Just bought my first 620

[Glocky]

I've been a fan of Datsun 620s for a quite a while now and Finally found a solid enough one to buy. It's a 1974 and I was wondering if this paint design was a factory thing or someones handy work at some point in its life. 

 

I'm pretty sure it's just someones handy work because it is very obviously repainted at some point. Excited to get to work on it with my dad even though he doesn't see the vision. 

https://imgur.com/a/NRqaSIf

https://imgur.com/a/Fo9z1Da

https://imgur.com/a/AbKVnjL

[datzenmike]

 

Pictures are way better than links...

 

 

 

 

I had a 521 for 8 years till around '86 and the first time I saw a 620 it was love at first sight. About 10 years later one fell into my lap.

 

The decals are possibly after market.

 

Looks like the cab floor on the right side has rotted around the body mount and sagged some, otherwise it's in good visual shape. '74 was the only year the L18 engine was offered.   

[Glocky]

3 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

Pictures are way better than links...

 

 

 

 

I had a 521 for 8 years till around '86 and the first time I saw a 620 it was love at first sight. About 10 years later one fell into my lap.

 

The decals are possibly after market.

 

Looks like the cab floor on the right side has rotted around the body mount and sagged some, otherwise it's in good visual shape. '74 was the only year the L18 engine was offered.   

https://imgur.com/a/p6KhF5U 

The person I bought it from said he re did them and these are the pictures of it but I didn't check them to see how good of a job he did from underneath 

[datzenmike]

Obviously the box and cab don't line up on the right.

[Glocky]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Obviously the box and cab don't line up on the right.

Do you base it off the lower body line on the door that goes to the bed? It's just slightly off or is it a pretty big difference? Also I'm on my phone and for some reason it won't let me select my pictures from my phone so that's why I did links. Which is weird because it let me do it when I originally tried making a post but didn't have an account set up yet. 

[datzenmike]

 

 

There's that lower body line and the upper scalloped section just above the door handle that should flow into the one on the box with the tie downs. That upper couture shape is what gives the 620 the name 'Bullet Side'. There's a body mount behind passenger's right shoulder, another by his right heel and one out front below the amber clearance light. The floor might be a little rusty and sagged? The two mounts for the cab interior are set un slight depressions in the floor pan. It repair metal was just welded across the top of these two divots then the cab would bolt up about 1 " or so lower than stock. If the metal is good, shim the cab up with two hockey pucks with holes drilled in them. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

wash it

paint wheels white get new tires with small white wall  as it has now if those aint dry rotted and you sliding like a MOfo in the rain(get rid of them)

 

get running , Lower it and leave it like it is.  I roll it just like that.

Dont waist money on paint ect.. get it mechaincally running. roll it

Edited Wednesday at 07:43 PM by banzai510(hainz)

[Glocky]

25 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

wash it

paint wheels white get new tires with small white wall  as it has now if those aint dry rotted and you sliding like a MOfo in the rain(get rid of them)

 

get running , Lower it and leave it like it is.  I roll it just like that.

Dont waist money on paint ect.. get it mechaincally running. roll it

Yeah when I saw the picture of it I was really in love with the look but in person it's a bit more rough down the body. I'm debating what I want to do in terms of paint. I might just slap some sweet patina juice on it. I plan on washing it this weekend and I'll see how it looks from there. 

 

I'm probably gonna end up taking the cab and bed off to clean the frame and coat it but need to get it running good first. It's really solid for the area I live in and I want to keep it that way lol. I live in the uppers peninsula of Michigan and they throw a lot of salt out in the winter months. Definitely not gonna be a winter driver but still want to protect it

[UnderControl]

Imgur made some changes a few months back, and at least on mobile it's a little convoluted to get direct image links now.

 

What works for me is to open the album links you posted in your mobile browser, click the image, click and hold on the image to get the options menu to pop up, click "copy image location", paste that into your post. Be sure that the link you copied ends in .jpeg then forum will auto embed the image (99% of the time anyway).

 

The /a/ in the urls you posted indicates it's an album which is why it doesn't auto embed.

