Take a look at this, a 1987 Diamond Reo Giant with just over 14,000 original miles. Yup, that’s right. Just 14K on the odometer.
I usually keep tabs on the auctions hosted by the local companies but this one almost slipped away. It was part of dual site auction that contained mostly building supplies and other junk. Thankfully my dad took the time to browse the listing with more attention than I paid or this truck would have been missed. The online auction catalog didn’t contain any photos but when you see words like Diamond Reo Giant and tandem winches attendance becomes mandatory.
I wasn’t sure what condition the truck would be in but I can tell you I wasn’t expecting a rig in this great of shape. The cab was completely rust free and contained a full set of working gauges. All glass was clear. The steering wheel was without cracks. The tilt fiberglass hood was free of breaks or tears. Under the hood was Cummins PT240 that started with just one crank. No smoke, blue or black, of any kind. The only fault that I could find was an air system that didn’t hold a full tank on it’s own without the truck running. Gearing was provided by a Road Ranger eight speed. Out back a wrecker body that I assume is a Weld Built. From what I could see the frame was very straight and rust free with no cuts, splices, or visible holes. At one point in time the current owner stopped by and dropped some more details. Apparently this truck came out of the Buffalo, NY DPW. It may have had a trash body on it at one point or was always a wrecker used to haul garbage trucks. Details are murky. At some point the truck went down to Binghamton and then back out to Buffalo were it was last used to move steel plates around.
I mention all these details because for a very short while my dad and I toyed with the idea of buying this truck. You see, there was almost no one at this auction. Possibly 20 people for over 140 lots. We figured if we could get a deal on this truck we could figure out how to store it for the winter, play around with it some, and possibly resell for a profit in the future. Maybe take it up to the Coquihalla and haul trucks through the smasher. We were dreaming big. Just so you understand our commitment this was the absolute last item up for bid. When the hammer fell the final price was 6,500 bucks. The money did not come from our wallets and we still have wives that will let us come home. What a steal someone got with this one.
I made a walk around video of the truck with the typical commentary. At one point I make a note about the engine having a knocking sound but that disappeared after the truck had been running for a bit. I believe it had something to do with the weak air system but for you out there with better trained ears please let me know if you hear something different.
Cool beans.
