Back in the late 1950s, my grandfather was on the team that laid out the assembly line to build the International Scout. As the worlds first true SUV, it was a capable offroad vehicle with a comfortable interior that led innovation in the field until IH was dissolved in the early 80s. Growing up with this history, I had to have one so in 1999, I bought this 1978 Scout 2 and drove it daily for a decade, road tripping coast to coast without trouble. In 2016, I had the opportunity to do a full frame-off restoration, tackling the drivetrain and final assembly myself and employing a Bodyshop for the paint. It was a learn-by-doing process that brought many frustrations but was rewarding in the end. I found there to be a lot of design thinking involved, especially in the areas where safety or technology updates were involved. I crafted custom speaker boxes, vent bezels, seatbelt brackets, cupholders and more, all with the design goal of honoring the original experience of the era. Additionally, I designed and built a roof rack using vintage clamps, aluminum and steel c-channel and aluminum connectors, cast directly from 3D printed cores. Since completion, my family and I still drive it regularly, enjoying a few long camping trips a year and hauling all sorts of stuff for Shop and Home. I am now nearing completion of a second Scout, pushing my expertise into the metalwork and paint skillsets to have full agency over such projects in the future.