78 Datsun longbed f/s

[Yooperdatsun]

Loooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggggggg time lurker.

 

Not in a hurry to pick up my first datsun, but a pretty solid deal has came up and looking to ratsun for some advice.

 

have driven datsuns in Bering Sea towns western alaska the last 8 summers. lookin for one of my own to drive to work and haul a motorcycle.

 

This truck sat for about ten years. current owner rescued from a northern plains backyard. driven it for 5 thousand miles. haven't gone to check it yet heres the pics he sent me.

 

I make more money then time... a light restoration project in the future I'd dig, but at the same time its gotta go for a while. droppin another grand to get her dialed I"m ok with, but a huge project not interested.

 

should I be worried of the grime and rust being a huge project and keep looking around? or snap it up and spend the money and get a classic. Lookin for advice. is she worth 900 bucks?

 

the reason I ask because I"ve rescued a few 70's motorcycles. little stuff adds up. rubber, seals and electronics seem to have worn the last 35 years even if the paint looks good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Radiant-Designer]

Where are you located? I ask becuase it could make all the difference between a small project and a HUGE one... if you are west coast USA where these trucks are pretty easy to come by then you could get some parts from a pick and pull, but like me in New England USA, there are not any here, and if I could find one it would be rusted worse than mine.

 

From the pics that I see it looks in GREAT shape, but pics can be deceiving.

 

i have a 77 long bed and love it.... I just drop a lil money into her when I can but its for me, like a weber carb, disc brakes, racing seats.. its not things I NEED to do or she wont work...

[Radiant-Designer]

The little bit of rust under the door seems like a bit of a concern to me, Check the floor boards, the cab mounts and so on....

[Yooperdatsun]

I'm in western north dakota.

 

if I farm out the rust repair (if its only the door panel) whatcha think its gonna cost me? a bit of patina isn't a big deal. I actually like it better if its showing abit of age. just want it mechanically sound.

 

I like the fact that its got a 5speed longbed and disc brakes. hard to find that in halfway decent original condition no?

 

theres that 521 in Wyoming I've been scoping out.. 4k tho.. the age old debate of paying for someone elses work.

[Jester]

For 9 Bennies, I say grap it. Looks like it's in pretty good condition. From the pics you showed, I'm guessing '78. Long bed, 5 speed, and factory A/C. Check the wiper switch to see if it has three positions. If it was a late '78 model, it MAY have come with intermetten wipers too.

[datzenmike]

Body work can be done anywhere and you don't need Datsun parts for that unless replacing a whole fender, door or box sort of thing. A competent shop can bend up some rockers or just patch. Be sure to lift the carpet in the four corners of the cab where the mounts are. You do not want to see the mounts rotted through the floor.

 

Look for:

Electrical wire 'upgrades' by a PO. This includes a stereo or car alarm... these are the worst fuck-ups. Can also be a horn button on the dash, a second ignition switch hanging under the dash by wires, some jury-rigged turn signals using toggle switches, etc. You get the idea. Look for a clean un-molested dash and electrical system where everything works as it should.

 

All lighting... dash, marker, parking, running and brake lights work as they are supposed to. It's nice if the interior lamp works.

Signal and emergency four way flashers work.

Heater controls and fan speeds work.

Wiper speeds work, washer works.

Horn... it's a safety device so do check.

 

Mechanical:

Look under hood for missing things. Miss-matched hoses and by passed heater, wiring added and loose all over the compartment. Obvious changes and modifications. Check the carrier bearing rubber isolator (doughnut) is it in good shape or rotted away? Look at tires they will tell you much... Is there uneven wear across the front treads? Are there miss-matched tire sizes? Check the under side of the engine, transmission and differential for oil leaks.

 

A road test will help with the rest:

Does it start easily? Try to arrange a cold start. Fast idle work? When warmed up does it idle smoothly, can you restart it 5-6 times in succession? Will it idle without over heating?

