Picking up where we left off, Steve has continued to source and restore various components. Seven thousand miles away, Nick has been working through the process of drawing up the unique and complex body design.
Read more: The Doodlebug components – Update #52A Project Update
We have finally accumulated enough material to publish a new post on the work being carried out on the Doodlebug components and body design.
Each of the components on its own has not warranted a dedicated post, and much of the history surrounding the manufacturers of these parts was covered during the 1938 614 Diamond T Texaco tanker project.
Over the past few months, a friend, Shane Usher, has been helping Steve for a few hours each week. Together, they have been systematically working through the chassis components, drivetrain and engine.
There are always other projects in the background that Steve is busy working on. Recently, a 1909 Maxwell that once belonged to his dad, a 1938 Diamond T Model 80 pickup, and a 1920s Gilbert & Barker twin delivery visible gas pump have been receiving Steve’s attention as well.
Steve’s continued determination to live his life doing what he loves has, to a small degree, kept his MS stable. Nothing that Steve does on his projects is easy or straightforward anymore, but he puts 100% effort into every day, and his achievements continue to inspire us all.
We are both extremely grateful to the team around us who are going to help make this dream a reality – Tom, Greg, and Gordon from the Classics Museum, Simon from Creative Metal Works, and Nick, who is helping from afar. There are a variety of other craftsmen who contributed to the 614 project who we hope will be involved again as well.
Life is good, and despite the length of time it has taken to get the project fully underway, our passion and commitment to build the elusive Texaco Doodlebug have never waned.
The Wheels and Tyres
The modification of the 10 lug, 8 hole, 20″ Budd style wheels was detailed in Update #51.
https://texacotankerproject.com/8-hole-wheel-pattern-update-51/
At the end of that post, Steve was preparing to paint the outer edge of the rims. Once this had been done, Steve transported them to East Tamaki, where Carters Tyres fitted the new tyres to the rims.
Although the wheels were not standing perfectly upright, the following photo captures the difference in height between the larger front and smaller rear wheels.
Steve purchased what may well end up being the easiest components to find of the whole project. He visited Vincent Truck Parks in Wiri and was able to buy the correct left-hand and right-hand threaded wheel nuts and studs.
There are not too many things in life today that are still readily available after more than 90 years!
The Dash Panel and Gauges
There is one photo that exists of the Doodlebug cab interior. Just one.
This was published in a 1935 article, and the photo was taken inside one of the production model trucks.
Despite the grainy photo, it clearly shows that Diamond T only used a centre dash panel in the Doodlebug and not the two side panels.
The configuration of the gauges is the same as the 614 tanker, and at first glance, it appears they are mounted in the same style centre dash panel.
But the Stewart Warner gauges in the 1938 614 pictured above were positioned inside the panel and separated from the outer raised bead/lip.
The perimeter bead in the Doodlebug dash panel was pressed to continue and flow around each of the circular gauge surrounds. This positioned the gauges right on the outside edge of the dash panel, with a flat bead rather than the raised type in the 614 tanker. This more ornate style of panel was common in many of the Diamond T trucks from the early thirties.
Steve managed to source the correct panel several years ago and had it chromed earlier this year, along with one of the gauge bezels.
Up until recently, we had a box of various Stewart Warner gauges in extremely poor condition, so we were building up the courage to start trying to restore the best of the bunch. The chromed bezel shown above was the first piece that Steve tackled.
But a few months ago, Steve sourced a complete set of Stewart Warner gauges in far better condition.
Whilst we will still fully restore the newly sourced set of gauges, this part of the project is set to be a lot less daunting!
I emailed Steve Rutledge several years ago to find out what the gauge styles and colours would have been in the large, early 1930s Diamond T trucks. Steve kindly shared some literature from a Stewart Warner catalogue that details the colours and design of each instrument. Using this as a reference, we will be able to recreate, to the best of our ability, the actual instrument cluster that sat in these very special trucks.
The Steering Wheel
Amongst Rich’s research was a Texaco oil advertisement featuring the Doodlebug prototype built in 1933. This is the clearest photo of the steering wheel that we have.
There is also a side view of the wheel in the only interior photo that we have.
Steve and I initially assumed Diamond T had used the same 3-spoke steering wheel as the 1938 614 tanker.
