes parts manufacturers of origin and more common industry parts names.  Go through the line items on your LST, and on separate sheets of paper, note what parts were used in the construction of the truck.

I read down the LST, and this is quite a truck.  131-inch wheelbase (long bed or 8-foot box), it has the largest I-H gasoline engine available, a 392 cubic inch V-8 with four-barrel carburetor, and a Camper Package with heavy-duty leaf springs and axle upgrades.  This is a fine illustration, line-by-line, of the selective parts that made I-H light trucks extremely rugged and well-equipped if ordered properly.  The 1210 in rough terms is a "3/4-ton" pickup chassis.

Judging by the point of sale and equipment, I can say with certainty that this vehicle was purchased for highway use and some kind of cab-over camper on board.  The transmission is an A-727 Chrysler Torqueflite with a heavy duty cooler and upgrade radiator add-on; the rear axle is a Spicer 60 with Power-Lok (a limited slip differential with multi-plate clutch).  You have a pair of 16-gallon fuel tanks, heavy-duty shocks and a sway bar (camper equipment); Saginaw integral power steering from G.M./Saginaw Division, factory trailer wiring for toting a travel trailer ("caravan" in Europe), a sliding rear cab window which was ordered for camper access; junior king mirrors for trailer towing or a wide camper...I could go on line-by-line, this is a map of every build area of the truck.  You can order the correct parts with these numbers or their part number crossovers, including wheel and axle shaft bearings, and from a service standpoint, you know exactly what parts and equipment the truck had originally.

This truck was ordered with no cost spared.  Options available for upscale appearance (like two-tone paint) and heavy-duty towing were all on the build sheet.  The owner likely planned for vacations or retirement travel.  At the time, this truck would have cost far more than a G.M., Ford or Dodge truck in the 3/4-ton category.  2WD suggests this was a low altitude (Concord is near sea level), fair weather vehicle used for traveling in the spring, summer and fall.  Factory air conditioning was a luxury item, along with many smaller appointments.  

Being an I-H light truck, your 1210 pickup was ordered item-by-item by the selling dealer with a purpose in mind.  Sold in California with a GVWR between 6,001-10,000 pounds (actually rated 7,500 pounds GVWR), the truck's engine has a limited amount of emissions controls:  a closed crankcase system, an exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR) for lowering nitrogen oxides (NOx), and passive evaporative emissions controls for fuel tank venting.  This was a "Class 2" California Emissions vehicle.  

This vehicle has a 3800 pound rated front (beam) axle and a 5500 pound rated full-floating rear axle with 4.10:1 axle gearing.  The springs are rated 3,200 pounds front and 5000 pounds rear.  That would be 8,200 pounds maximum weight when loaded (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or G.V.W.R.).  The combined axle capacity is 9,300 pounds, the auxiliary springs (combined) rate 8,200 pounds.  However, for some reason (maybe being sold in California, or some kind of safety margin, or emission control demands, or whatever), I-H assigned this vehicle a total weight rating (GVWR) of only 7,500 pounds.  Since the truck can carry around 1,500 pounds payload (3/4-ton rated truck), it is safe to say that the actual curb weight of this truck, without a load, could be close to 6000 pounds.  5,500-6,000 pounds curb weight (unloaded with just fuel on board) was my original guess.  

You were concerned about the overall length of the vehicle.  The wheelbase for an 8-foot bed 1210 pickup is 131-inches as noted on your LST.  There is no reference to overall length.  You'll likely need to have the current owner measure the bumper to bumper length.  Here are some additional specifications that match up with your LST:  http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/ihc/id/35559.  

If you have specific questions about an item(s) on the Line Set Ticket, please ask.  Thanks for sharing, you have a very nice truck there!

