The story of Garybob’s 201
My first vehicle collecting was a Ford 8 N, bought sight unseen by cell phone on the way to the auction. That was in 1995. I since have focused on tractors, pickups, and cars, mostly Fords. In April of 2003, attended a County Western singing contest in Grove City Minnesota, where my daughter was a participant (she won). We sat with the parents of another contestant. During a lull in the contest the conversation with them turned to a discussion of my interest in old trucks. This couple shared with me that their neighbor had a pickup he was trying to sell. They knew nothing about it, including the make, but agreed to contact him to express my interest in learning more.
The next week I received a call from Richard (Butch) Steinhagen from Young America, MN. This is a community about 75 miles from my home in Willmar and is about 35 miles west of Minneapolis. He described a 1948Diamond T truck he owned, including work completed and to be done. He had some leftover parts, said the truck was not running and needed brakes, and said he was not going to continue to work on it because of other interests. My impression is that it was worth looking at with his asking price and I inquired about a time to do so. Butch then informed me that he thought it was sold to a person in Alexandria and that sale would be finalized with a visit on the Memorial Day weekend. I opined that I might look if I was in the area but my interest declined with the knowledge that it was likely sold.
In early June I was on my way to the Minneapolis area to attend the next level of my daughter’s competition. On the way I gave Butch a call to confirm that the truck was gone and learned that the tentative buyer was a no show. We agreed that I would look at the truck the following day.
My experience in looking at vehicles for sale has been most are not accurately described on the telephone and that in person much more work is evident than the owner shared. I was pleasantly surprised that the Diamond T in my sight was as described and perhaps the body was a bit better than Butch had shared. We had a nice visit, Butch described the seats, wood grain box, and other spare parts that were part of the deal, and he showed me the items needing attention. The truck was not able to run because of a missing battery and fuel pump but I was assured that it was in running order. The deal was made and I asked that he wait for a few weeks until I could get down with my trailer. Besides being totally honest in his assessment of condition, the deal was made with a handshake and no exchange of money.
Some of the history was known since Butch bought the truck from relatives. It had resided in Waconia, Minnesota and had been used as a work truck. Butch bought it and had some work done on the bed, replaced some parts, replaced the front tires, and had used it lightly in the summers, keeping it in his garage for the winter. He wanted to sell, but obviously was proud of its heritage and shared his enjoyment with owning it. One disadvantage he shared was that as a 1-ton truck, the ride when empty was not soft, with the truck earning the nickname “rough rider”
I picked the truck and spare parts up on July 1st. I called Butch the night before to make arrangements. He asked if I still had the Ford 8 N tractor we had discussed on my first visit. Butch has a hobby farm and owned other tractors, but had shared his interest in the Ford, one of three I owned at the time. It was in the process of being painted when the Diamond T was purchased. After a few minutes of conversation, he asked me to bring it along, and the exchange became part of the deal.
My knowledge of the Diamond T was zero when I brought the truck home. I knew nothing of its’ history, was unaware of what model I had bought, and had no clue of it value. One of my first thoughts was where will I get parts for this? I knew sources for Fords were plentiful, but I had no clue where to start with this. I found a tag on the passenger side that had a 268 number in the series, and I thought that might be the model ID. A visit to the library provided a small amount of information, with a picture of a truck looking like mine, described as a 201. Then one night while I was looking for the routing of a vacuum hose to the wiper, I found the 201 tag behind the heater on the side panel. I did discover the Diamond T Classics web site in my search and suddenly I realized there was some hope of learning more about the history and found that some information was available to help me. The information about the parts to be found at the NAPA stores has been a great help, since my local store is very accommodating.
I identified the parts needed to get the truck operating. The original fuel pump had been replaced with an electric one, which was defective. The line was repaired and the pump replaced. I purchased a new battery, cleaned the cable contacts, put a little fuel in the carburetor and the truck started. The truck presents itself quite well. The color is red, with green stripes and the color looks like many photos I have since found of the 201. A repaint appears to have been done, and paint adhesion seems to be poor so I gradually have found some primer white showing. I found touchup paint that is close and have been working carefully to improve the appearance. Paint blemishes of a purple hue were present on many surfaces, most common on the hood, fender and top. I assume it is from tree sap or berries. With careful application of rubbing compound I have been able to remove most of the spots.
The brakes were better than the owner thought and have loosened up with use. My fuel pump replacement led to a blown fuel line with the new pressure and I ran out of gas three times until I found out that a small gas tank leak was rendering the tank to go dry while sitting in the driveway. I still have a water pump leak at startup and the wipers don’t work. The rear tires have been replaced and I know the front tires are not the right size. I am missing a floor panel under the seat and have asked the web site members to help me find what it looks like and where I can find it. The oil pressure seems quite low, especially when warm so I suspect a weak pump or bearing wear. Engine noise is not bad and power is good. All running gear otherwise seems good, the steering is tight but column bearing is probably dry, and the two window AC (front window) works well. BC Products sent me the rubber running board and hood corner protectors.
The truck draws attention wherever I go. I had a lady from Iowa chase me two miles through three stores to complement me on the truck and share that she sold one like it when her husband died and has been sorry ever since. My fellow car club members have been very complimentary. The low flat roofline of the cab is so unique that the truck stands out among the crowd.
I will continue to work on upgrades as time permits. I do need to solve the oil pressure and water pump problems. Any help would be appreciated
My interest in the history of this company and my truck continues. I would love to know if a full listing of production exists and how many “48” models are out there. Thanks to William Yoder (AKA GOLD MINER) for his work to expand the knowledge of all of us with regard to our vehicles.
Marty
Hello. I am the son of the previous owner of this truck. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the truck. If you ever decide to sell the truck please let me know as I never knew he was going to sell the truck. It has sentimental value to me
Thank you
Marty Steinhagen