But on closer inspection of the advert, we started doubting ourselves and mentioned this to Nick.
Nick calculated the angles of the spokes using factual three-spoke and four-spoke steering wheel data. He then fabricated steel 1:10 scale steering wheels of both configurations.
Each wheel was mounted in Nick’s steel model and photographed at the same angle as the Texaco ad and the interior photo. Nick then highlighted the connection points of the spokes on the wheel in each photo.
Using the original photos as a reference, we were able to compare both images and conclude it was indeed a 4-spoke wheel.
We are very appreciative of Nick’s help with this and the lengths he went to in determining what style of wheel was used in the Doodlebug cab.
I was also able to verify Nick’s findings in an online article that mentioned Diamond T used 20″ to 22″ 4-spoke steering wheels on the large, heavy-duty trucks between 1933 and 1935. These larger steering wheels were essentially designed to provide the driver with leverage to manually steer the robust trucks.
Supporting evidence of the size of the Doodlebug steering wheel can be found in the Texaco advertisement photo, which shows the diameter of the wheel easily spanning the width of the driver’s upper body.
We quickly discovered, as we started to search for the correct size, that the larger vintage 4-spoke steering wheels are very difficult to source. So it felt like luck was on our side when we found a new, old-stock, Diamond T G509 22″ steering wheel advertised in the Netherlands in March this year.
It took several weeks to ship to New Zealand, and on its arrival, we were quite taken aback to actually see it in person… this is definitely going to be a different driving experience for Steve!
To appreciate just how big this steering wheel is, we stood it next to the same size wheel that is in the 614 Diamond T tanker. Note the stainless embossed Diamond T steering wheel/horn button on the right that we will be using on the 22″ wheel.
At the same time we purchased the steering wheel, we also bought four new-old-stock Diamond T door hinges. These will hopefully be used on the lower two hinge positions of the curved cab doors.
The Chassis
There are no build plans or photos of the Texaco Doodlebug chassis. All we know is that the articles from 1933 to 1935 described a double-drop chassis. This style of chassis was also shown in the U.S. patent paperwork filed by H.W. Kizer, but the concept in the drawings may not necessarily be how the chassis was actually constructed.
To prepare for this stage of the build, Steve has disassembled the Diamond T donor chassis to recondition and restore all the relevant components. Sections of new frame will be fabricated where required on the unique, modified chassis.
Steve has explained to me how many possible issues are at play here: the placement of various components, the clearance under the low-sitting cab and around the axles, and the steering capability of the truck. The chassis build is definitely going to take a lot of thought and trialling as each section of the full frame is constructed and the springs, etc., are mounted.
As mentioned in the introduction, Steve is restoring all the parts that he can so that during the construction of the chassis frame, the components are ready to be positioned and mounted. Progress so far on some of these components is detailed below.
The donor chassis was detailed in Update #48.
https://texacotankerproject.com/project-starting-chassis/
Several months ago, Steve and Shane cut out a section of the donor chassis on each side of the frame that supported the front springs. These sections were blasted and primed.
Once on the ground, they unbolted the front rubber-mounted spring shackles and drilled the rivets out of the brackets that were hot riveted to the chassis.
The front springs.
Steve had to cut through some of the front u-bolts when he was disassembling the chassis, but the rear u-bolts have been salvaged.
He has painted the larger rear u-bolts, cleaned up the nuts and bolts and primed the retainment components.
Steve has had new front u-bolts manufactured using the originals as a pattern.
Steve cut the rear end off the main donor chassis frame some time ago, while retaining the mounted rear springs. This section has been blasted and primed.
Steve recently travelled to Hamilton to brainstorm the chassis construction with Tom and Greg. The more this is discussed, the more challenges are brought to light. All going according to plan, this stage of the project will begin shortly.
The Engine and Gearbox
The engine we are using for the project was from a 614 Diamond T donor truck. The removal of the engine was detailed in Update #48.
https://texacotankerproject.com/project-starting-chassis/
The Hercules Diamond T Super-Service engine
Steve loaded the engine and gearbox onto the trailer earlier this year and delivered them to be steam-cleaned.
The engine and gearbox that returned home were far more respectable!
The gearbox was unbolted, and the engine was stripped down and placed on an engine stand.
