69 or 70 Diamond REO

Truck Shop

Well-known member
I can finally start the first thread here with this Diamond REO. I'm guessing on the year and I only felt comfortable taking one photo.

I have some words of wisdom for those wanting to scope out old trucks and equipment like I do. Be DAMN careful. This day and age
you might not know what your driving or walking into. I always scope a place out real good I use binoculars 80% of the time.
Today was one of those days, I knocked on the door no one answered I thought I herd someone out in the the shop so I yelled out
twice as I walked to the shop. The large door was facing the other way so I walked at an angle to the door and yelled out again.

No one answered so I just quickly snapped a photo turned to leave and saw two fairly fresh deer hanging just inside the shop.
I looked behind me and backed up to my pickup and slowly backed down the drive.

Two years ago I was scoping out what looked like a 53 Stude shortbox setting in weeds behind a place in the middle of nowhere.
With the binoc's It was pretty obvious It was a meth cook house.

I don't hunt and I don't begrudge someone that does, but poaching doesn't cut it with me. I called the State Game Dept. And that meth
house got a visit from the Sheriff. So be careful when your out looking for old trucks you never know what you will find.

Now for that pic of the REO

Truck Shop

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JasonG

Well-known member
Yikes, unless you were on Indian nation land they were way out of season.
Be careful out there, nothing is worth your life.
Side note, I really like the red color on that cab over. Yeah, wrong subject/truck.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
Can't quite tell in the pic, but it looks to have a Callahan 5th wheel hoist on it. I drove a similar Diamond Reo home from a Seattle auction for a friend of my father... 335 Cummins, 5x4 trans, no power steering, and the only truck that ever blew a steer tire on me. Scared me spitless.
Oh, about those types of people, I do a lot of irrigation welding going into "forgotten" places... I've happened across 3 meth labs and 2 illegal pot grows. My best friend is now an AR 15 with a 16" barrel behind the truck seat. I'm not looking for trouble, but...
 
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Truck Shop

Well-known member
That's a Callahan on the back alright.

When anhydrous ammonia was the chemical of choice for meth cookers farmers around here had alot of problems. More that one was found dead from
being over come by the fumes or gas cloud.

Truck Shop
 

JNB

New member
Yep, gotta be careful scoping out the old stuff so you don't get scoped out yourself.

I shared duties driving a Diamond concrete mixer and White concrete mixer in the San Fernando Valley back in 1980(?). The Diamond had the same cab as your specimen, but I remember it having single headlights. It's been a long time though and it could have been the White I'm thinking of. Both were early 70's models with 7 cu. yd. barrels. The same company had a 60's model Diamond mixer with a small cab. All three trucks had 5x4's. I moved on to a Pete boost-a-load 9.5 yard truck, but I'll never forget the "fun" of throwing twin sticks.
 

DMiller

Well-known member
First wrecker I ever ran was a 1957 Diamond T single axle with the Black Diamond six cylinder gas. 4x3 trans set up and that lovely low air warning flag that let you know to kiss your own a$$ goodbye as they had no parking chambers but a hand brake for emergency stops. Great old hard riding tow anything chassis Diamond in the Rough.
 

dirtcurt

Active member
On Minneapolis craigslist can't get picture to pull over, just incase someone is looking for one, cool old rig.

1970 Diamond REO tractor model DC-10164D - $7500

make / manufacturer: dianond reo
70 Diamond Reo model DC-10164D
SLHD tandem axle, locking, 168" WB
Detroit 6V-92TA fuel squeezer plus replacement engine
9spd + 4 speed auxiliary
Power steering, Jake brake, winch,
Ex oil rig from Colorado.
120,000 actual miles.
Spec'd all heavy duty, double frame etc.
runs/drives in yard.
$7500 OBO
fix it up and work it or restore, thanks for looking!

00y0y_5ws3nIYgPhW_600x450.jpg
 

td25c

Well-known member
Nice find dirtcurt , I like it ! :)

If it was closer I'd grab it , would fit in fine with the rest of our trucks .

They don't make them like that anymore .

Former employer had a 1967 model like this one . Set up the same way only it had the" Gold Comet " in line 6 gas burner .

Pretty tough old rig .

Funny story , I was 17 at the time . Worked for a farmer that also did excavating work & everything else under the sun .

The guy let me run equipment , drive trucks , & wrench on it all .


Being I was still in high school the football coach kept after me to join the team , the cat would pull me aside , give me the speech about life and all that jazz .

I finally barked back & asked him ...... " Why would I want to run up & down a patch of grass chasing a ball when I can go operate equipment & get paid " ?

Poor coach was dumfounded , LOL ! :D
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
I wondered about the 92 Series being that old so I looked it up, according to Wikipedia the 92s weren't introduced until 1974. That's either a transplanted engine or perhaps a 71? Or even a 53? I've only ever seen two 6V71s in my life, a local fire department had them in twin tankers they had on Ford "C" Series chassis. Haven't seen them anywhere else. I've read they were a popular marine engine. The 6V53 was pretty common in Diamond Reos.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
The 6V92 is a great engine for doing repowers on older trucks with smaller engines. I did a repower in an older Ford Louisville, Really heavy spec ex mixer truck with a 3208 Cat. The 92 was almost a drop in, a bit of radiator work and a new exhaust system was about all it took. Engine mounts and front crossmember were from the donor truck also we used the 13 spd trans from the donor truck to replace the original 5 spd main trans (original was 5x4) and left the 4 spd auxiliary for "choices" in the farm fields. All in all a total success for the guys that drove it, they could shift a single stick, they had jake brakes, and a whole bunch more power.
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
The 92 Series was a great engine. It had a lot more grunt than the 71s, you didn't have to keep it screaming so much. I hauled freight in a White Road Commander that had one and it was a pleasure to drive. Had a straight 10 speed R/R in it, no splitter and it still got around pretty good.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
There's still a ton of farm trucks around this area with 2 stroke Detroits. 6 and 8V92s are starting to rule but there's a lot of '71s out there too. When they only run a month or 2 out of the year they are pretty cheap to keep. I know of one farm still running a quadruplet of mid 70's matched IH cabovers with 8V71s in good condition.
 
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