Moses

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses. Thanks. I found the lst very interesting. I think it is fully loaded with options. I think the owner ordered this truckfor a special purpose. Maybe he had a big camper and used it for a motorhome or maybe he also used it in transport. If so ,the ovner has cared for the truck.  It looks so nice. It should be free from rust , the seller says. He is working with agricultural  and imports tractors and stuff from usa. He bought a lot included this truck in the southern part of usa in 2015. The truck engine started at once when he tested it after transport. He has only stored it untill now. I will keep it original. May be i look for some nice wheels for it,but 950/16,5 is maybe hard to find? One thing for shore is that i need a 8 track for it. All of my friends says :oh what a nice colour. The measure is 540cm. the owner check that. It is 235 cm. wide with mirrors. I think this will me the only ex. in Norway. These models was not sold here. I like all ford ,chev,chrysler , but ih is a little special. Some of my friends ask me . Is it a chevy? No i say it is a ih. Never heard about it they say. I was actually looking for a 74/75 because i think the grille is the best looking. But i can live with this.

wish you a merry christmas .

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Thomas...Yes, I agree that this was a special order truck intended for RV use, likely carried a cab-over camper with a fishing boat/trailer in tow.  Nice history and explanation on how your 1210 got to Europe!

Agreed that an I-H truck is "special".  I have always had an interest in International-Harvester trucks.  Early in my automotive/truck career I was a light- and medium-duty truck fleet mechanic and solely responsible for 22 vehicles and pieces of equipment.  That was 1968-70 era when I worked at the Engineering Department of a large general hospital.  Our maintenance crew's fleet included three 1959-60 I-H Metro Van models and a 1950 I-H dump truck with a massive RD406 inline six gas engine.  These were surplus vehicles and in reasonable condition, and I did every kind of powertrain/engine, transmission, chassis/steering/brakes and electrical work, restorative for the most part along with preventive care.

I discovered that I-H meant a lot of outsourced parts from the industry's best suppliers.  Frames and engines were I-H, the rest of the components came from outside.  Spicer, Clark, Borg-Warner, Ross, Bendix and others were suppliers to I-H.  Later, Saginaw, Chrysler, New Process and G.M.'s Hydramatic Division became suppliers.  I-H was always looking for the best components available in the industry, and the story of that search for each individual model was the Line Set Ticket!

The reason for I-H light truck and Scout/Scout II's eventual "failure" had nothing to do with quality.  These were the very best trucks in the market!  However, I-H was not in the light truck manufacturing business, they were medium-duty and heavy-duty oriented.  When a company does not make the sub-assembly parts and builds each truck to order on a truck-type assembly line, the cost of the vehicles goes way up.  The I-H engines were medium-duty truck based designs, and these were so well built and rugged that the cost factor made it impossible for I-H to compete with the much cheaper to build small-block and big-block G.M., Chrysler or Ford engines that were virtually the same for passenger cars and light trucks.  The I-H 392 V-8 in your 1210 is actually the same engine found in a 1600 Loadstar.

I-H engine designs, in particular, fascinated me.  In the Metro Van models were the BD-240 4-main bearing inline sixes.  At a time when Ford and G.M. 4-main bearing inline sixes wore out at predictable lower mileage, with excessive taper on the cylinder walls, these I-H engines were an industrial/agricultural design.  Service in the field was easier, and the engines had unusual features that made them easy to repair.  One that I recall vividly, as it was the first time I'd ever seen this in an engine block, were the chamfers at the top of each cylinder in the cast iron block.  This served two purposes:  1) carbon did not build up as readily between the top compression ring and block deck and 2) it made the engine easy to tear down and replace rings and bearings in the chassis.  G.M. and Ford did not care about in-chassis service, they were busy selling new vehicles.  I-H sold vehicles that lined up alongside farm and ranch equipment, expected to last for many seasons.

So, I'm a big I-H fan!  If I could find a 1980 I-H Scout II in completely original and rust-free condition with the Nissan turbo-diesel engine, I'd buy it...Meanwhile, I'll smile as forum members discover the many virtues of these I-H light trucks.

An 8-track would be the historically correct tape deck...Enjoy the truck and keep us posted...

Moses  

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses. I have a question about the wheels on this truck. It is 950 x 16,5 8 lug. I think the truck would be looking better with some other wheels. I read somewhere that wheels from ford f250,f350 and excursion should fit. Do you know something about this?

