To fulfill the U.S. Army’s need for a 4-ton cargo truck, Diamond T produced the 968. The truck’s initial steel bed was soon replaced with wood to conserve precious resources. In 1941, the dashboard was modified to military standard instruments; these vehicles were designated 968A.
Besides the basic cargo version, the same chassis was used for dump truck and wrecker versions. In addition to the cargo truck, IBG Models of Poland has produced a dump truck, a wrecker, and an unusual asphalt tanker on the Diamond T chassis.
The light gray parts show excellent detail but, typical of this scale, some small parts are a bit heavy. Rather than mold the cab windows, IBG provides a thin sheet of clear plastic that’s printed with the window outlines. Surprisingly, they do not include an outline for the rear window of the cab. But the sheet is large enough to make one.
The kit has a complete chassis and engine, but there’s no provision for an open hood. The cab comes in several parts, with a full interior and separate doors that can be posed open or closed. The cargo bed is the wooden version, and the troop seats can be posed up or down. Well-printed decals feature two marking choices, as well as several others (likely for future versions of the kit). The instructions feature clear assembly drawings but the marking diagrams are a little dark, making it tricky to determine the exact position for some of the decals.
I started assembly with the engine and chassis. The chassis has the front springs and rear axle mounts molded in place, so if you build your frame straight and square all six wheels should touch the ground. I left off the wheels for painting.
Next I built the cab. The parts fit very well and no filler was needed — this was the case with the rest of the kit, too. I was disappointed that the headlight brush guards were molded solid. Advance modelers will want to replace them and the over-scale mirrors. I left off the windows, roof, and the back of the cab so I could paint the details once everything was sprayed with a base coat of Tamiya olive drab (XF-58).
The cargo bed went together easily, but the grab handles/steps on the rear fenders are heavy and could use replacing.
The decals went on perfectly over clear gloss with a touch of Microscale Micro Set. After a coat of Tamiya clear flat, I assembled the cab and added it and the bed to the chassis. For the mirrors, I punched out discs of thin Mylar film and applied them using Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish as an adhesive.
It only took me about 12 hours to build my Diamond T. Built straight out of the box. The model really looks nice and delicate. A little time spent improving a few parts will make it a stunner.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the May 2015 FineScale Modeler.