ekawrecker Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 The Four Lives of a Diamond TPhoto 1 - I took this around 1978 when it belonged to Morant Motors of Dunton Green near Sevenoaks. I was going to buy it but was put off by the very lpoor oil pressure. Intersting to note, the crane was built in their premises at Dunton Green and when it was finished it was too high to exit the workshop so they cut 12" off the top of the crane. Photo 2 - The same Diamond was eventually sold in about 1980 to Clydd Williams of Ruthin, North Wales. The engine was taken out and the crank re-ground. Clydd also fitted two Bedford thermo starts in the air intake manifold and said it would start in 5 degrees of frost. Clydd was a real engineer. A friend of mine lived in Ruthin and I made several trips there to see progress on the old girl. Photo 3 - Shows it many years later after Graham Booth bought it when Clydd retired and sold up. Graham removed the crane and put it back to military trim. Photo 4 - Shows the 'T' in Pickfords trim and still attending rallies but I don't know who owns her now. All the best, Tony G I took these photo's of TKN in the mid 80s at Ruthin, and they show the largely original condition and Clydd's home made crane to good effect. Clydd was indeed a 'real engineer' and his modest sized workshop boasted some fantastic pieces of engineering machinery, that would make light work of even the largest of diesel engine reconditioning. Clydd also ran an Albion CX22 converted to a breakdown, and I will post the picture of it that I know I have somewhere when I find it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) I do hope so. I fancy the challenge but may gain a divorce as well as a second T! Better wait until XUL is finished. Thanks for the confirmation. A Edited May 28, 2009 by Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 And wasn't someone on here asking recently for a Rogers trailer? (sitting under the T in Walker's yard?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 And wasn't someone on here asking recently for a Rogers trailer? (sitting under the T in Walker's yard?) That Rogers in the picture has been sold but at the time the pictures were taken there was a second one in the yard in a similar condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 hi eka wrecker, just a quickie, the crane on clydds wrecker was built in the workshops of morants motors of dunton green near sevenoaks, about three miles from our village, morants also ran a canadian chev with hand wind gear on it, hope of interest, tony g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 hi eka wrecker, just a quickie, the crane on clydds wrecker was built in the workshops of morants motors of dunton green near sevenoaks, about three miles from our village, morants also ran a canadian chev with hand wind gear on it, hope of interest, tony g Thanks Tony, I don't know what I was thinking of! Old age I guess?.........I'll get my coat. Regards, Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractorman Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I can tell you it took some burning off ..who ever built it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Now this is not the sort of thing you would want to carry out with a T, it would appear the load has shifted and landed on the ballast body. Painful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 Wow Les ! Thats one strong ballast box ! Thanks for posting !:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 Couple of pics of the two Diamonds at Gaydon last weekend ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8 bubba Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 damn i wish i had made gaydon now kids were full of hayfever and i decided to tinker in the workshop o bummocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Now this is not the sort of thing you would want to carry out with a T, it would appear the load has shifted and landed on the ballast body. Painful The ballast box may be strong but the chassis isn't. Look at the line of the fuel tanks, and you will see that the chassis has bent. The text on the photo says a Docker at Chatham, drove the Cent onto the DT by mistake, when he should have been unloading it. The caption claims the DT was repaired over the Week end and the Army never knew, but clearly the chassis is bent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Found another pic of the Blackpool Diamond T:coffee: Maybe someone on here has it now ........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 Nice one mate ! If anyone knows its where abouts it'll be Les ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 the guy who use to drive it for the council often came in my dads military shop years ago . he use to say it had had one of the arms on the back shortened (somethin to do with using it on the trams) he had the original hand book for it too ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hi NOS. I have just returned from the UK where I met up with the original owners of forty seven years ago of my T. Jeff Gatwood bought it from a yard in Southampton immediately after it's conversion from the army to a wrecker. I have always said that the conversion had been done extremely nicely. Mr Gatwood said that there were two DT'S exactly the same in the yard of which he had the choice and it had been converted by Bill Jackson of Chaseside Engineering. The T had the word chaseside written in the diamond pattern on the side. I wonder where the second DT is now!!! He also gave me about twenty photos of the DT in recovery mode around the Kent area. Also with Mr Gatwood was Ron Baily who is now nearly eighty years old and was the regular driver of this truck. I have some great pictures of Ron with my T. The two pictures here show the T nearly ready for the Dorset Steam Show and the restoration will hopefully start this winter. I hope this is of interest. All the best. Tony G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Those pictures show just how neat a job it is, thanks. Most ground anchors totally mess up a truck's good looks but not that one! It looks to have been very carefully looked after and not abused much - lovely condition. How great to meet the people who ran the truck - you can't put a price on experiences like that. I couldn't help but notice the blue "thing" in the background - perhaps an early Muirhill? Or more likely a Chaseside with full air management/streamlining kit? :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Nice pictures Tony, looks pretty good from the outside, what needs to be done during the restoration? Cheers, A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 A real beauty. Many thanks Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 hi, nos, the machine in the background is a hardy, based on a sixties fordson eia, it was used by a company called conways, a paper haulier from chatham kent. it can lift 30 cwt and apparently is the only one left. all the best tony g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 hi adrian, the restoration of the diamond will include all the normal things, cab, bonnet, and wings, if you notice, the offside windscreen has been made by someone and stuck in, i have two new windscreens which i shall fit on my next visit to england in the middle of july. it is still a little bother to start but none of the injectors were working before, i had all new nozzles fitted and set up along with the pump ,so i guess it might be glazed bores, also it has not been on the road for nearly twenty years, will keep you informed on the progress, all the best tony g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croc Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Dave Weedons ex Wynns DT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACCDT Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Hi, Thought i would post a pic of the Diamond T gang in Normady this year, Mine is on the right and considering it had not been actively driven for YEARS we covered 200 plus miles without any hitchs. New to the forum and will try to answer as many questions as possible, MACCDT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Hi and welcome! What is the history behind your T? Cheers, A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACCDT Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Morning Adrian, I originally bought it from Shropshire, It is ex Italian and was brought out of Army Cars For the "Band of Brothers" tender but the gent was not successful. So it possibly sat with yours at Army Cars. I then moved it to Macclesfield where again unknown to me it sat 4 miles away from yours for a few years. Started work on it properly in September last year to get it ready for Normandy 09, Has 1200 miles on the clock now and based on all the work my mates and I have done i think this is original.It very clean and unmodified. added another 2 pictures for you. one as found, one on first day of getting reg docs from DVLA in May. Just on my way out to drop the starter motor off as it played up a little after Normandy. Nice to find others interested in DT's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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