How does it drive. Is there smooth power for accelerating? Temp gauge stay even and steady?

Is there vibration on the road?

Does the clutch and transmission work smoothly up and down shifting? Check all gears... are they quiet or do they whine?

 

Steering/suspension:

Does truck track straight down the road or pull to one side excessively? Is there excessive steering wheel play? Does steering wheel shake or wobble?

 

Brakes:

Do they work? Does truck stop in a straight line, is brake peddle soft or work too close to the floor. Does it require extra effort to work the brakes? Do the brakes make strange sounds. Does the E brake work. Will it hold the truck if you try to drive away?

 

 

If all of the above are ok then $900 is a good deal. Some things wrong should not eliminate this buy but depending on what it is you can expect to fix yourself or pay to have it fixed plus parts. This could significantly add to the overall cost of the truck but again is not necessarily a reason to not buy. Even if you spent another $500 or more to set right this is still a nice looking truck that will now be in good running condition.

[Z chopper]

many people drool over long box 620 trucks so snatch it up before someone else does if you end up haveing to put another grand into it, I'd say still a good deal and it has a bit more room in the cab than a 521 (not much more but a bit)

[Yooperdatsun]

Body work can be done anywhere and you don't need Datsun parts for that unless replacing a whole fender, door or box sort of thing. A competent shop can bend up some rockers or just patch. Be sure to lift the carpet in the four corners of the cab where the mounts are. You do not want to see the mounts rotted through the floor.

 

Look for:

Electrical wire 'upgrades' by a PO. This includes a stereo or car alarm... these are the worst fuck-ups. Can also be a horn button on the dash, a second ignition switch hanging under the dash by wires, some jury-rigged turn signals using toggle switches, etc. You get the idea. Look for a clean un-molested dash and electrical system where everything works as it should.

 

All lighting... dash, marker, parking, running and brake lights work as they are supposed to. It's nice if the interior lamp works.

Signal and emergency four way flashers work.

Heater controls and fan speeds work.

Wiper speeds work, washer works.

Horn... it's a safety device so do check.

 

Mechanical:

Look under hood for missing things. Miss-matched hoses and by passed heater, wiring added and loose all over the compartment. Obvious changes and modifications. Check the carrier bearing rubber isolator (doughnut) is it in good shape or rotted away? Look at tires they will tell you much... Is there uneven wear across the front treads? Are there miss-matched tire sizes? Check the under side of the engine, transmission and differential for oil leaks.

 

A road test will help with the rest:

Does it start easily? Try to arrange a cold start. Fast idle work? When warmed up does it idle smoothly, can you restart it 5-6 times in succession? Will it idle without over heating?

How does it drive. Is there smooth power for accelerating? Temp gauge stay even and steady?

Is there vibration on the road?

Does the clutch and transmission work smoothly up and down shifting? Check all gears... are they quiet or do they whine?

 

Steering/suspension:

Does truck track straight down the road or pull to one side excessively? Is there excessive steering wheel play? Does steering wheel shake or wobble?

 

Brakes:

Do they work? Does truck stop in a straight line, is brake peddle soft or work too close to the floor. Does it require extra effort to work the brakes? Do the brakes make strange sounds. Does the E brake work. Will it hold the truck if you try to drive away?

 

 

If all of the above are ok then $900 is a good deal. Some things wrong should not eliminate this buy but depending on what it is you can expect to fix yourself or pay to have it fixed plus parts. This could significantly add to the overall cost of the truck but again is not necessarily a reason to not buy. Even if you spent another $500 or more to set right this is still a nice looking truck that will now be in good running condition.

 

WOW!

 

thanks. I'll go down through this checklist when I go to take it for a test drive.

 

it will be another week before I can check it out... but startin to get excited. will update with pics when it comes about.

[JCR]

is that an AC spotted under the hood ....good find

[Project Bandwagon]

i say snatch it up too. im in south dakota, and that would be a cherry compared to some of the rust buckets i found (and the one i bought ;) )