Projects Hot Rod Heavy Hauler: 1948 Diamond T

Here's this afternoons project, a gauge panel. Pretty neat-o I think. Ruined two new hole saws trying to cut the holes for the gauges, ended up using a cutoff wheel on the die grinder. Best tool I ever bought...

Wheels? I've decided I'm running the Dodge aluminum ones I have on the rear. I need two more, as the other pair of the set are on our trailer. I want 'em all to match.

Brian

 

Sweet dash panel! Your truck is really coming along nicely!

 

Brian;
how do you cut a hole with a cut off tool?
Bill.

 

In the photo, it looks like you have a little "extra" room around the exhaust manifold. Might not be a bad idea to fill that area back in when you box the frame, especially as the camber load from the upper A-arm bears right on that spot. I doubt you're going to road race the truck (?), but you've still got a lot of mass moving around in a corner.

You know, those original leaf spring hangers would make a great hinge for a tilt front end...

 

Hey Brian,
Thanks for posting this thread, very detailed on a very cool build.

Just wondering though, on your drive train choice?

Since new, the Diamond T is considered the "Heavy Duty" choice of pickup trucks, did you consider a turbo Diesel Motor drivetrain (from one of the three domestic manufacturers) and use a donor frame from the pickup it was installed in. While the 6.0 LS motor will be more than adequate to move the truck down the road, the diesel would reflect the heavy duty reputation that made Diamond T famous.
Just my opinion

 

Careful with this.......when I went diesel it cause a chain reaction regarding drivetrain and suspension issues. (Due to the weight and torque)

Majority of gasser tranny's just will not play nice with a diesel motor (read epic fail when the boost comes on)

If you do have any questions regarding diesel, do let me know.... otherwise I love the 48 DT build...... I always check up to see if theres a few things I could've missed on my own build and you nailed right on the head.....


Keep up the good work!

~M

 

Notice that i said "drivetrain" meaning diesel motor, transmission and rear end and also if possible the use of a donor rolling chassis which is engineered for this drivetrain application.
We all know the monster torque & horsepower numbers that are available with a turbo diesel.
Good luck with your '47 Ford project!

 

How do you cut a 2 1/4" hole (actually, 4 of them), and a 3 3/8" hole with a cut off wheel? VERY carefully! Actually, it wasn't hard, the instantly dulled hole saw made a nice mark on the polished stainless, I just used a nearly used up (small diameter) 1/8" wheel, and went right around. No screwups. Worked great.

Diesel power. Well, let me tell you how small the Diamond T model 201 engine compartment is. The original Hercules inline six has the two rear plugs under the edge of the firewall! I had originally planned on, and had located, a Dodge Cummins turbo 6bt, but on getting the truck here, and seeing it, there was NO WAY it'd even come close to fitting. I very briefly thought about a 4bt, and half heartedly looked for one in a truck to buy, but for the money, it didn't make sense. The bigger series Diamond T's will accept the 6bt, thier hood is foot longer than my pickup.

The 6.0 LS will have some "presence". It's a swap I've done, so I'm familiar with whats involved. It'll make the truck very fast, great tow capability, reasonably economical, and, the buy in was cheap. I think it's a winner. I think it'll still carry the "Heavy Duty" standard well. And, I now have the 350 setting a pallet, just waiting to be used in a project that an SBC will be the right choice for.

Brian

 

Diesel power. Well, let me tell you how small the Diamond T model 201 engine compartment is. The original Hercules inline six has the two rear plugs under the edge of the firewall! I had originally planned on, and had located, a Dodge Cummins turbo 6bt, but on getting the truck here, and seeing it, there was NO WAY it'd even come close to fitting. I very briefly thought about a 4bt, and half heartedly looked for one in a truck to buy, but for the money, it didn't make sense. The bigger series Diamond T's will accept the 6bt, thier hood is foot longer than my pickup.

Thanks for the reply, Brian. It sounds like you considered Diesel Power, but the engine was physically too big for the Diamond T.

Keep us posted on this outstanding build!

 

The truck is coming along nicely Brian. I like the dash, the SW gauges look good.

 

Goodbye funky van column, Hello Diamond T column and wheel! Faithful readers of this build thread fiasco may recall the hideous '93 Chevy van column that was uglying up the dash of my truck. Well, worry no more, it's now in the trash!

I lopped the steering box of the trucks original column, and lo and behold, found that the shaft is exactly the same 1" diameter steel tubing as the van columns inner shaft. I cut the jacket back far enough to get some working room, and simply welded the end of the vans shaft onto the Diamont T shaft, then welded the bottom of the van column lower jacket with the bushing and floor mount onto the DT jacket and bolted it into the truck using the original cast bracket.

