Found a couple photos of my old Diamond T

I bought this in Vernal, Utah in 1981.
Rebuilt the engine in it and then drove it up the AlCan highway in 83 and lived in a cabover camper on the back of it for 2 1/2 years. Had all my welder and tools on it and worked as a mobile er, traveling - welder in and around Anchorage.
Drove it home to MN in 85 and used it once in a while. "Restored" it twice in the 17 years I had it. First time I got rid of the 98 hp Hercules JXB in it and put a JXLD 120hp? into it.
JXLD came out of a Buffalo Springfield 10 ton roller if that name rings a bell.
The second time I pulled the cab and bed off of it and set them on a 1975 IH Loadstar 1600.
That 345 ci and 2 speed axle with over size tires really made it go. It would do 80 pretty easy.
Finally, I really didn't have room for it any more and to keep commercial plates and insurance on it got to be a little much so I sold it in 98 or 99.
The photos are some years after I painted it the first time.
I had put the tow bar on it so I could pull it back home from up at my land.
It was a model 404 - 1 1/2 ton.
Had some fun with it. Like the time going up to AK with my buddy driving and me laying on the fender adjusting the timing and carb to get a couple more ponies out of that sissy JXB.
My cousin had these pics and recently gave them to me.
I still have an extra side/name plate from one.
Above the window in the kitchen as a keepsake.

I bet you wish it was still around. Thanks for the pictures, love those old trucks.

WOWWWWWWWWWW great pictures and story, thanks..

As an Antique Truck lover for years I can say

DIAMOND T HAD TO BE THE PRETTIEST TRUCK EVER MADE

The ones I place next are B Model Macks and White Super Powers, then maybe Dodge Brothers and Ford n Chevy n Plymouth n Studebaker n yes Mack pickups in those late 30's 40's n fifites

BUT WHO CAN FORGET THE CHEVY CAMEO TRUCKS WOW


QUESTION FOR OLD TRUCK MEN

WHY Did Diamond T devote so much to beautiful styling and chrome/nickel or whatver those grills were??????

Did they have any idea or rhyme or reason to all that classy styling?????

If you dont like a Diamond T you must be some sort of a Pinko Commie lol lol

God Bless yall

John T

In there day Diamond-T put the KW and Pete to shame. Before Diamond-T went bankrupt the Diamond-T was the top of the line truck but due to not having an inflation clue in a gov contract Diamond-T went under

They're kind of a favorite of hot rodders, too. I'd love to have one.

I'm normally not a fan of those oversize wheels, but in this case, they fill up the wheel well on the yellow one just right.

As a 15yr old kid, I was fortunate enough to ride in a Diamod T for a week!
Neighbour was a long distance trucker for a produce co. here in Ontario. Single axle Diamond T with a 32'ice-bank reefer trailer. Made 2 trips to Virginia for peaches (delivered carrotts and peatmoss there) then to Montreal for a load of oranges back to Hamilton).
Learned a lot about driving that has lasted me a life-time and I've managed to pass along to my kids as well. Great memories!!

Jerry,

Real nice truck.Put a drool warning up next time.

Vito

Beautiful old truck. Why can't GMC, Ford, Chevy, or Dodge build a truck today that looks just like it? With the vertical grille, sculpted front fenders, etc? I'm tired of seeing the swollen, gi-normous fronts that they put on today's pickups. No style whatsoever. The new retro Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers are immensely popular. A new truck that looks like a Diamond would be a winner too.

Growing up in Michigan, there were lots of Diamond Reos around. It was sad to see the company fold. They came out with the Raider conventional and the Royal II cabover before they closed shop. Those were sharp trucks in their day.

By the way, John T should have a Diamond T. The names go together. I'm sure Diamonds like the banjo sound too.

Here are some pictures of our 1940 Chevy 1-1/2 Ton Truck from a car show in Troy, MO this past weekend. My Grandfather bought this truck new in 1940 in Great Bend, KS. Only has 21,279 original miles on it. This is the truck I learned to drive on back in 1967 when I was eight. Still runs like a top!

In The late 1970s there was one at the summer lake I go to in Wis. It was parked in the grove and I allways admired it. This year in the newspaper in the area they wrote an article bout it as this truck was the one used in the area in the day to deliver Ice for the last of Ice box days.

The grill was not chrome. It was stainless steel.
Magnet didn't stick.
Diamond T made shoes back in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. In the early teens when everyone who had a bit of spare capital started getting into the automotive industry Diamond T went into trucks.
The earlier trucks were even fancier - for their day. Up untill sometime in the 1930s the bezel in the speedometer had a rose etched into the glass inside and painted green.
My 48 had a lot of attention to detail inside - door knobs, handles, etc.
It had dual crank out front windows. Cranks were on the dash.
Only one keylock on the truck.
If you wanted to lock the cab you locked the drivers door from inside then go around and lock the passenger side with the key.
Dunno why.
Had an oddball Clark 5 speed in it.
Shift pattern was a W not an H.
IIRC 5th was left of 1st. See pic.

Federal made a truck that looked a lot like a Diamond T. I had a cousin that sold Diamond T trucks back in the early 60's.

That is extremely cool Jerry. I love it.If you ever run across more pictures of it please post them.
Ron

Nice pictures of the truck. That tow bar reminded me of the one we made for towing a VW Super Beetle using conduit. The Beetle was made in 1972 and the engine had been stolen and I bought it in 1973. They left a 1600cc engine and I rebuilt the engine. It had a piston that had a burnt hole. One of my co-worker's told me that was caused by the engine being run too lean. I found that out when I had the engine running. One of the VW technician's at the local VW shop said to open the main jet screw. I had the shop manual and it said not to change the setting. I bought it to sell, but once I had it running and state inspected my wife wanted it. The engine cover was missing and I bought a new cover and sanded the whole car and primed it. I had it painted at a local body shop. I towed it there with that home made tow bar. We had a snow storm and the snow was deep and I had to move the Beetle to clear the driveway. It was cold as blazes and the engine fired right up even with engine covered in snow. The heater wasn't that great. It was very good in the snow. Hal