One more thing to move to “finished” column, the Diamond T’s interior is finished! True, the emergency brake handle needs to be painted, as does the steering column, and the wheel needs a little repair and paint, but those things count more as paint and detail items, so I’m calling it done.
Today’s installation of the stereo and shift boot weren’t without difficulty, as I managed to run a mounting screw for the stereo through a speaker wire, which threw the unit into an “ERROR” mode. Lucky, all I had to do was splice the wire and (carefully, this time) screw the unit back to the floor.
Likewise the shift boot gave me trouble. The original hole in the floor, through which the Lokar shifter pokes, was too big for the nice stainless trim ring included with the shifter. After a few minutes of figuring what to do, I made a new ring from some diamond plate aluminum scrap, and riveted the black vinyl boot to it. It matches the aluminum fuse panel cover, and looks suitably “truck-ish”. I like it.
True to my promise, I took a glass with two fingers of moonshine (I like it better than Scotch), sat in the cab and listened to CCR and Dwight Yokum on the stereo. It sounds great, and I can now move on to the hard work of color sanding the paint and buffing it out.
Stay tuned for that!
Cool McCool's Garage 
Looks real good! I have got myself out of the vintage trailer biz – just sold the last one, a 64 26′ Boles Aero. Also getting out of the vintage truck business. Presently have a Black 53 Chev 5 window cab 1 1/2 ton shorty 9′ bed that was owned by a farm equipment dealer in Oklahoma, with all paper work that has under 20k miles on it. It’s a beauty and hoping it lights ebay right up!
Congratualtions on the Diamond T! You have some serious work into that rig (actually any rig you drive) but the DT is real special.
Thank you Joe. The Diamond T originally was fitted with a 9′ flatbed. If it’d been a round corner one, I’d have saved it, and the ’76 GMC Dually would be wearing a flatbed rather than a box!
Brian
Congrats…you’ve worked really hard on this project! Thanks for sharing.
She’s a beauty for sure! I hope it is the trailer hauling comofrtable beast you thouth you were bilding. Take a look at the unusual Chevy I have on Ebay right now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1953-Chev-Black-5-window-cab-1-5-ton-6100-9-bed-19801-miles-original-paint-MORE-/330884971704?_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true
You may have to copy/paste not that familiar with your system here. THIS is one of the most honest trucks I have ever had.
Have a look.
Joe