As expected, the water pump impeller had seized inside the housing, so Steve soaked the pump in a bucket of transmission fluid for several weeks. He has since delivered it to Alan Sharp in Hamilton in the hope that Alan can work his magic.
In preparation for reassembling the Hercules engine, Steve ordered a top end gasket set from Auto Surplus in Australia.
Steve discovered the cylinder head was cracked but luckily had a replacement on hand amongst all the Diamond T spares we have accumulated. After cleaning and inspecting the remainder of the engine, he found the bottom end to be in remarkably good condition.
He etch primed and painted the short block and cylinder head and reassembled the complete engine in readiness for mounting on the rear of the chassis.
Unfortunately, the gearbox internals have not fared as well due to long-term water ingress.
Steve is currently on the lookout for a replacement gearbox, but he’ll go back to the drawing board to find a solution if nothing else is found locally.
If anyone here in NZ has a suitable, good condition gearbox (or parts), please get in touch.
Smaller Components
Rich identified the headlamps used in the Doodlebug as Tilt Ray, produced by the Guide Lamp Corporation. He sourced the information from the Universal Catalog of Original Equipment Service Parts, 1936 edition, which noted Diamond T models – large trucks, 1931 – 1935.
In a glass half full move, we sourced one headlight lens several years ago, so we are actively searching for its twin.
When Rich sent us the box containing his research, he generously included a pair of original vents for the Doodlebug cab. He had sourced these from a Diamond T truck from the same era.
And with Starry Malcolm’s help, we have the four required side marker lights that are mounted on each guard.
All of these original Diamond T components are proving invaluable as reference points as we scale the historic photos.
The Blueprints
To the best of our knowledge, no blueprints exist for the 1933/1934 Diamond T Texaco Special. Rich searched for many years, and I followed up by contacting the Chevron Corporate Archives and the Heil Company again.
Diamond T was purchased by the White Motor Company in 1958, and the original Diamond T factory in Chicago was permanently closed in 1960. All production was moved to Lansing, Michigan, so the chances of the original factory documentation from the 1930s being saved at that time are very slim at best. The White Motor Company then filed for bankruptcy in 1980, which cut the odds to practically zero that these important historical documents survived.
Rich and I spoke several times about recreating the Doodlebug blueprints, but sadly this never eventuated before Rich passed away.
We did, however, talk at great lengths with Rich about the two Doodlebug versions that were manufactured. Much to his joy, Steve and I told Rich we intended to recreate the production model, not the prototype constructed for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Fast forward from the 1930s to 2026, and the modern equivalent of those meticulous hand-drawn blueprints from that era is CAD drawings.
The Body Design
A year ago, we shared an incredible project that Nick was working on at the time. He was building a 1:10 scale, fully working, radio-controlled model of the second version of the 1934 Doodlebug.
https://texacotankerproject.com/unique-doodlebug-model-update-50/
Nick began construction of the model back in 2023. Since then, he has continued researching every avenue he can think of to discover more information about the Texaco Doodlebug.
Back in March, we asked Nick if he could possibly create CAD drawings of the production model version of the Doodlebug. Nick kindly obliged and used his original files as a starting point to begin the process of drawing up Howard W. Kizer and C.A. Pierce’s streamlined body design. He referenced historic photographs and articles written during the years that these trucks were in service to replicate the Doodlebug body.
Nick then went further and drew up the double-drop chassis based on the patent drawings and all other information available. In addition to this, he scaled and drew the wheels, axles and springs for Steve to study and plan the actual chassis build.
The CAD Model
To assist with the build and to get an appreciation of the three-dimensional body shape, Nick offered to supply us with the CAD files he had created.
With Nick’s permission, Steve arranged with Pete at Mothers to get a draft 1:12 scale model of the truck 3D printed. At this scale, the model would be 655 mm long and 194 mm wide and would take approximately 40 hours to print.
Whilst CAD software and 3D printing are outside of our comfort zone, Pete embraces the technology and is highly creative and inventive with his own projects. Before proceeding with the full print, he suggested printing two smaller test models.
The following photo shows the second test model, which Pete printed at an angle to achieve a smoother surface. He also printed a scaled chassis to suit.
Due to the larger dimensions of the 1:12 scale print, Nick checked on the build volume of Pete’s printer. He split and supplied his CAD files in four manageable sections and created tabs on each one so that the corresponding sections could be bolted together during assembly.
