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1951 DiamondT 6X6 5Ton

wrenchbender

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
This is my old 51 Diamond T wrecker we bought this in 1971 these pics were taken around 1973. And yep that's me in those pics I've always loved these old trucks and heavy equipment even as a kid. Any way it's got about 130 HP 6cyl Hercules gas burner engine 5 speed gear box plus a transfer case for engaging the frot wheels and going into extra extra low gear. Put this baby in 1st gear and the transfer case in low ease out the clutch and watch the ants pass you. It's got a front mounted winch and dual drum winches on the rear. Rear booms will swing out well beond 90 degrees. If you look just behind the cab you can see the out riggers that stable it while the boom/s are swung around.We added an extra front bumper under the factory one so we could push stuff around and not run over everything. The rear bumper is a 14 inch I beam lips & web are 1" thick this is for snatch blocks to be attatched to. This ole gal has retreived many a stuck Dozer,Back Hoe,and large trucks and lifted quite a few heavy loads. Only had it almost stuck one time pulling a mobile home up an old red mud drive. The drive was at a very steep incline had not been used in quite a few years and covered in pine needels and it was raining. Had to put the old gal in low range,low gear engage the front wheels and hook the front winch cable to a tree at the top of the hill. This really had the pucker factor up cause that road bed was slick as glass and at the bottom of the hill was about 30' of water. There has been many times while pulling equipment out that you could look up at the bottom of the front wheels.Well maybe some of you are still here after all this rambling if so here are the pics.
 

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PSDF350

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Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
725
Location
Richmond NH
Thanks wrench. I also have a passion for them old workhorses. Oh and might I say I like.:notworthy
 

digger242j

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Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
6,628
Location
Southwestern PA
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Self employed excavator
That's about how much hair I had in 73 too. :D

Great looking old workhorse... :thumbsup
 

jmac

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
740
Location
Central NY
Great truck! I like the bell bottoms! I wonder if they will come back in style. :cool2
 

wrenchbender

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
Thanks guys, well I still have the truck and the bell bottoms but the hair is about gone as is the six pack abbs. Or should I say I'm twice the man I was then.
 

Dwan Hall

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
Messages
1,029
Location
Juneau, Alaska
Occupation
Self Employed
Cool I had the hair and bell bottems back then also. My uncle use to call them my go to He77 pants. I got my REO a little later in life. when I started our business it was my first piece of equipment back in 1982. Here is a shot of it about 15 years ago. It still runs but the aircompresure needs replaced. I would like to repower it with something other then the 180HP supercharged cummins that is in it.
 

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wrenchbender

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
Cool I had the hair and bell bottems back then also. My uncle use to call them my go to He77 pants. I got my REO a little later in life. when I started our business it was my first piece of equipment back in 1982. Here is a shot of it about 15 years ago. It still runs but the aircompresure needs replaced. I would like to repower it with something other then the 180HP supercharged cummins that is in it.

Tough looking truck and you already got me beat by at least 50 HP and probly a few gears in the tranny. Thanks for the pic I never get tired of looking at older trucks and equipment.
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
I never get tired of looking at older trucks and equipment.
My thoughts also.:yup Great pics.

I got the chance to drive an old Diamond REO once. An friend of a friend was shut down at a scale in Wisconsin because he didn't have a CDL:eek: They contacted me to see if I could drive it out for them.

I figured out how to get the motor lit up alright, but when it came time to release the air brakes I couldn't find the buttons. I looked all over the dash for them. Eventually I found them, they were mounted up through the floor right next to the seat.:Banghead :rolleyes:

I'd never seen them mounted there before.
 

wrenchbender

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
My thoughts also.:yup Great pics.

I got the chance to drive an old Diamond REO once. An friend of a friend was shut down at a scale in Wisconsin because he didn't have a CDL:eek: They contacted me to see if I could drive it out for them.

I figured out how to get the motor lit up alright, but when it came time to release the air brakes I couldn't find the buttons. I looked all over the dash for them. Eventually I found them, they were mounted up through the floor right next to the seat.:Banghead :rolleyes:

I'd never seen them mounted there before.

Jeff, mine still has a lever with a cable going to a drum on the rear of the transfer case for the parking brake. I intend to put spring brakes on the front tandem before putting it back in service. A guy I once pulled out of a mud hole said the inside looked like a porcupine with all the sticks coming up out of the floor.
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
The manufacturers seemed to do things their own way in those old one's didn't they?

Not alot of regulations on the way controls had to work or their locations like today.

I know a driver who told me about his first truck. It was an old Mack semi that had air brakes, but unlike todays systems where the springs lock down the brakes, this one didn't have the springs. He said the air was supplied to "set" the parking brake, and eventually when the air all leaked out the truck could roll away if parked on an incline. He said he had to chock the tires overnight when parked.

I guess it had a little flag that dropped down out of the ceiling infront of your face to alert you when the air system was low on air too.:eek: :beatsme

A guy needed to learn each truck pretty well before operating back then, I supose.
 

wrenchbender

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
great picture, got all your hair and a nice truck, what more could a fellow ask for, LOL

thansk

:exactly :iagree KoO, Plans are to rework the old gal in the near future. When done I'll get another pic with the same pose. You won't be able to tell the diffrence between the two.lol
 

King of Obsolete

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Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
698
Location
KINGDOM lynn lake manitoba
Occupation
marketing my life style
yes those old beast never gotten woren out, they got sent to pasture because of age. now days if the CD player quits the truck is scrapped, LOL

will be waiting for the updated picture, LOL

thansk
 

jmac

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
740
Location
Central NY
Squizzy a guy of your fashion expertise should be on top of these things. KoO lives like out in the middle of no mans land and he is up on his fashion. Glad to see that KoO.
 

King of Obsolete

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
698
Location
KINGDOM lynn lake manitoba
Occupation
marketing my life style
my fashion has not changed in 40 years except for the jeans, i will not pay $45.00 for a pair of jeans to wear in the shop. so 10 years ago i went to work pants which i can get on ebay for $10.00 a pair brand new. other then that it is the same tee shirts (don't need the pockets on them any more for the smokes) sweat shirts, underwear (except when driving monster truck, special underwear is needed)

http://kingofobsolete.ca/monster_truck_runs_reindeer_lake_WEBPAGE.htm

as i wore all my life, even the dark sunglasses i have had for 25 years. now you see why i'm the KING. i hate change, LOL
question, why do women move the furniture around in the house????

thansk
 

Squizzy246B

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Sep 9, 2005
Messages
3,388
Location
Perth, Western Australia
Occupation
Digger Driver
Squizzy a guy of your fashion expertise should be on top of these things. KoO lives like out in the middle of no mans land and he is up on his fashion. Glad to see that KoO.

(you guys keep leading me astray)

I thought the hardhat would go well with my Mauve Flares...especially after I got the Paisley pattern embroided on the bottom of the flares:rolleyes:

I wore long pants to work the other day and some of my clients didn't recognise me......they thought I had my work shorts painted on ..Lol

Whats the chance of this thread getting back on the tracks?
 
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