This 1949 Diamond T cab over truck is a project that’s ready for completion, with the seller opining that it could be finished off as a car hauler or with a custom pickup bed. Vintage COEs are seemingly always in style, as old-school trucks offer endless possibilities for customization without the need to overly restore them in order to look totally badass. With this Diamond T, I’d leave the exterior largely untouched, replace the broken glass, shore up the mechanicals, and call it a day. You’ll find it here on eBay with a suggested opening bid of $5,500 and no action yet.
The auction wraps up tomorrow afternoon, and the seller has listed a Buy-It-Now price of $7,500. Clearly, this Diamond T is in good company based on the myriad trucks and cabs surrounding it, and the seller offers that he intended to keep it for himself with plans to convert it to a diesel-powered dually pickup, but that his plans have changed. While the truck does look largely solid, there are some rust areas that will need to be fixed. It’s mildly jarring to see such a short frame jutting out from behind the cab – does it appear to have been cut to anyone else?
Photos don’t tell us much, but the interior at least looks like it retains original details. Around the time of WWII, most steering wheels in Diamond T trucks would have been gripped by soldiers driving wreckers, troop transporters, and heavy-duty trucks designed to rescue stranded or damaged tanks. These were heavy-duty machines that did grueling work, so it’s sort of ironic to imagine one today simply being used as a show truck or an advertising display for a local antique store.
The seats have clearly dissolved in the relentless sun, losing both the upholstery and horsehair or whatever other type of material was used to stuff them. The next owner will be able to custom trim the entire cabin, as it’s like a blank canvas at the moment. Simple switchgear and door panels should be left alone, but a clean bench seat and padded dash might add some style to the otherwise spartan interior. The seller considers this particular Diamond T a “…very rare hard-to-find truck.” If it is, should it be rat-rodded or restored back to original condition?
Frame rails are definitely cut. No room for a fuel tank currently. But that does leave options available as to what you want to do from that point. The front axle and steering are taken care of, so extend the frame and add rear axle to match what you want for a bed from some pickup. I think I’d be very tempted to use a military short trailer body to keep the motif going. It would look period correct, be stupidly strong, and easy to mod.
Then paint that bad boy! Forget patina, let’s go with matte black or some nasty construction equipment color that doesn’t care about scratches. Can you see this in a nice yellow body with black fenders and bumpers? Add lots of lights, a period style slat metal grill guard- oh yes.
Wish I had the space.
“… a military short trailer body to keep the motif going” I’m liking that train of thought Dan. Fix the frame rails, Deuce ‘n a Half bed, cut proportionally correct to the cab as a King Kong pickup.
I envision it in Persian Orange with about a 16′ flat bed and Allis Chalmers dealer advertising. When I was a kid back in the 70s, the A-C dealer that we bought equipment from used a Diamond T cab over similar to this one.
That is one stylish porta potty .
definitely not a COE! Let’s get the terminologies correct.
How about SNUB NOSE. I have a 56 Ford and it has the C-600. They say the C stands for CAB OVER,but a small part of the engine is covered under the cab. I call mine–like most people a SNUB NOSE. Some people you could tell them anything and some has their own version.
AND, with third member welded to chassis….. adding a set of basic leaf springs would decrease wheelbase another 12 inches or more.
Of course it has been cut. That’s a captain obvious kind of a question. The best course of action at this point is to refit the cab onto a modern chassis. With full restoration of the cab and fenders. As for wether or not this is a COE it’s not really I’ve always herd these trucks referred to as a snub nose. The engine in this truck bye large is still in front of the cab. That said it’s not a conventional either.
My local yard has lots of old truck frames. Find one that fits either inside or outside of existing c channel . Extend by 8 ft then play with it and cut off whatever you don’t use when yer done and weld er up. BTW , I count 7 windows
Obviously cut, there’s no suspension and the axle is tack welded on. I’d guess just to roll it around, it probably isn’t the right one anyway. And no, not a cabover. The cabs clearly behind the engine.
Ok, clarification indeed. This is either a 404, or a 509, and yes, for all practical purposes, it IS a cabover. More accurately, a cab forward, but cabovers hadn’t got to the full flat front yet, and this was considered a cabover. Clearly, optimistic pricing, it’s not a VW bus,,(had to get that in there) and I’m shocked at the price, you got to be kidding. I don’t know if a complete 404 would bring this much,, at least that would be a historical piece. When I got my Diamond T 201, it was missing the side “Diamond T” badges, like this one. I found one of these in a junkyard, that still had the badges. Good luck finding them today. So, in conclusion, and not to be cocky, but I know old trucks and in 1949, this was considered a cabover.
Got all out of shape on what a cabover is, I didn’t mention the most probable scenario for this old gal, someone with a modern dually donor would probably pay $5g’s, just to get the cab and front. While looking up the model, some real nice conversions came up using this cab. While you can’t see it here, in this link, go to the interior pics, and you will see, the cab is clearly over the engine. There was a panel that covered the motor called the dog house.
http://smclassiccars.com/other-makes/125452-1947-diamond-t-sc-coe-cabover-truck.html
If I read the Ford and GM manuals correctly, they call this cab arrangement a COE. It’s interesting the procedure to pull the engine. The engine and transmission are on a subframe that slides out of the main rails. Pull the grill and rad, uncouple the driveshaft, unbolt the subframe and slide everything out through the front. Kind of a page out of the military trucks…
Howard, I’min awe but it’s simply “not cricket” to mention that you own a T201 without showing a picture. Don’t drive it through through the Charlotte area or I may find myself involved in a truck hijacking!
All in jest…happy new year.
Hi John, owned,,,owned a Diamond T pickup and we won’t get into that again,,,stupid ex-wife. Have a safe New Years
shame that all the glass is shot. I can’t imagine it would be easy to find replacements.
The glass is all flat. Any competent glass shop can cut replacements to fit.
Just out of curiosity, what would something like that cost (ballpark)?
I had a new door glass made for my ’40 Ford coupe a few years back, as I recall it was somewhere between $30 and $40.
They show up from time to time. This one is in Chester, MT, from a farm nearby. I don’t know what the owner’s intentions are for it as of yet but I sure do hope it gets a proper restoration; it deserves that…
all these we called ‘cab forward’ (a 3rd entity)not the reg, not the cab over – but it’s all semantics, may B even regional differences for a national deal…don’t matter, still – signifier of a bygone era.
Shuck it (not much left, da s.o.bs) all but the cab – onto a modern frame/chassy/ engine, transmis, etc all defendant on – APPLICATION The automotive Q every time…
This dimond cab on a newer 5500 chassis, restored steering wheel and dash, new seats and incadesent bulb headlight’s, original wheels modified to fit new axles, wood deck, cog belt driven injection pump on the powerstroke, older fuller transmission..
With no electronics what so ever, it’ll make a very attractive build for people with both feet on the ground.
Love all these type of trucks. Possibilities are endless for customization.
But. Would like to see a truck from all years up the line to see what each years models looked like.
All are pretty cool, but if I was gonna try to pick one up I need to see each years model first to make up my mind as to which one I like best.
Is there any books on these trucks?
It’s what was known as a COE, drove a GMC, same config. back when I was too young to drive as a wrecker, had a rod one pushed down next to seat to start it.
I’d pull the cab, redo it and set it on a F450 0r F550 as a F350 is too light for that heavy cab, and get modern brakes,engine etc. Unusal old truck that could be fun
runnin down the road. Remember back then when trucks weren’t barfy boring, all a like, like a Fageol, interesting.