Pete sourced red filament and took great care when printing the four individual pieces. Once completed, he assembled each section together and presented Steve with the draft 1:12 scale model.
We are very grateful to Pete for his generosity and the time invested in bringing Nick’s files to life.
A few days later, Simon Tippins came over to our place to study the printed model. A step up from just looking at original photos, he was able to view the truck body from different angles and run a line of sight down the length of the tank. Simon focused on the area where the Texaco lettering was mounted on each side of the truck and compared how the letters sat visually on the 3D model to some of the historic photographs that we have. In doing so, Simon picked up a subtle difference between the model and the images and felt that the curve running across the top of the truck in the photos was a little steeper and positioned slightly higher than on the CAD model.
At this stage of the design discussions, we are working on the premise that the US patent drawing represented the true shape of the Doodlebug tank. So the following day, Mitch scaled the patent drawing to the same width as the CAD model. He disassembled the tank sections, traced the outline of the model over the patent drawing, and discovered Nick’s interpretation of the original photographs was very close to the patent.
The red outline of the patent drawing highlighted the subtle height difference and steeper curvature that Simon had observed the night before.
This height adjustment and steeper curve in the top section of the 3D modelling will run the length of the tank and continue forward through the cab doors, which will in turn slightly alter the front elevation of the cab in the CAD drawings. There is also a small alteration to be made in the tail section.
As disappointing as it was to learn that modifications were required to the printed model, we are all in agreement that it is just part of the process in ensuring the design is absolutely perfect before constructing the truck. At the end of the day, the draft 1:12 model produced the information we were looking for, and any areas that need further modification have been identified.
As time has permitted over the past few weeks, Nick has been altering his CAD files to reflect the required changes determined from the first draft print.
Nick’s engineering background, CAD design capabilities, and his own passion for these extraordinary trucks have already helped the build preparations enormously through research and design. He is always so obliging to help us in any way he can, despite his own personal and business commitments. Our sincerest thanks to Nick for the time and energy he is investing in these files as we endeavour to finalise the iconic design of the futuristic Texaco Doodlebug.
Rectifying the Details
Eight years ago, I published a post about the Texaco Doodlebug. Steve and I were fascinated by these trucks but knew very little about the details. In that post, I cited information that was available online, in particular, from a well-known automotive article that had been published in 1995 and reposted in 2013. Noted in this article were the dimensions of the truck which I included in the blog.
The literature that Rich passed on to us included press releases and promotional articles from 1933 to 1935. All the specifications given and statements made during these 3 years were supplied by Texaco and the Heil Co.
These original articles are obviously factually correct, written by or quoted by the very people involved in the construction of the Doodlebug trucks.
So I was disappointed to recently realise that back in 2018, I had unwittingly copied an incorrect dimension quoted in the 1995 automotive article.
With SEO and AI features these days, our blog has contributed to the widespread belief that these trucks were lower than they were actually built. I have since deleted that measurement and corrected it, and I’m not going to repeat it again for obvious reasons. A quick search on other sites will show the incorrect height if anyone is interested.
To reconfirm the correct information on this blog, the loaded height of these trucks was 79″ / 6′ 7″ (2.01 metres). Shown below are excerpts from a couple of original articles published in the 1930s:
The Commercial Car Journal 1933
“Over-all measurements are: length 26 ft., width 92 in., height 79 in. loaded.“
Motor Transportation Mar 1935
“The new truck has a gasoline capacity of 1500 gallons, and yet stands only 79 inches high when loaded.“
Exciting Times
I have been working on this post in stages and have taken longer than usual to piece it together. So, at the time of publishing this, the project has progressed in several areas, and half of these updates are already old news!
Steve has delivered the wheels and tyres, diff and other chassis components to the Classics Museum.
Nick has completed amending his CAD files to create a second version of the modern “blueprints”.
And Greg and Gordon have started mocking up the chassis, whilst also scrutinising the body design in the original photos available.
This initial planning is such a critical part of the build. Everyone involved is collectively putting a lot of thought into the design and construction of the extraordinary Texaco Doodlebug.
Sources / References
http://www.charleswbullock.com/Guide/History.html
Universal Catalog of Original Equipment Service Parts 1936 edition
The Commercial Car Journal 1933
Motor Transportation Mar 1935