It fits perfectly, looks GREAT, was FREE, FREE, FREE, and it only took an afternoon. Much better than the ugly modern column. I also moved the master cylinder over to the left (to clear the LS1 intake), straightened out the pedal to clear the column, and mounted it. I'll have to modify the pedal yet, as it now hits the columns floor mount bracket, but that's no big deal. Very rewarding job that really makes the interior look like it should.

The bumpers also arrived, and big, big props to Chevs of the 40's for the quality of these 47-53 Chev pieces. Perfect fit, right proportions, the chrome is flawless. For the price, 150 each, can't be beat. I can't say enough good about 'em.

Brian

 

Brian, Now that is one affordable and great update for your truck. looks great.

 

Yanked the motor this morning and got busy modifying the crossmember to accept the LS1 'Vette style mounts. I had to flatten it to make pads for the biscuits to rest on by cutting a notch at the top, hamering the top section down flat, then boxing it back in. While I was at it, with the engine out I boxed in the right side of the frame where I'd notched it for the manifolds. Certainly looks better, and was probably a good thing to do.

Tidied up the lower mount of the steering column a bit, I don't know what I was thinking when I made it. Looked like crap, big, bulky and awkward. So, I cut that apart, lengthened the column and shaft which was too short anyway, and it now looks proper. Also made a brace from the brake pedal mount to the dash to stiffen that up a bit.

http://flynbrian48.wordpress.com/

 

The engine is now setting on the insulators (biscuits) on the crossmember! I'm always surprised when I've measure something correctly, and it all goes together.

I do think I'll cut slots in the crossmember from the center of the engine mount hole to the front, as it's almost impossible to lift the engine high enough with the insulators on the engine to get in the chassis. The extra 2" of bolt sticking down are tough. Doesn't seem like it'd hurt to have slotted holes, I could use washers underneath with crosshatches cut with a chisel or pickpunch.

Oh, boxed in the left hand side frame notch too...

Hmm, how 'bout some pictures to help make this make some sense?

 

I finally got the truck outside and started blasting the frame and cab. Happily the nasty, scaly front crossmember and suspension stuff cleanted up really well, but I did find some pinholes in the drivers door. Wierd, since there were NO bubbles in the paint at all. Oh well,better to find them now.

It looks good when I stand back, lines of the box are just right, and the proportions are just what I wanted. It's hard to tell exactly how it looked inside, as I couldn't get far enough away, but it's all good. Now I can finish up the blasting and get the frame, suspension and underbody painted. Cool!

cool mccools garage

 

Having a larger truck (614) and a 6BT even that's a shoehorn. I had to add a 9" doghouse into the cab to make it fit and have some clearance. A 4BT would have been a better choice. Hindsight being 20/20 of course.

Alternatively a 6.5TD would be a good fit in the 614 bay. Unfortunately for the smaller trucks there just isn't enough room up front unless you sink the motor between the rails and run it low- running a 201/211 cab on a Isuzu NPR frame and drivetrain (cabover) could be easy (same 40" frame rail width) and even if the motor is "under" the cab.

 

We gotta see some front sheetmetal just balanced on that truck. Don't tell me ya haven't done it yet!!!

 

You ever want any measurements of a 4BT, do let me know.... fit perfectly in my 47 Big Rig.....

 

I would have hung the sheet metal on for a picture, but I've it on and off so many times already I can't count, and it's all put away, or rather, piled up in the back of the shop. Here's what it looks like together...

The next time the sheet metal goes on, it's the LAST time!

Brian

 

Haha, said that a time or two myself!

Hey, tell me more about your front bumper.....

 

Finally, after almost two months of life getting in the way, I've made some progress on the Diamond T pickup. I've been sandblasting, cleaning, and scraping crud, getting ready to paint the chassis. Hopefully, that'll happen this afternoon.

I've got two quarts of tractor enamel, black, and hardner to paint the chassis and suspension, after discovering that under the red (re-paint) on the frame rails, that the chassis was originally black, not the body color. So, black it is.

Just to clarify, the chassis and undersides of the floorboards will be painted with enamel, not the body and box.

I've also got the 6.0 LS (actually, I guess what GM calls it is "LQ9") powerwashed and all cleaned up. It looks good, I think a little spray bomb work on the pulleys and engine block (which is all but invisible, especially once installed) will be good. I do think I'm going to polish the valve covers, even though they're pretty much hidden under the coil packs.

Read more about this whole fiasco at: http://flynbrian48.wordpress.com/