The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Diamond T: Any ideas?

I 'Fumbled' across a what at from a distance thought was an old International.. but as I got closer saw the word DIAMOND T on a gold colored hood spear.

It's got the look of a pre '41 Chevy or GMC.. the "bug eye" headlights, and the gull wing hood.. looks to be a ton and a half or better.. just sitting with the back full of junk like it's on its way to the scrap yard, or at the very least been used as a "catch all" for junk for the last 30 years.

Nobody was home at the house.. i'll have to try catching somebody there this weekend.. and thought i'd ask here to see if anybody knows anything about this thing?

I've got the impression from a few folks in the past that they were good trucks and worth a good chunk of change, but I don't know why.. it was actually pretty ugly.

most of the diamond "t"'s were big trucks. good reputation for solid hard working trucks. they are hard to come by in good condition because they were all worked pretty hard.

pics?

mostly i'm just curious...always kinda liked the diamond t's even though they're way too bif for my driveway.

Fumblin there is a red 48 diamond t in our alt gallery,, for sale but I think it has been in the gallery a long time,, I would link it to you but dont know how... nice truck though,,Fred

Fumblin,
they were an awesome looking truck and they used very heavy looking and large sheet metal. They did have pickups and the cab and fenders looked like they were from a tractor. A few months back I saw one in a rodder magazine that had been made into a woody sedan. I am not much of a rodding fan but it looked pretty incredible.

Here is the link to the alternate gallery Diamond T
http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/alternate/fugate_1948_diamondt.htm

I did some looking on the web, and found a site with some pictures of various Diamond T trucks, and they all look pretty much the same! The one that looks most like it, would be the 1949.

I don't generally take the camera around with me when i'm truck hunting, just because alot of times you're right in the persons yard.. and I feel kinda funny about snapping pictures of other peoples stuff without them knowing what i'm doing.. and most times when I first see the trucks, there isn't anyone at home to ask permission to do so.

At least i'd know how i'd feel if somebody came down my driveway, got out and started snooping around my trucks and snapping pictures.

Usually if I spot a truck, i'll pull in to the drive and knock on the door to see if anyone is home.. if nobody is home, I get back in the car and leave.. altho if the truck of interest can be seen from the driveway, i'll drive slow and gawk!

I'll go out there this weekend and try and catch somebody at home and see if it's for sale and if so, what they're asking. I'll bring the cheapo digital camera and snap off a few quick shots.

the pickups are quite nice and very tough - some of the bigger ones were pretty ugly, but good workers - here\'s some pics from a guy who's kinda Mr Diamond T

Bill

Take the regular pickup bed off that, put on a grain box, paint it green, and let the air out of the tires, and thats what the truck I saw yesterday looked like!

i think it was vintage trucks magazine two issues ago had a layout on the diamond t. i think they are awesome. ron

I thought all Diamond Ts were red with a green stripe. That's what my old truck book states. I have only seen one up close and personal. Heavy Duty is all I can say.

Diamond T pickups were considered the ultimate pickup in their day. What's been said before is true. If this truck you know of is anything at all, see if you can get it. There used to be a restored '47 in SE Colorado; in fact, it was used inside a hotel lobby in a display for some time, but it's a restored, running, and registered truck. I'd love to own one!

This one is definately green, and looks like it's built like a tank.

The truck is sitting by a barn and a house trailer.. there was a horse next to the barn, and some clearly new doors on the barn, and signs that the place might have been empty for awhile, but that there was somebody living there now.

I'll try and catch somebody at home this weekend and see what the scoop is.. if I can get it for less than $300 i'll bag it.. if it's for sale, and they want more than that.. i'll let you guys know the contact info.

$300 or less! Good luck to ya. :rolleyes:


Stuart

I recently saw one in a hotrod mag. the new owner turned it into a station wagon using an old pontiac wagon rear and the cab of the Diamond T

IT LOOKED GREAT . . . . But years of work & $$$$$ to do so

I buy alot better looking for $300 or less on a regular basis, actually.

I know where at least two '46 1.5 tons are sitting that can be had for less than $300.. I paid $350 for my '50 1/2 ton that just needed air in the tires and the brakes bled.. and the 1940 GMC 1.5 ton was another $350 score.

Most folks around here just want the old crap drug out of their yards.. old trucks, at least to the folks around here, are junk.. so if you give 'em a little more than crusher price, it's yours.

Theres the occasional case where the old farmer is just used to having it sitting there and would miss it if it were gone.. and every now and then you'll get a guy who dosent wanna part with a truck because it was his dads/grandpas/uncles etc.

Very few folks around here buy the trucks to restore or fix up and use.. the only reason they don't put an ad in the paper to sell 'em is because they can't imagine anybody would WANT them!

In about 40% of the cases, they tell me, "If you can get it out of there, you can just HAVE it! Hang on a second.. let me get you the title."

Diamond T's were highly regarded...in the late 1930's, they were a "style-leader", and had very fancy dash boards - almost looked like Packards or Cords !

