1972 Datsun Pickup Model 521

Bought this clean vehicle because I was tired of paying for California smog certification every other year. A neat looking classic from a simpler era. However, soon after buying it, I also purchased a vintage trailer. The problem is, these light trucks were not really made for towing. So, I must sell and purchase something that can bear the load. Odometer reads 27, 69, but most likely 127, 269. It has a clean, California title.

I will try to be as forthright as possible regarding all the good and bad.

Drive Chain:

The vehicle runs, but seems to be having carb trouble. It idles fine, revs up fine, but in-between the engine wants to die. For this reason alone, I would suggest towing it away, and not try to drive it.The muffler has a hole in it, so it is loud. Just never got around to getting it repaired or replaced.If you let it sit for too long, the gas will run back to the tank. I use starter fluid in the carb to pump gas back in to the float. The float is glass, so it's nice to see that there is or is not gas available upon start.Blows a little smoke when cold started. (typical for age)Good battery and starter. It starts nice and quick.Brakes on Datsuns were described to me as "Flintsone Brakes". Humorous, and yet very accurate. You need to press hard for braking on this model vehicle. In the seventies I had a Datsun truck and it was the same way.

Body:

The body is relatively clean with only minor rust that you come to expect on this age a vehicle. So many of the expensive/hard to find parts are all there and look great.It has a new paint job that is good, but they did not properly repair small areas of rust-- rather just painted over them. Very minor body work is needed. There is a ding on the top of the hood where someone closed it and the carburetor air filter was too high. The wingnut made a dent.There is a smallish ding near the driver side door about the size of a quarter.Passenger side door latch does not open the door from the outside. A pin holding it in place (and its return spring) seems to have disconnected from its hinge. Inside door handle works fine.All windows work. Wipers work. Headlights work.One of the rope ties around the bed was broken off.To make the exterior look really good the truck bed should be blasted and coated with a shield coat. The red wheels were not painted well, and I was going to have them blasted, then powdercoated. I considered stock silver, but the red did not really look that bad. Also, I thought of getting the white DATSUN letters for the tailgate.It still has its original yellow on blue license plate! California allows you to repaint these, as long as it is original colors.Tires in great shape with nice white walls.All lights seem to be working well.

Interior:

A lot of work went in to this interior, it looks really good. No dryness or cracks in the dash. Emblems are present. No tears in seats and rug is fairly new looking.The seat belts look original and do not behave. They continually try to get you tighter in their grasp. Sometimes they do not click, other times they do not let go!The only real negative of the interior is the windshield. It looks like there is a smokers haze on it, but it will not clean off. When the sun hits it, you think you need to defrost it.I could not get the heater release valve to move. I did not try and force it.Driver side sun visor is missing.It has its original manual.Has a couple of ignition keys. The key can pull out freely from the key starter, so beware not to leave the electrical on alt.It has a new Sony radio that I wanted to replace with a 70s auto radio.

Conclusion:

If you are like me, you do not like buying something that needs to be rebuilt or restored from the ground up. This pickup is, pretty much, 90% done with very little to repair to make it a real looker.

Again, I do not recommend driving this vehicle with the carburetor acting the way it does. Best to haul it back in a safe manner. It has frame mounds for a front tow bar. Write me if you need measurements. A U-Haul auto-carrier will more than suffice. I live in Redlands, California. 60 miles East of L.A.