’33 REO Speedwagon build w/ a twist

Do you have any leads or contacts for a solid '34-'35 REO cab and grille?

 

There was a cab for sale recently. Let me dig up a picture and details.

We are also selling the two beds we collected for our project but didn't use.

 

Thanks. I did some Google maps sleuthing and found the white '36 in Ely, but current views show it's gone. Pretty far for me, but it's good to see they fit into late model pick up beds. Also, I've read '36 had little or no wood in them, as REO had to tool up to continue making more as the first supply for the '33 run was exhausted. Have you found that to be true?

 

I had a pic of a Diamond Reo hull but am having trouble finding it. It is or was in Hickory Mississippi, and I'll see if I can find the picture or see if it's still there. Speaking of pics, could you send me a picture of your 53 Studebaker as I am building a 55 for a friend, have swapped to a 53/54 grille, front on it.Stuck a 440 in it.
Did they make a Diamond Reo delivery? seems I remember the body being a box type.The grille was with it but was gone last visit.

 

I don't know about sedan deliveries, but I wouldn't be surprised. REO had something for everyone. Although a delivery would be really special today, it's not what I'm looking for. Thanks just the same.

 

Curiosity led me to Robert Gabrick's book, REO photo archive 1910-1966. Sure enough, Deliveries were made, at least in 1935.

 

I don't know where this picture was taken. I think there was one of these for sale somewhere around Denver or Colorado Springs. That one was restorable, but unrestored in the $5-$10k range.

 

The REO that was in Ely was just the tip of the iceburg for the old junk that was sitting around there in 2013. From Google Earth, it looks as though most of that junk has been moved. You might inquire down at the Railroad museum. Some of the guys that help maintain the steam locomotives probably have clues to where some of that junk has gone.

 

I looked at my pictures from Ely. I think that truck is a '36 because it has a fold-out windshield. The '36 also has a different hood. But it has just as much wood as the earlier cabs. The drivers door was missing quite a bit of wood. The '36 also had glove boxes in the dash, which the earlier trucks don't have.



I suspect that when they described new tooling for a cab with more steel, that was an entirely different cab. I would refer to the next style of cab as a '37, but I'm not exactly sure. I have seen several different cabs with inconsistent attribution, and I can't sort out if REOs in Argentina and other countries or custom builders were different. Here are some examples of the subsequent generation of cabs.

This European ad was labeled 1935. It has the grill and hood like our '35, but a completely different cab.


I think this green truck is European.



This Mack Jr. ad was labeled 1936.




This truck has the later curved grill and flat windshield with square corners.


Here's one with a curved grill, flat windshield, with rounded corners on the bottom.


I'm pretty sure the picture below is from Argentina. It has the same cowl as our Speed Wagon, but and entirely different cab and doors. They look to be wood in structure based on how the door is sagging.



Here's one with a curve on the bottom of the windshield (unlike the straight green one above) with sharp corners on the windshield.



The orange truck is a '37 Mack Jr., which was built by REO. In '37 REO dropped Speed Wagon and changed to Speed Delivery.


This cab also appeared on 1.5 ton REOs and Mack Jrs, like this white one.



This truck below has a split windshield, but the windshield and top of cab look to be different shapes.



The final Mack Jr, this green one below, was build entirely by Mack. This one was no built by REO.

 

Something makes me think this truck was in Georgia, but I don't know anything about it.

 

Here's one in Australia.

 

I think this one was in Denver.

 

This one sold at a farm auction in Minnesota when I was looking for our cab. I missed the auction by just a couple days.

 

It's been taken apart, but there is a Speed Wagon in this pile.

 

This one was also for sale around 2013. They need a grill, too.



If you don't like a Ford Grill on your Speed Wagon, how 'bout a Farmall?

My notes say this was at Central Lake Car Show.

 

I sent you the email address for this truck in Colorado Springs. It was still for sale as of July. That is the most solid lead I have with actual contact info.



We also have the rear of the sedan as well as cowls and doors in case anyone is inspired by this crude photoshop job.



Dad is a little attached to the truck grill from Shaniko hanging on his wall, but that, the hood, and headlights are still with us and not being used. We are actively trying to sell these pickup beds.

 

If you are looking for a REO pickup grill, that will be much harder to find. This picture was taken in 1984, and I don't think anything but REO pickup used that grill.


This pile of parts below looks to have a grill shell of some sort ( and some Model A fenders). This was on ebay in recent months. It was in NY. It did not sell on its first auction. I could not find it back when I went to look again.

 

Wow this is a real tutorial you've created, thanks. My comment about the amount of wood in '36 was based on a build story elsewhere by the guy with the super nice grey half ton that looks stock visually but has late running gear. He mentioned the early '36 cab he was working on had much less wood. I was aware of the cab change in late '36 or into '37. I just prefer the '33- early '36 domestic cab. I did not know about all those export variations, but I'm a Willys owner too, and they had a bunch of that going on. Those 1/2 tons are sweet, but I'm just trying to build a fenderless hot rod. The green tow truck is indeed here in Georgia. I spoke to the owner, he believes it's a 1936, but the front end looks earlier and a photo credit elsewhere states it's a 1934. He posted it locally on craigs list for $4,500. Both it and the grey/red Colorado truck are too complete/too nice for my intentions. I hope if nothing else, all this discussion here will further the REO cause for others who seek knowledge, and I appreciate your passion, thank you.

 

The guys at Full Circle Restorations probably know better than I. They have restored more than one Speed Wagon.

Here's another ad for 36 with a different hood.

 

I'm just gonna throw this out there, since I don't even know if I could make this work, but if these parts are usable to build a one off truck cab, how much for the franklin cowl, doors & rear section?

 

Did REO build the early Mack COE cabs (like these) as well? I think these are late 30's, maybe early 40's.


Steve

 

Those COE cabs were built by Mack, not REO. Those are neat trucks. I think those were built after deal between REO and Mack ended.

I'll check with dad about left over parts. He has the remains of two sedan bodies, but they're all pretty rough. The rear of the Hayes built sedan is shapely. It is entirely different than the back of the truck cab. That could be good or bad depending on what you wanted to build. Building a rear door post from scratch would be challenging.

 

Thanks - wasn't sure how long they had been in cahoots.

 

I'm overdue in posting finished photos. A local sign painter did an outstanding job on the doors. I urged Dad to have his name put on it, and I am glad he did. He deserves full credit for the hard work.

 

That is a great looking truck, fantastic work

 

yeah, that came out nice!

 

I have to wonder, how many who have read this are reading the name "Are Eee Oh", like the hair band? It's Reo, as in "Rio" not the other way around. The name was all caps for The founder's initials, "Ransom E. Olds", the same guy who developed/founded "Oldsmobile". I didn't read every reply so if that was in there, sorry for the repetition. We did a REO Royale about 9 years ago and it was funny how many people called it an R-E-O. This goes into the same pew as folks who call a rear mount spare a "Continental Kit" on cars from the 20s and 30s, well before the commercial intro of the 1940 "Lincoln Zephyr Continental". Yeah, I guess I'm that guy who spreads correct terminology. But don't worry, in about 2 more generations it won't matter...

 

Fantastic is IT. I totally agree .... now what ?? The reactions to your truck will be enjoyable. Well done.

 

The truck looks great, I like it.

 

So how does she run and drive? As good as she look?
Love it, great thread.


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