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Forum newb and his 34K original miles '80 Datsun 720 4x4


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I actually have tan kick panels installed on my truck cause they were the only I could find... looked better than bare frame on the interior...

 

But my truck calls for black.

 

I'd be willing to give them up if someone really wants them, just cover shipping, I'm sure I got em for close to nothing.

 

OP...

 

Great find on the '80 bro. Mines an '81, not even close to original when found, but I've done a lot to get it looking cleaner... but it's an "offroad rig" and won't ever progress beyond a nice interior and a rattle can paint job that can be touched up easily after an outing through the desert...

 

I am looking for a cleaner bed though if anyone knows of one in southern California... the one on mine is rusted at the seams to begin with(know it's common with earlier style beds) but then the previous owner raked the side from the rear of the cab to the gas cap, tore a good hole in it.

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You guys are awesome! I'm a few to many happy hours in to compose a fully rational response. But I wanted to say thanks for thinking of me and the blue bomber at the recent pick runs and what not. I am totally in your debt and behooved by your Internet hospitality friends. This truck will be a rolling original example of what a fine reliable and capable vehicle from the past really is (as long as fossil fuels including gasoline are what runs the world.) I guarantee that people seeing and reading DATSUN off my tailgate out and about brings the value and desire of all our Datsuns up. And it's all because contributing members like y'all my truck progressively looks better and I feel this way, even if it's just a motivating response. Thanks again, and lets all continue to help each other keep our Datsuns alive and on the road!

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So just about every time I drive in the dark with headlights, I get people flashing me like my brights are on all the time while in low beam. Outside looking at it my brights and low beams, they look the same in brightness. My low beams do seam way to bright and have a way different look than the brights. It a newer sharper color almost like a bright white halogen in an office, vs the classic dull white with a almost yellow look of the brights. Then looking in the housing I see this empty slot for some kind of bulb, what gives?

 

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Obviously they are brighter or out of adjustment if people are flashing at you.

The extra small socket is for turn signals inside the headlight, or for running your headlights during the day, but not really running the headlights, it's kinda like having park lights in the headlights.

I have them in my Mini I bought that came from england, it might be a law over there, and the US has not caught up yet, we got our own way of doing things over here, and it involves money changing hands, not what's best for everyone.

You can see the turn signal bulbs in these headlights in the photo on my 521, mine are not wired right now.

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I'm going to hit the yard today.. I'll take a look to see if I can find a blue tray. Generally cars last forever in the yard, but not seeing it on their website is a little concerning. I already snagged the blue ST steering wheel. :)

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The brand of the headlights is Neolite. Not much info on them online in a few minutes of search. But it appears they were an OEM distributor at one point, or are now still? Anyways, they might have been replaced I guess. Looking close at them they don't look like they've been taken out before and do look 30+ years old and slightly sun baked to match. If I have plugs to go to those turn signals on there then doesn't that make them OEM pretty much? Maybe I don't and that's why no bulb is in there. I'll have to take a better look tomorrow. Another thing that might be rare on my early truck is my rear view mirror. Demarkboy pointed out to me how mine is one like a 620. It looks sun faded just right to the story too and doesn't look like its ever been tampered with to me. Intresting...

 

A typical 720 mirror I'm told

 

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Mine

 

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Wayno look! They do make 720 4x4 front center caps! I found these photos of a stock looking 1981 that has all the caps still.

 

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I must have them now that I know they exist for sure! Next owner is probably gonna bolt some dumb ass wheels on it and throw away one of the last existing sets of 4x4 matching stamped steels with center caps...

 

This truck is actually for sale and goes up for auction on the 8th in Texas. Here's the link

https://www.easyexport.us/vehicle-finder/lot-35442914/1981-datsun-720-clean-title-tx-austin/?a_aid=mitula

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It would be interesting to see one of them caps off the wheel, I will start to look at 4X4 trucks closer now, although I seem to be seeing less and less of them around here now, there used to be 5 or more in every yard, now 3 of them in one yard is rare.

I was at the north yard the other day, there was a 4X4 in the yard, but they wanted about $50.00 a leaf for the 4X4 leafs, the truck didn't have a good console, so I moved on.

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I am an idiot! I've had the right center caps the whole time. It took looking at that last close up I posted to realize it. I, like a baboon, thought it would mount in the rim with a lip like most center caps I've seen. But it actually mounts on the outside using those tabs to stay under the lug nuts. I'm so excited! Back to the plan of just getting the fronts cut out professionally somehow.

 

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These are so mint they still have the stickers inside. They came off a vehicle that sat in a show room for a while the seller said. Not a scratch on them. You can see the part number inside and I'm pretty sure you can still get them new from Nissan if someone else is looking.

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They don't really press on and it looks like you have to take the lug nuts off to get it on and off correctly without damage. I pushed pretty hard to try and "pop" them on, but I could tell it was going to mar the plastic if I pushed harder. Maybe that's why the front ones are hard to find. Popping them on and off with out the center for strength would surely break a ring piece that's been in the sun for years. You can actually see a spot on them that's "dimpled" for the nut to stay on and centered. I'm putting the rear ones on tomorrow.

 

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if the free hub is manual

 

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u need the 40343 - 50W00

 

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if the free hub is auto

 

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u need the 40343 - 54W00

 

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how they r differ

 

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for 2wd, 40343 - 01W20 

 

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for D21 they added chrome sticker only ( exactly same as 720 )

 

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they r the same , thats y they pressed two parts # on behinde if u noticed

 

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40342 - 08G00 for the D21 ( they add the chrome sticker )

 

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and 40343 - 01w20 for the 720

 

all the above is from ( ME ) point of view , US may differ

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I am an idiot! I've had the right center caps the whole time. It took looking at that last close up I posted to realize it. I, like a baboon, thought it would mount in the rim with a lip like most center caps I've seen. But it actually mounts on the outside using those tabs to stay under the lug nuts. I'm so excited! Back to the plan of just getting the fronts cut out professionally somehow.

 

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These are so mint they still have the stickers inside. They came off a vehicle that sat in a show room for a while the seller said. Not a scratch on them. You can see the part number inside and I'm pretty sure you can still get them new from Nissan if someone else is looking.

rofl.gif Thank you I needed a good laugh.  Had a rough day!

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I had an errand to run today and found a yard close by. Stopped by with fifteen minutes to spare before closing time. It was South of me and so far all the places I've hit up thus far have been North. As you ladies and gents know, going North and finding good parts has been drab for me so far. It wasn't to bad today. I didn't get any parts but the only time I've seen more 720s together was on this website!  :wub: I didn't get even half way across the yard before close and found three 720s. I'll be back. If anybody sees anything they want/need, just let me know! I owe a lot to members on this site and even had guys pull stuff for me at yards just like I'm offering for someone else. It's the least I can do.

 

IOCS!!! :hyper:

 

Best thing I seen so far was this ST. Lot of good parts on it still. 

 

 

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