 

Sweet truck, I dig the faded graphics.

[banzai510(hainz)]

On 6/3/2026 at 1:15 PM, Glocky said:

gonna end up taking the cab and bed off to clean the frame

WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it never get back to gether.                                        get it running and drive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your ahead.

[Glocky]

16 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it never get back to gether.                                        get it running and drive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your ahead.

I pretty much have to with my climate unless I want to be looking for a new frame in a couple of years. I might only take the bed off and just work around the cab to the best of my ability. Taking the cab off seems kinda scary to me just because I've never done that before. 

[UnderControl]

5 hours ago, Glocky said:

 I might only take the bed off and just work around the cab to the best of my ability.

 

This is what I did, granted mine needed floors, so I was able to get to most of it without pulling the cab.

[datzenmike]

16 hours ago, Glocky said:

I pretty much have to with my climate unless I want to be looking for a new frame in a couple of years. I might only take the bed off and just work around the cab to the best of my ability. Taking the cab off seems kinda scary to me just because I've never done that before. 

 

Huge amount of work. Box would have to be already of to do this. ALL electrical in the engine bay has to be disconnected and harness tied out of the way. Transmission sub-harness disconnected. Remove fuel line to fuel filter and from filter to pump. Coil wire to distributor. Throttle cable. Drain coolant, remove radiator and hood. Unplug cab harness under passenger seat from the frame harness. Disconnect emergency brake. Disconnect clutch and brake master from firewall and let stay with engine. Unbolt the 6 cab mounts. Remove steering wheel and clam shell and ignition switch, cab is now free to slide up and back off the steering column.  

 

I removed the doors, the fenders and seats were already off, slid large plank through door openings to spread weight and hoist with that.

[banzai510(hainz)]

21 hours ago, Glocky said:

my climate unless I want to be looking for a new frame in a couple of years.

I met guys from Detroit when I was in the military. They said the cars rot out in like 5years in the 70s.

 

This is me most datsun dont make it back on the road esp in a area with not alot of parts.

 

take a small hammer and wack the frame. If dont ounch thru call it good. Pressure wash it and spay cosmoline on the frame and just drive it. Its a box frame unlike alot of American C channel stuff so it will be stronger unless rats went inside the frame and pissed inside out.

Look at the want ad sections of solid 411 wagaon taken apart and now for sale. They not going to sell and al they needed to do it get it running now they going to the dump.

 

just do the basics and get running. Youll be cool.  If take apart , you wont make 100 post and never heard from again.

 

most time taking the cab off you find stuff you dont want to. Just do like the Roadside Rescue guy does, He gets them running and roll them

 

be honest the body should be rotted alot more so I think the frame might be ok. for a Michigan vehicle

 

Edited Friday at 06:35 PM by banzai510(hainz)

[datzenmike]

They did! My new '76 B-210 front fenders were rust perforated in about 3 years. I heard this was because Japan bought a lot of scrap steel from States and elsewhere and it's never pure and full of lots of other metals, but cheaper than refining pure ore. I worked at GM in the mid '70s and the frames had rust all over them sitting in the lots waiting for transport.  Remember the Landau roofs of the mid '70s? Front half was paint and the rear covered with vinyl. I worked in the '75 paint booth and the automatic over head spray would only prime paint the front 1/3. The vinyl was laid over basically bare metal. By end of the decade the vinyl was all lumpy from crusty rust under it.  All to save $1.00 worth of paint.

 

[Glocky]

I'm like 99% sure the cab won't be coming off my buddy has a nice garage with some lifts in it and he said I could use it if I wanted. That being said winters here are rough and I wouldn't feel safe driving it most the winter anyways. I might make a "winter project" out of the cab removal and coating but like I said that probably won't happen anyways I think I'll just lift it and get most of it that way and not worry about much beyond that. 

 

My current tasks is getting it running, the driveshaft is out and just need to replace the center support bearing. I was told it does run but we'll see about that lol, gas tank is missing as well but I might have found someone with a spare I can buy if not fuel cell or I've seen thing about making a 720 tank work(need to read more into that). 

