The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts New big bolt in the family

I had been looking for an AD cabover and found one in MN (exactly 1800 miles from my place in AZ). It is a 1950 5700 with grain body and hoist. Previous trucks had been mostly restored but I wanted to try my hand at a frame off restoration, after reading everyone's experiences the past several years on Stovebolt. I had a great experience driving through areas of the US I had not seen before (including the violent confrontation with a hen pheasant in SD that wiped out my passenger mirror on my Silverado). It is nearly complete, runs good enough to move around the yard and even the hoist works. No doubt I will be posting questions and parts needed as I proceed. My wife named the truck Barney (for Barnesville, MN where the truck came from). The photos include a shot in Colorado Springs with Pikes Peak in the background and my place near Prescott AZ, with stable mates ('42 Chevy pickup and '47 Diamond T, model 509.)

http://i29.tinypic.com/261j0j7.jpg
http://i31.tinypic.com/9l908m.jpg

Good lookin truck. Nice find.

Sweet truck, nice mirrors...

WOW !, Great find. Looks like it has lots of potential. Don't hesitate to ask questions. I've got a few of them myself, http://rides.webshots.com/album/115981506wwJzyS

very nice lookin COE, i really like that Diamond T you have there... i have always wanted one but have yet to find one

Nate

Really a nice COE. I like it. I know exactly where that Fairfield Inn is in CS, CO by the way. When I was a kid my hometown had a firetruck on a Diamond T exactly like yours. Takes me back a ways. Verrrry cool.

I like your COE, looks to be in very good shape. How was the adventure of getting it home? Just curious about how well that trailer handled and stopped, etc. What did you have for a tow vehicle, judging from the picture, it looks like a 3/4 ton or larger Silverado, any issues with pulling power? How many days did the trip entail?

Great new toy, and I like your trailer too.

John

Spanky, I am glad people like you are around, who have knowledge and are willing to share, because I know I will need help.

Dave, my son (Lightholder) and I stayed at that Fairfield Inn at the ATHS 2007 show and so I decided to stay there again. The manager let me park right in front and even supplied me with a parking cone to put in front of the Silverado, to keep from being pinned in by other people parking too close. An example of Colorado hospitality.

nice coe I hope to get one someday

Jlucas (John),
I bought the trailer to haul my Diamond T, which is similar in size and weight to the COE. Not having any experience towing I found it kind of frustrating at first. The truck is a 3/4 ton Silverado, Duramax with Allison tranny, standard factory hitch and the salesman knew nothing. The trailer people were knowledgable about their trailer but knew nothing about hitches. The hitch people knew nothing about trucks or trailers (or so it seemed). So I did my research, put a weight distribution hitch along with an anti-sway bar on the trailer tongue. The trailer people insisted that I didn't need a fifth wheel with the intended use and they were right. The trailer is dual 7000 lbs axles with electric brakes and it stops fine (I didn't even have it on the maximum braking setting). I have hauled my Diamond T and now the COE for over 8000 miles and I am really pleased with my rig. The Allison tranny has a tow haul mode which is most useful when slowing where it will automatically downshift, just like you would do if driving with a manual tranny.

John, with the COE on my trailer, the top of the truck was 11 feet high, so you would think it would handle awful in the wind but it handled nicely. At the end of the first day heading back to AZ, the wind and rain were so bad that I could hardly stand up in the parking lot when I got out. I was really surprised that the rig was so steady. I normally drove about 65 miles per hour but slowed a bit as I had a headwind. The entire trip back averaged 11 miles to the gallon of diesel, but when heading into the wind that dropped to 6-7 mpg. In addition to the pheasant episode, I was nearly broadsided by a rampaging cow on I-40 in northeast AZ. A semi was passing me, not paying attention to the cow, or cowboy on horse chasing the cow, in the median of the interstate. I had to do an emergency stop on the shoulder to avoid the semi (who just barely tapped the cow with his front bumper). The truck is 2004 with first generation Duramax and it had enough power. Part of the fun was people stopping and talking to me at the all too frequent refueling stops. I met a fellow ATHS member in Raton, NM who pulled up to talk when he saw my new find. I also got the usual waves from people, especially in Nebraska. All in all it was tiring (3days there, 3 1/2 days on the return) but well worth it. Now I will have the pleasure of a long restoration process but I am ready for it.