They were eventually merged with REO trucks...

I think they used Continental flathead engines through the '30s & '40s; sixes .

Good hunting !

Right on the money Frank54
Definitely became Diamond REO
The Early ones were Continental gas but alot later most were diesel
Was the Fancy truck in its day KW and Pete were just puppys on the porch

fumblin,

if you can get it for $300.00, i'll reimburse you the cash and i'll even pick it up on my way to visit my mom in nebraska.

if it'sin decent shape it would be worth a lot more than that.

good luck!

I got my 53 1/2 ton for $50.00 Canadian, that's like $40.00 American. Is that a good deal?How ever the bottom 6" of the cab was totally rotten, it even has rust holes in the roof. Allthe rest of the sheet metal parts ,I replaced with better stuff.It came without Regie,all the glass was good though,as was the frame and wiring .Most of the little stuff was good,dash, steering wheel etc.In my next life ,I think I'll leave one like it as a parts vehicle.

I think the reason that old trucks just don't have an appeal to folks in my part of the world, is because they never left.

While most of the trucks rotted away to dust in the 'rust belt' or were slowly eaten alive by high humidity and ocean salt in costal areas.. the ultra dry air here, combined with the fact most of these trucks spent most of their lives on the farm, and the roads they DID travel were gravel.. meant that old trucks were just parked when they were replaced with newer ones.

Within a 30 mile radius of my place, i've mapped no less than 30 trucks made before 1940 that are solid, with no rust thru at all, and that quite litterally 'ran when parked'.. they just bought a new truck and retired the old one.

It's one of the reasons I couldn't find a 'IRWIPI' submission.. because none of the old trucks sitting around the area don't look bad!

When Jed comes up for the weekend bolt hunt, we'll take the camera out and get lots of pictures.

Jed.. when you commin' up?

I used to own a '48 Diamond T 1 1/2 ton. That thing was built like a tank!! If I remember correctly though, it didn't use a Continental engine. I believe it was a Hercules flathead six. And yep...it was red with a green stripe and factory pinstriping. The cool thing is they already came from the factory with a "chopped top".

It was a BEAST. ALL truck...and really cool. Buy it and if that old flathead ever gives up the ghost you can always drop a 'bolt in it.

Hey Fumblin'
You have any AD series Chevy (not GMC) COE's in decent shape located? If so I may be vacationing in Western Nebraska this year,
Scott

Don't let that Diamond T become scrap metal...even if you don't have the desire or time to restore it, someone will want it.

Anything can be found on eBay...but Diamond T trucks don't show up that often. Right now there is a late 30s medium-duty and a later model tractor listed. The medium-duty has an opening bid of $2500 and a $3k BiN, and it needs a complete restoration.

Diamond Reo--wouldn't that be a good name for a band?

I've not come arcoss any intact old COE's yet.. I have just missed no less than three of them getting carved up and squashed by the scrap man.

I don't have any love for 'em.. if I get a line on one i'll pass it along.

Hey Coilover,
Yeah, Diamond Reo would be a great name for a band! Hee Hee!

To mention another band, I have the hood emblems off of a 1936 REO truck, and what do they read?

REO Speedwagon!!

It looks like old trucks have a pretty strong influence on our society. eh?

Jim stumbled across an ad for a 1947 Diamond T pickup for sale in Idaho, asking $25,000!!!

http://www.farmersbuysell.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?id=118

Cool red "X" pics! LOL!

Patrick - I thought maybe it was just me!

If someone here wants a Diamond T,I know of one for sale here,and THEY only want $8,500.00 for theirs. It's only a tune up and belts & hoses from being a runner. It's a 3/4 ton,still has 16" Dayton style wheels and the flathead six in it. And yes,it's red w/green stripe,too. I think it once was a Fire dept. truck,it has a custom bed like a tall pick up bed with the side panels rounded at the tailgate end. Very cool looking.
Speed

When I was a kid there used to be a Diamond T sitting behind my pappaw's barn. It belonged to his cousin, one of my uncles bought it with plans to restore it but ended up selling it. The last I heard it was still just sitting in someones yard. It was a pickup but it was built like a big truck and it was red with a green stripe too.

Rob

I wonder of Diamond T trucks are subject to the same phiosophy as Chevrolet trucks.. the smaller ones are the ones worth the real money, and the bigger trucks arent?

I didn't get a chance to go see if anybody was home at the Diamond T this weekend, I got a line on a 40x60 building with 20 foot walls that a guy I know got paid to tear down, and he's got it setting all on three big flatbed trailers ready to deliver.. so he says.. so he was supposed to call me to come look at it on Sunday so I stuck around the house to wait for his call.. and Saturday.. well.. that just wasn't a good day to spend any apreciable amount of time outside. (20 degreese outside, with sustained winds of 35MPH and 60mph gusts)

Tomorrow is Valentines day... I don't think that is the kind of "Diamond" she has in mind!