 

Need to figure out a different seat in that thing as I'm 6' 3 and the big bench seat kinda takes a lot of room up(might not be original). It's it very great shape though so kinda torn on that. Need a new windshield as it has bb chips all over it which I didn't notice when buying. My eye went to how dry and bad the seals around glass were all around the truck. 

 

I'm going to dive into it tomorrow and get a list going but do one thing at a time to not overwhelm myself. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Mine rotted but its fine.

 

dont feel safe ??I been driving my 521  20yrs.  Its a Datsun its a single brake cylinder for the whole truck. Thats unsafe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

you friends garage? thats ok till he says I want it out. then it goes to the dump.

 

 

just get it running, brakes and drive it. fuck the cab off shit. Its still only worth 2500 after fixed anyways.

 

I sold this 510 for 5 k. which is nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited Friday at 08:03 PM by banzai510(hainz)

[Glocky]

12 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

Mine rotted but its fine.

 

dont feel safe ??I been driving my 521  20yrs.  Its a Datsun its a single brake cylinder for the whole truck. Thats unsafe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

you friends garage? thats ok till he says I want it out. then it goes to the dump.

 

 

just get it running, brakes and drive it. fuck the cab off shit. Its still only worth 2500 after fixed anyways.

 

I sold this 510 for 5 k. which is nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

A 2wd truck that weighs nothing in a place that gets 250 inches of snow average and is icy most mornings I would say is a little unsafe not saying it isn't possible but why do that when I have much better and safer truck to drive 😛 we get snowstorms in a day that drops MOre snow than this trucks height. My life is more important than driving a cool truck around. 

 

Friends garage thing would have been agreed apon before I did it and it's multiple bays so wouldn't be in the way of his normal stuff. He's a great guy and wouldn't junk it.  he's the one that drove 8 hours for me to pick it up lol. Anyways that not really important. 

 

Big thing though is this is a project car for me and to get some bonding time with my dad. I want to get it sound enough that it's not gonna rot out all over In a few years. Does the cab need to come off no but is there a 1% chance in the next couple years when there is absolutely nothing to do in the winter because of how much snow we get here that we might take it off? Maybe, I totally get what your saying and I agree for the most part 😛

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

who would drive a datsun in the snow anyways. We dont. thats why they make cherokees

 

going to take you awhile go thru brake motor and gas tank.

 

Edited Friday at 08:32 PM by banzai510(hainz)

[Glocky]

32 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

who would drive a datsun in the snow anyways. We dont. thats why they make cherokees

 

going to take you awhile go thru brake motor and gas tank.

 

Yeah luckily the previous owner bought all the stuff needed to redo all the breaks so that helps. Other brake lines themselves. Excited to work on it this weekend 

[UnderControl]

My 620 is better in the snow than my Cherokee on mud tires...

[datzenmike]

Drive in summer, problem solved. If snow don't, used wide tires. Had '71 521 DD for 8 years in Ontario with heater core smaller than the palm of your hand!, survived not because of heater but in spite of it. Every summer fixed rust holes in cab floor, next summer fixed the holes in the patches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rustbin]

7 hours ago, Glocky said:

Big thing though is this is a project car for me and to get some bonding time with my dad. I want to get it sound enough that it's not gonna rot out all over In a few years. Does the cab need to come off no but is there a 1% chance in the next couple years when there is absolutely nothing to do in the winter because of how much snow we get here that we might take it off? Maybe, I totally get what your saying and I agree for the most part 😛

 

I thought my 510 would be a 5 year project, it's gotten bigger. I started in '22, be prepared for it to take longer and to have other things come up and sideline things for a while. Good luck, persevere and it will be a great little truck.  

[banzai510(hainz)]

21 hours ago, UnderControl said:

620 is better in the snow than my Cherokee on mud tires...

you solved your own proplem. MUD TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UnderControl]

1 hour ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

you solved your own proplem. MUD TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, the lunchbox locker up front doesn't help either. It's a trail rig, so meh. The squarebody has the ATs that are actually pretty decent in the snow.