 

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Thomas...There are a number of sources for aftermarket wheels, and used wheels should also be available.  Wheel interchange should not be difficult for your I-H 1210.  The wheel bolt pattern and a full-floating rear axle (Spicer 60) is common to Ford F-truck and Dodge/Ram years ago.  Whether that pattern follows to the later Excursion era is not clear.  In the current era, Ford and others have gone to metric sizing.

What you want is a wheel that has a center hole of the correct size and the right 8-bolt circle/diameter.  This should not be an issue once you take these measurements for comparison.  The other concerns would be wheel width and offset plus the back spacing.  You'll want to measure the back spacing.  Make sure there is room to clear the big drum brakes and maintain a normal track width.

Your current wheels are 16.5" diameter, and these were popular in the 1970s for use with tubeless tires.  Cautions were always posted about not mounting 16.5" tires on 16" rims and vice versa. Some had trouble with the 16.5" rim size, claiming that the tires unseated from the rim bead seats if the tires were run under-inflated.  "Airing down" for sand or mud seemed to be the issue.  I ran 6-hole aftermarket 16.5" x 10" rims on a 1973 Chevy K10 4x4 SWB pickup with tubeless 33"x12.5"x16.5" tire size for many years without trouble.

Once you know the width, center hole diameter and back spacing of your I-H wheel rims, you can match up with Ford F-truck and other type wheels.  The correct diameter and width tire for the new or used rims should be the same as the current I-H tire diameters. This will keep gearing normal and prevent speedometer error.

One consideration is the wheel hubcaps.  If you want to maintain the original type I-H hubcaps, make sure the replacement wheels have a provision for mounting these caps.  Your stock hubcaps clear the full-floating rear axle hubs.

Moses

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses. Do you know what et that should be right for the 1210 ? I read that 8pr load index is right.  Got a brand new kraco 8 track with am/fm radio on ebay.  Sad that in 8 months Norway will quit fm and go over to dab radio. Happy new year to you moses.

 

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Thomas, Happy New Year at Norway, too!  The original tires were 8-ply rating according to the Line Set Ticket.  This gets confusing in today's market, as Load Range D and E are popular designations.  Load Range E has better load capacity and a greater safety margin if you plan to carry a load in the truck.  

The contemporary ply ratings are confusing, as sidewall versus tread ratings differ on radial type tires.  Your original tires were bias-ply and a straight 8-ply rating.

I'm partial to Load Range E on 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks in OEM tire sizes.  I would use a Load Range E tire in OEM size unless the truck is doing very light duty.  Ride quality is a bit stiffer with Load Range E if that's a consideration.  Load Range D in a 9.50 x 16.5 size would likely have enough load capacity for the truck and a lighter load.  Thinking of a cab-over camper?  I would definitely use Load Range E.

Moses

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses . Happy new year to you.  I will not take much with this pick up.  Will only use it for cruisin in summertime. I n the lst i read that both front and rear axle load is 5560 lbs  or 2600 kgs.  That will say that the rims should make about 1300 kgs. So i hope i could load range d. Load range e is difficult to find here in dimension  245/75-16 . I am looking for some nice rims for this truc

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Understood, Thomas...A quality Load Range D tire without a lot of weight in the bed should work well...Happy New Year, you'll have fun with the I-H 1210 truck in 2017!

Moses

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses! Bought some used rims today. 8 x 6,5 lug 165 . Cheap only $90

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Nice alloy wheels, Thomas...Was the application Ford F-truck?  What year?  Please compare the backspacing and brake drum to wheel clearance.  Width and backspacing determine the track width, compare that with your 1210's stock wheels.  Let us know what you find.

Enjoy your "new" wheels!

Moses

[bjornebraten]

Hi! They  came form a ford f truck hope they will fit.  I will travel to Belgium on saturday. Hope i like the truck.

regards Thomas

[Moses Ludel]

Let us know whether the truck meets your expectations, Thomas...The photos looked good!

Moses

[bjornebraten]

I will Moses!

[bjornebraten]

Hi Moses!  Now the car is mine. I will have it delivered in a week or so. I have a problem. The filler hose/pipe to the front tank is defect and the rear gas tank is gone. The fillercaps are both on left side. Are the two tanks identical? Could they differen if they are mounted on right side? Are they difficult to get?

 

regards Thomas