Has anyone heard of REO trucks?

1ole4d · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2002, 10:34 PM

I came across an old truck sitting in a over grown gas station just outside of town. I stopped and looked at it. (through the trees). It had REO written on the front and the sides. Looked like a stake bed on the back. On the very tip to the hood it read "E-23". It is a 2wd dualie. Are these old trucks worth anything or rare to find? Personally I've never heard of REO before....

1978 F-150 flareside. Primitive by todays standards but she was a jaw dropper back then. :-staun

Vampiro · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2002, 10:54 PM

can you take a pic so i can see it? i've never heard of any thing like this before

79f3504x4 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2002, 10:56 PM

Gotta be an old-timer to remember REO trucks!I guess they havent been made since the 50s.Brian

oldblue18 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-21-2002, 11:36 PM

My first thought was a Reo 6x6 (AKA deuce-and-a-half) that the military uses....

Jon
1989 F-150 XL- 4x4, 302, M50D--New and Improved with 3" body lift...and worn out 31" tires....
1995 Bronco Eddie Bauer- 351W, E40D
Finally got around to creating a gallery...check it out

66 Ranger · #5 (**permalink**) 03-21-2002, 11:58 PM

REO stands for R. E. Olds. Sound familiar? Oldsmobile. He started this company after he sold his car company to general motors. I don't know when they went out of business. Might research it on the 'net. Amazing what's on it.

Mil1ion · #6 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 12:08 AM

Certainly you've heard of the Band
"R.E.O. Speedwagon" ?

I've driven three of them:
One like you're talking about in a parade, "What a Blast"

Two Concrete Trucks ,Diamond REO's

I forget the engines in the conrete trucks but, they had Allison 6 speeds in them.

Dennis http://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]

[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]

78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon

rocky · #7 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 02:25 AM

When I was a kid in the mid-sixties I lived near a quarry, and used to see Diamond Reo 10-wheeler dumptrucks all day long. The looked like a nice rig.

46fordtruck · #8 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 02:41 AM

They were a popular Heavy Duty truck back in thier day. They were made mainly in the big, heavy duty sizes, I'm not sure if they made a pick-up or not. Depending on the year, there may be a buyer out there for it.

Gary
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.

STEVE1103 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 07:08 AM

Seen a lot, most were Diamond Reo.

winfordr · #10 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 07:27 AM

This may show my age*, but nobody mentioned in speaking of the "Diamond" part of Diamond REO that the Diamond was once a separate company. I have seen "Diamond T" trucks. I believe, but am not sure, that they merged with the REO truck company, forming the Diamond REO brand. Someone with some time on their hands could do some research on the web and probably give us a good story on this.

*My first "driving" experience was when I was 5 my dad would let me sit in his lap and steer his 46 Studebaker 1 1/2 ton flat bed (on a graded road at about 5 mph). Too bad that would be a serious safety violation today.

That Studebaker was a good truck, even if he did have to use the mule to pull-start it.

Winford

DavidB · #11 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 07:51 AM

Try this site:

http://www.antiquetrucks.com/dia-reo/dia-reohist.html

odie780 · #12 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 09:02 AM

The Dimond REO was still being made in a very small Shop not realy a factory just out side of Harrisburg PA 1998 or so when I left the area. One of the best things about this truck was they where made in small numbers. They where built very heavy duty and they where on the high side for price.

aerocolorado · #13 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 09:49 AM

The REO is old name in trucks, dating back to at least the early 20's mainly for construction use not delivery or over the road. The early ones were big for their day and used a chain drive.

LK · #14 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 10:06 AM

I had written a bit up on REO, but then my computer crashed and I lost it.

Since I don't have the patience to re-write it, here are some links:

http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore/museums/hismus/special/lans1897/oldsmoto.html
(Ransom Eli Olds information)

http://clubs.hemmings.com/reo/#
(the REO collector's club)

http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/cars/carhist.htm
(a good general auto history site)

There, that should be enough.

One thing most people don't know is that R. E. Olds actually invented the assembly line and was making & selling cars before Henry Ford. To put it another way, GM has managed to kill the longest-surviving American auto nameplate...good job, GM! On the bright side, I think this makes Ford the oldest American brand - though not the overall oldest, because I think that title goes to Daimler (not sure, though I do know Daimler is older than Ford). A lot of the auto pioneering actually came from France, like the development of the four-cycle gas engine and the first gas-powered cars.

LK

1ole4d · #15 (**permalink**) 03-22-2002, 10:43 AM

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-Mar-02 AT 12:10 PM (EST)]Ok...I went and took some pictures today for you guys to see. You're going to have to check out my gallery though. Went I opened the door the first thing I noticed was a huge gap in the floor where the transmission used to be and a huge flywheel looking at me :-X23. Poor old truck has just been sitting there probably for the last 30 years rusting away watching all the people go by on the highway....

Hmm....gonna have to wait...I can't get into the gallery right now. Comp is being a butt today

1978 F-150 flareside. Primitive by todays standards but she was a jaw dropper back then. :-staun