E-Torque

For those of you who worship at the alter of museum pieces, say all you want, but please try to respect the aspirations of those who don't share your opinions. I own company that develops performance parts for classic Jaguars (E-Torque.com). Our goal is to maintain the vintage appearance of the vehicle but make it drive-able by today's standards. I bought this truck for how it looked in an online auction. I had never been in such a truck before pushing the "Buy It Now" button. At that point, I was in this truck for $25,000 - more than it was really worth. When I took delivery, it was a total nightmare for its intended purpose. I bought it because - being in the Classic Car business - I just didn't want to show up at car events with a new truck. Somehow, that didn't seem appropriate for our company's image. I then discovered that the truck cannot go over 45 MPH - partly because of the limitations posed by an engine of 54 hp and partly because the compression ring style tire rims cannot go over 50 MPH because they can't be balanced. This presented an existential problem for someone who intended this to be a show vehicle to tow our E-Type to car events for marketing purposes. I then discovered that even I - who am all of 5' 6" tall - can't drive the truck without having my knees up on either side of the steering wheel. It was extremely uncomfortable and I would not have wanted to drive all over the country in such a small cab without A/C or any other comforts. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that the only engine that made sense for this truck was a Cummins ISF3.8 turbo diesel. The engine compartment is just too small for a six cylinder. This engine produces 455 lb/ft torque and would make a great dually towing vehicle - the kind I needed. The only problem was that this engine is not imported to the US. I found a scrap yard in Scotland - of all places - that was advertising one for sale. It had been used by Cummins to certify the engine for Eurospec 4 compliance. After the 10,000 miles of testing, they scrapped the vehicle. I got lucky because I managed to purchase the engine, wiring harness, ECU and 5-speed Truck quality gearbox for $5,000 delivered to the US. Cummins has designed this engine to be a "repowering" product and has built a new factory to produce it. The metalwork is being done by a family business that has been around for three generations. The son of the founder is personally overseeing the renovation of this truck because he - like you guys - wants to see that this truck looks perfect when it is done and retains its original vintage appearance. This shop produces cars that are brought to Pebble Beach and have won awards. So, your comments that this truck will become someone's "rat rod" are not appropriate for this project. We estimate that it will cost about $250,000 to bring this truck up to show quality. All the best, John

I am building a totally custom 1948 Diamond T truck from what was a near perfect truck. The picture below is what my truck looked like before I began work on it. I am adding a foot to the engine compartment, six inches through the doors and six inches behind the door jambs. I'm also raising the cab roof by four inches. This was driven by the purchase of a 4 cylinder Turbo-Diesel Cummins ISF3.8L engine and 5 speed gearbox. I have another page asking for a spare pair of doors in any condition, as I need to add a section in the middle of them and making the parts around the window will be a pain to deal with. If you know of someone who has a pair of doors in any condition, please forward this page to them. I am offering the original Hercules inline six cylinder engine and transmission for sale, which were in running condition when I bought the truck. I have attached images of how it looked when I removed it from the truck. It appears totally original but I have not been inside it or the transmission. I also have a complete steering system, a front axle, rear axle, dually wheels & hubs, brakes, and exhaust parts. I also have the original seat and instruments, lights and many other parts. Please write to me and I'll let you know if I have what you are looking for. Thanks, John jes@e-torque.com

Greetings, I am modifying a 1948 Diamond T 201 truck and need a pair of used doors in any condition. We are stretching the cab a foot and need a section from existing doors. If not, there will be more fabrication work to do. If you know of anyone who has a non restorable Diamond T truck, or has a pair of spare doors, please forward this message to them. I also have many, many top quality used parts for sale. So, if you have an extra pair of doors and need some hard to find parts, I may be able to help you. This is my truck before I began to pull it apart.