(by CC reader stevee) For nearly a year I have been working on my truck, and it’s nearing completion. It’s a 1956 Diamond T Series 536 pickup truck, with 23k original miles.
It has mostly original paint with some touch ups. The engine is an International Red Diamond 450ci I6 with manual transmission.
The truck was a fire department tanker truck: we removed the tank, pump and hose reel. The dually rear wheels were removed, too. The bed steel is in remarkable condition, with a tailgate made from original steel.
The Diamond T register has no other trucks that resemble this one–its likely one-of-a-kind.
Sure looks good Would love some interior and engine shots.
Fabulous old truck! But why must you torture us with so few pictures of this gem? 🙂
This must have been quite similar to your truck’s original configuration – did you remove clearance lights from the roof?
are the wheels supposed to be green while the body in red?
Did you hang on to the fire department bits? There are a couple fire trucks that make it to the car shows I go to. The open cab models make quite an entrance with bell clanging, hand crank siren screaming and a half dozen friends and relatives of the owner hanging on the running boards.
Puts today’s plastic Super Dutys to shame in my opinion. That’s what I call a real truck. Very nice. Thank you for sharing.
This is more like an International CXT pickup, if it was being built today!
Most of the fire department stuff (siren, roof beacon etc.) was removed when it went into private ownership about 1980. The gasoline engine is a slightly smaller configuration than the diesel highway 5th wheel tractors. The current Prestone anti-freeze commercial features a big black diesel wrecker Diamond T (likely 1958 or newer– dual headlights).
Took it down a ways!
Engine compartment not worked much
WOW!!
Fantastic truck, definitely not something you see every day!
What a totally cool vehicle!
This awesome bad boy is now my computer monitor wall paper!
Great-looking vehicle!!
Very nice much more heavy duty than run of the mill pickups.
Thank you for saving it. Well done!
What a cool-looking old Diamond T. The company didn’t mind using a bit of chrome trim to differentiate its trucks from the Internationals that they shared cabs with.
Now that’s a REAL truck. Nice job. I hope you drive it and use it as intended. Puts modern plastic fantastic pickup trucks in their place.
That’s a tough truck any man would be proud of. The color is hot, too.
nice truck ! maybe it will motivate me to work on mine. 1956 single axle tractor. unfortunately the front end was chopped off for the movie Skin Walkers, but I bought all parts back from film and hope to restore. it’s a shame they butchered it.
Hi Brian,
Do you also have a Diamond T
Cheers
Graeme
My friend has a 1956 REO single axle dump truck very good shape , runs , drives and dump bed works fine hardly any rust . Could someone tell me an approximate value please .
REOs are good trucks. I have a 51 model. $2500 is a good starting price.
Ik heb een Diamond T 1933.
Ik patina gelaten nergens rot of roest .
Houten bak alles nog origineel 1933