ot.reo/diamond reo trucks

4010 puller · Oct 22, 2015

Hey all:

This is off topic but ive been wondering about the rarity of these trucks. Don't see many of the 1960/1970 reo/diamond reo diesel trucks around the Ohio area. Is anyone still using them? I don't see many for sale either, anyone know of any? Where did they all go? If anyone has any they are still using and has a photo please post them or email. They don't seem as popular as the IH or Mack, but I suppose parts aren't quite readily available either.

Thanks

FC Andy · Oct 22, 2015

I've always assumed that Diamond REO trucks were a very local thing, since they were built in Lansing. I know of two locally still at work, both owned by farmers. One is a cabover tractor, I'd guess mid 70's vintage, the other is probably a late 60's to early 70's vintage conventional with a grain box on it. These are really the only two that I've seen in person. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. -Andy

Dalex · Oct 22, 2015

Lots of info at the Am . Truck
Historical Society website
(ATHS )
"OLD " here on the board , owns one . Ask him about it ...

ShadetreeRet · Oct 22, 2015

There is quite a bit of history behind these trucks. I realize the accuracy is not always 100%, but Wickipedia has a lot of information, as well as other sources. Just Google "REO Trucks", and "Diamond REO Trucks". I had always understood that when Volvo bought out White that Volvo had the rights to the REO name, but I just read someone else bought the rights and continued to build trucks until about 2000 in small nummbers. I know that when I was a kid, (back in the forties), there were a lot of REO trucks working.

old · Oct 22, 2015

Back in the 40 and early 50s there was the Diamond-T and the Reo two different companies. Then some time in the 50s Diamond-T bought out Reo and made both the Diamond-T and the Diamond-Reo. I have a 1963 Diamond-T 990. If I ever find some $$ I hope to fix her back up and put her on the road again. We added 2 foot to the frame and put a dump bed on it and I used it till I blew #2 sleeve and piston out of it so I have been looking for a Cummin's 220 for years now

PopinJohn · Oct 22, 2015

I think it probably depends on the strength of the dealer.
Back in the 70's, I worked for Tucson Diesel, a Diamond Reo dealer,
And I can remember several companies who had fleets of Diesel
Powered Diamond Reo's. Concrete mixer trucks; Dump trucks,
18 wheeler tractors. Mostly C-180 and 555 Cummins in mixers and dumps.
335 and 350 (855's) Cummins in the tractors.
The owner of Tucson Diesel told me one day they had been successful
because instead of spec'ing trucks with 34,000 lb rear axles, they had
sold trucks with 38,000 lb axles, and axle life before failure was
dramatically improved.

Mark - IN. · Oct 22, 2015

Diamond REO (Ransom E. Olds)? My guess, like most of the old Brockways, Whites, and heck, even Dodge 900, 1000, or Big Horn...most of them retired or unfortunately scrapped.

Today I was at an intersection and a new Mack pulled up next to me and it had a chrome bulldog on the hood. I didn't know or think that Mack still built their own engines, but went to their website and they still do, hence the chrome bulldog. Back in the day, a chrome bulldog meant the engine was Mack's own Maxidyne, or whatever. A gold bulldog meant the engine was non-Mack like Cummins, Detroit, Cat. These days?

Mark
Is a Diamond REO on the first page

Mark - IN. · Oct 22, 2015

Oops, that picture on the first page is a "T", not a "REO'.

ohiodick · Oct 22, 2015

gold bulldog is pedigrede mack engine trans and rears. silver has vender parts.

4520BW · Oct 23, 2015

Gold bulldog was all mack...Silver was various suppliers..

DR. EVIL · Oct 23, 2015

I drove a nearly new '74 Diamond REO ready-mix truck summer of '75. Truck was less than a year old. Company had five of them, 20,000# frt axle, 38,000# tandems, 9 yard REX mixers, 555 V-8 Cummins rated 206 HP and a 5-speed Allison & 3-speed Brownie, 2:1 underdrive, 1:1 direct, & .8:1 overdrive.

