Sometimes I wonder why offer my skills

mpgmike said
I looked at buying a '78 Scout II for $800 about 3 decades ago (or more). I was told it needed a starter. There was a farm supply type place that sold brand new International Harvester equipment, and had sold International Scouts/trucks & such in the past. I gave them a call to price a starter.

"Which starter does it have?" he asked.
"The one that came on the 348 engine, 'cause that's what it has", I replied.
"Yea, but which one? There are 7 listings."
"Well, if one fits, don't they all?"
"No."
"How can that be?? Did they change the block at some point in time mid-production?"
"Look; they list 7 starters, 5 dash harnesses, 9 alternators... Basically IH put out bids and took the lowest bidder. When they were running low on inventory, they put out bids. They notoriously switched vendors sometimes on a monthly basis. I need to know which starter you need."

I opted not to buy the Scout.

Sorry the guy behind the counter gave you such ridiculous info, and that you accepted it. And the motor is a 345 ci
I spent a good portion of my early carrier around the manufacturing-assembly of those IH Scout and pick up motors. I can guarantee you that IH was not modifying the starter mounting position and / or the flywheel teeth and or the starter wiring harness to fit starters from different suppliers. I remember the starters being AC Delco units. And the starter mounts-flywheels were identical for the Scouts and pick up trucks and combines and anything else that IH put what we called the Small V8 into.
A good source of IH vehicle and motor info is at a forum called Binder Planet.
And I just looked at RockAuto, for a 1978 Scout II with a 345 they show 4 reman starters and 1 new starter and any of them will fit.