AMT DIAMOND REO

[REDNECK7109]

Hey everyone I'm about to purchase a diamond reo... it will be my first big rig build and I was wondering if anyone can give me some reviews on it.. I've had some trouble with amt models in the past (having trouble with one now) ... so I wax wondering how good they go together...

[bigmerc2003]

I built two of the new Reo's and each went together very different. Overall they are a nice truck but I ran into issues with the windshield glass fitting nicely in one and had to do some mods to get the cab to sit on the frame and lineup with the hood on both. I would not glue the cab mount to the frame until the hood is in place and you are ready to mount the cab. I needed to shim one cab and shave down the other but on both I ended up sanding off the circular mounts on the floor of the cab. Just my opinion, but over all they turned out nice. Rustoleum has a green nearly identical to the box art which is how I build my first one.

[REDNECK7109]

Awesome! Thanks for the information... being a first time right builder I didn't just want to jump into any rig with out looking stuff you first... let alone a skill 3 lol I know I probably should start with some a little more simple like a peterbuilt 359 but I fell in love with this truck so I'm going to have to learn quick... haven't quite picked out a color scheme yet. It will come to me when I open the box...

[bandit1]

also...if your going to use the sleeper either stretch the frame an inch or so ...or just take a mallet and give it a wack in the back...(Think about the trailer hitting the back of the sleeper wall )

[bigmerc2003]

agreed, I luckily did not glue the sleepers on, but if you are going to use it / glue it on, dont use the crawl through piece on the sleeper, it looks funny and takes up valuable room. I left it off the second build (made a log truck) and the spacing is much better but i think you might run into some minor exhaust stack clearance problems. Nothing a little heat and twist wont solve

[Casey]

http://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/291/amt-719-diamond-reo-tractor

Edited March 14, 2016 by Casey

[Old Buckaroo]

Yikes those tires,looks like they used a meat cleaver to chop them out.

I preferred back in the day when you cut your own "spider" out. Other then that it looks like a super kit. I might pick up a few for the spoked wheels.

[Old Buckaroo]

Was this "rising sun" sleeper unique to Diamond REO trucks, or does it replicate a specific type or brand of aftermarket(?) sleeper?:

That would be a "Mercury Sleeper" which were used an many different truck makes back in the day.

[stavanzer]

Any Idea what year this kit represents. Googling tells me it "may" be a C116, but even that is suspect. I'm guessing its an early to mid 1970's truck based on when it was first released.

[Jim B]

From the information that I have, the kit represents a 1970-71 C-11664DFL.

[ZIL 111V]

Indeed '70/'71...kit 1st issue in 1972, As mention bad idea of removing the tires center spyder, some have very bad slicing

[stavanzer]

Strangely, the tires in my D/Reo are fine. Not a botched sidewall in the set...... Funny.

Thanks for the Info, gentleman.

[Force]

I have a Diamond REO kit from the early 90's (black boxart) and it had the wrong tires in it, it came with Good Year 11.00-20 Custom Hi-Miler instead of the Uniroyal 11.00-22 Fleetmaster...well you can get the 11.00-20 tires to fit the rims but the 11.00-22 are the right tires for this kit as far as I know.

There has been some different types of tires in the AMT-Ertl truck and trailer kits over the years.
Early AMT truck kits like the Kenworth W925 and K123, Peterbilt 359 and 352, Mack, GMC, Chevrolet and Ford trucks originally had Good Year 10.00-20 Custom Hi-Miler tires, and the Diamond REO; White, Western Star, Autocar, White-Freightliner and Kenworth K100 Aerodyne kits had larger Uniroyal 11.00-22 Fleetmaster tires, the Tyrone Malone race truck and transporter kits has no size markings, just "Tyrone Malone Bandag", slicks for the race trucks and regular road tires for the transporters,
The Ertl truck and trailer kits had Good Year 11.00-20 Custom Hi-Miler tires that are larger both in diameter and width than the original AMT 10.00-20 tires and these tires comes in most of the re-issued truck kits from Round2-AMT nowadays, I believe these Ertl 11.00-20 tires originally were tooled up by MPC for the Mack DM and gravel trailer kits that Ertl took over...but I can be wrong.

Jim, I think you got one 6 too many for the model number on the truck, my kit instruction says C-1164DFL

Edited March 13, 2016 by Force

[lapazleo]

Over all pretty good kit considering its been around close to 45 years. Was top of the line back then. Wheelbase is a little short for a sleeper but conventionals with sleepers back then were as short as possible due to length laws. My first hood was a Peterbilt 359 had a 36" bunk on a 204" wheelbase. Not much room for trailer swing. Again considering its age a very nice kit.

[stavanzer]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting mine done. (eventually-sigh)

Alan

[leafsprings]

I agree, wheelbase is very short. It seems most AMT dual drive tractors have shorter east coast wheelbases. I would  recommend swapping out the cast spokes for  budd style wheels also.

[Jim B]

Good information on the tires, Håkan.

Actually, I think AMT missed a "6" in their description.  According to the Diamond-REO brochures that I have access to, the Model Number brakes down like this:

C - Conventional

116 - 116" BBC

6 - Six wheels (each rear dual set counts a one wheel)

4 - four drive wheels

D - Diesel

F - front axle forward

L - Lightweight (highway)

So, an off-highway tri-drive with the same cab would be C-11686D-OH.