The company had some older '66 White Mustang mixers and a pair of '70 White Constructors, the REO was very similar. Summer of '76 I drove one of the '66 Whites, buddy had my old REO. He drove it 3-4 years and it got scrapped! Truck salvage yard pulled the mixer off and sold it, the rolling cab/chassis sat in the yard for quite a few years. I always thought it would have made on heck of a grain truck, put a 22-24 ft aluminum dump box on it, twin cylinder hoist. It needed a better paint job, Construction Orange was not my favorite color, and maybe some more HP if possible. When it was loaded up to 50,000-52,000# gross it was pretty doggy!

Spudm · Oct 23, 2015

My neighbor has two of those trucks sitting behind his barn. I think they date back into the 40's. They both are complete and ran when he parked them several years ago.

Gundoctor · Oct 23, 2015

I had a 1929 Reo on our farm. It came with great rack and Dad use it to haul Ice to cool his milk. We sold it and they restored it & now take it to car shows here in Vermont.

cumminspuller · Oct 23, 2015

I know where a farm is close to me tha thas 3 late 40's model REO's. One is restored the others are original. I've been looking for a 48 or 49 for a while now. I want to put a grain bed on one and haul just a few bushels from my old 45 combine.

Old Scovy · Oct 23, 2015

I drove a F22 Reo 10 wheeler dump back in the 50's It had a gas engine and a 5 speed with a 3 speed brownie box. Square geared thing. I drove a F8 Ford that was a lot better truck. Pulled a 26 foot dump. Hauled material for road building all summer and salt all winter. Soon got over it and went to pulling a tank for the rest of my working life. I am also a member of ATHS in fact I am a Charter Member. Not many of us left any more.

Dave in GA · Oct 23, 2015

I grew up in Southeast Michigan in the 60s and 70s and Diamond Reos were some of the most common trucks on the roads and construction sites. Lots of cement mixers. They were made in Lansing, not too far away, so parts were easy to come by. Good strong trucks that offered a 440 cubic inch gas V8 engine or whatever diesel you wanted. Their last models manufactured before shutting the plant were the Raider conventional and the Royal II cabover. Sharp trucks.
Click here

JOCCO · Oct 23, 2015

After the 75 bankruptsy they were built in PENN. until late 90's there is a company still selling parts and was going to build a few new ones each year. They were a specialty truck maker and the PENN outfit only built 2 per day. So this is why you don't see many along with production ended in late 90's Diamond T and reo merged in 1966 I believe. There were partly owned by White until the bankrupt deal. For the most part they faded out and are now collectors items. Lots of info on the web. YES I AM A FAN

mmfan55 · Oct 23, 2015

the second truck I ever drove was a '71 Diamond Reo tri-axle dump. NTC 250 cummins; 13spd double overdrive (RTOO9513); with 44,ooo# rears with 5.17 ratio. (first was a sidewinder Mack. drove it maybe 2 months before the boss sold it). Got to learn a good bit about them since I drove it AND helped work on it. This was in late 75 and 76; just about the time White quit building them. They were a product of the merger of Reo and Diamond T. When White quit; as has been stated; a Penn. co started buying out all of the dealer inventory and began building a limited number. At one time they used the name Giant. I read where they quit production several years ago; but; now have plans to start building again. I own a piece of their history in a 1948 Diamond T pickup. It has been sitting in my shop now for 28 years. Hoping to restore it after I retire. Not many people know that Diamond T built pickups as well as the big trucks in earlier years. This 48 is one of the last of the model. I have seen a few Diamond Reos sitting along the road in my travels. Do not recall seeing one in use for several years. I many ways; the Diamond Reo was ahead of their time. The interior; and "creature comforts" of the 71 I drove will rival many new trucks being produced.

Gambles · Oct 23, 2015

In my area....

4010 puller · Oct 24, 2015

is old scovy the guy you are referering to or just 'old'? What year is his truck? Still not many around for sale it seems.

High Top Farm · Oct 29, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:58:36 10/22/15) Hey all:

This is off topic but ive been wondering about the rarity of these trucks. Don't see many of the 1960/1970 reo/diamond reo diesel trucks around the Ohio area. Is anyone still using them? I don't see many for sale either, anyone know of any? Where did they all go? If anyone has any they are still using and has a photo please post them or email. They don't seem as popular as the IH or Mack, but I suppose parts aren't quite readily available either.

Thanks

I have a 1970 Diamond- Reo ten wheeler I would like to sell. Its been sitting by my barn for years Threw a battery in it this Summer it turned over about 20 times and fired up.

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