Vehicle Description
Two owners from new. High-quality frame-off restoration. Heavily
documented. Great-running 245 cubic inch inline-6 with 4-speed
manual transmission. One of only 200 built and a handful remaining.
Awesome big hauler that will always stand out in a crowd.This
handsome REO Speed Wagon D19X Express Pickup was discovered on a
farm in Kansas in 2004 and purchased from the original owner.
Restoration photos show it as a good, solid, complete truck when
the work started, and the result is quite likely the finest of its
kind available anywhere. Wearing bright red paint, it seems to
command as much attention in our showroom as some of the more
expensive Full Classics, and everyone loves the big red REO.
Workmanship is excellent throughout and we'd wager that this truck
is probably nicer now than it was when it was new. There's a deep
shine to the paint, great panel alignment, and no signs of rust
repair in the original sheetmetal. Obviously, reproduction parts
are not available for something like this, so everything was
painstakingly restored to as-new condition. Cab corners and rockers
are completely solid and the bed (built by the Perfection Steel
Body Co.) was outfitted with new tiger maple slats and matching
rails with the REO emblem engraved and finished in gold leaf. The
chrome and stainless trim was restored to add a dressed-up look to
the massive pickup, and it's finished with white pinstripes that
match the original patterns shown in factory literature. Turn
signals were added for safety, but that seems to be the lone
modification. This truck delivers an authentic 1949 big rig
experience.Exterior notes: No defects to note. Giant hood takes a
little muscle to open but works properly. Wood in bed is
beautifully done. Step plates show very minor wear that could
probably be buffed away. Beautiful truck.The interior is basic, as
you'd imagine. The wide bench seat is upholstered in brown vinyl,
as original, and that's about it for upholstery. The floors are
metal with an anti-slip bedliner-type material (interesting fact:
REO would install plywood floors at the customer's request) and
there's a cardboard headliner overhead, so it does look finished.
The big steering wheel offers a REO horn button and makes even the
massive pickup easy enough to maneuver. The gauges are in the
center of the dash and monitor all the engine's vitals, and they
all work except the ammeter. Secondary controls handle the lights,
choke, and hand throttle, with switches for the windshield wipers
and optional heater over on the right. It's actually quite easy to
get comfortable behind the wheel and the driving position is more
car-like than many of the REO's peers. And the view is just awesome
over that long hood! As with the exterior, everything is in
excellent condition and shows virtually no use since it was
completed. Interior notes: Ammeter appears inop. Passenger window
crank a little stiff. Cardboard 'headliner' piece missing from
passenger side A-pillar. Bedliner material on the floor for
traction. The engine is a 245 cubic inch inline-6 which REO called
the 'Gold Crown.' It is the truck's original engine (replacements
are likely impossible to find anyway) and runs superbly. Thanks to
an electric fuel pump, it starts quickly and easily, hot or cold,
and even with a massive truck to pull around, it works eagerly to
get the job done. Obviously it's not going to win any drag races,
but it does cruise happily at 40 MPH or so and will move just about
anything you can fit in the bed. The engine bay is correctly
detailed with gold paint on the cylinder head, an oil bath air
cleaner, a new wiring harness, and perhaps the largest radiator
we've ever seen up front. It stays cool on the hottest days and
shrugs off parade duty, which is often a death sentence for cooling
systems. The 4-speed manual transmission is easy to manage and if
you're just driving on the street, you can skip 1st gear, which is
ultra-low. There are 5.66 gears in the Timken rear end, which gives
the six-cylinder engine the pulling power of a much bigger
powerplant, and the suspension is standard truck fare with leaf
springs front and rear. Hydraulic drum brakes are unassisted but
they are effective and the master cylinder was just rebuilt by
White Post Restorations. The exhaust system has a pleasing
truck-like note and ride quality is better than you'd expect for
something this big. No, it's not a Cadillac, but if you want a big
truck to drive, you could certainly do worse than this REO. 20-inch
steel wheels carry 7.50-20 blackwall truck tires that look almost
new and will probably last forever.Mechanical notes: Electric fuel
pump runs with ignition, no mechanical pump. Engine runs great.
Minor seepage in the usual spots but no huge leaks. Steering a
little heavy but it's a giant truck so not surprising. Brakes
effective with slightly long travel on the pedal. Very clean
underneath with bedliner material inside the fenders for
protection.Documentation is extensive, including photos of the
restoration, receipts, factory documentation, original manuals,
correspondence, ownership paperwork, and REO Club information. We
love having this big pickup in the showroom, where it's always the
center of attention. You are unlikely to ever see another one at a
show, and there's nothing that can compare when it comes time to
move some seriously big stuff. If you have the room to store it,
this truck will quickly become a favorite in your collection, and
think of how great your company's logo might look on the door
(something Harwood motors can arrange for the new owner).
Incredibly rare and wearing an outrageously expensive restoration,
this REO is surely the best of its kind anywhere. Call
today!Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or
professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to
purchase.
