I owned 3 of those back in the day. Got 34 mpg driving them hard. Sold my last one with 480,000 miles on it. I had just overhauled the second engine in it. For it's size, I think it was the toughest, best built truck I've ever owned. I hauled unbelievable loads with that thing.
I went through a few 510 s with the L16 pjc four bangers. Best cars I have ever owned except for a Geo Metro I bought as a work car and drove it until after I retired 20 plus years....... with no problems. Just the usual stuff ...... 50mpg.....
Christian, I really appreciate your slow movement camera style when your brother and father are working under the hood. It adds a style to your videos that is way more professional than others out there, and is nice and slow and smooth for those of us that get motion sick with fast camera movement. Thank you - well done
Yeah agree. This is my favorite car channel to watch for that exact reason. No quick cuts. Minimal edits. Feels like you are there working on it with them.
That truck is super-rare, a Japanese collector would likely pay big money for it! They were based on the English Austin. They reverse-engineered the Austin motor but did make some improvements to it. Swapping Datsun 1200 motors into English Austins and Morris's was a popular performance upgrade here in New Zealand back in the 70s. Arigato for getting it running, (Arigato-Thankyou in Japanese).
I’ve never seen one of those old Datsun P/Us here in Canada 🇨🇦 there probably eat up by salt if they ever sold them here , Chevy luvs were never sold in 🍁
Love these old Datsuns! My fist car back in 1976 was an early 70’s Datsun pickup. I drove it for years and then my younger brothers drove it. Three boys all learned to drive a standard on the little Datsun.
I worked for a Datsun dealership back in 1968 to 1970. Those trucks were great little trucks. If I remember right they sold for $1799. The 240Z, and the 510's were the best Datsun was selling in the late 60's.
@@doublel7337 My first and unquestionnable car was an Apple Green 1972 Datsun 510 2 door. It was THE car to have at the time for us, young turks. The Honda Si of it's time. The legendary John Morton driver at the BRE racing team made it world famous. Sweet memories ! 😊
@@marcryvon I loved the 510 from the first time I drove one. Those were great cars. I had just bought a 66 Olds convertible, or I would have bought a 510. I drove many of them and was never disappointed.
Hey guys, i am always so amazed at how these early Japanese trucks are built to be reliable. Having had many old Datsun's in my time, I can attest to their sure will to keep on running. Lance, as always, you and your dads skills are incredible, I love the way your video's are filmed with such quality and an eye for showing the beauty of these old rides. God bless you all all over at Kravened.
I love these older Japanese 🚚 trucks! My oldest one was a 1976 Toyota pickup with the 7 foot bed and 20R engine. It was a rarity to find one rust free. These old trucks simply don't exist anymore! I love watching you guys give life to these old treasures! Blessings
May I just take a moment to compliment the person standing behind the camera. The video picture is just perfect. Thanks so much to whoever handles this enormously important part of these very enjoyable presentations.
Watching further I'm struck by the similarity of this lovely little vehicle to the British Austin and Morris models of the fifties and sixties. The engine is remarkably similar to the series A engine which lasted well into the seventies and are still happily chugging away in collector's Morris Minors, Austin A40s and many more. I never thought I'd be nostalgic about the barked knuckles and nipped thumbs I had from working on those cars and vans but this is bringing back a flood of memories, particularly of working with my late father. He would have enjoyed this a great deal. Thank you for what you are doing.
I used to have a 72 Datsun 1200 car. I am sure it's the same block. Looked the same. That thing would do 105 mph. Just don't overheat it. The aluminum head warps easy. On the bright side, they are very easy to remove and replace. I did it more than once. One of your best rigs yet. Puddin' approved I am sure.
One of the cars I regret selling was a 72 Datsun 1200.It was a one owner car.They had bought it in Guam when they lived there.It was a automatic and had a/c.When they came back to the U.S., they had to have a heater installed.Great car.And now they are worth $$$$$
@M They had those engines were built before the the aluminum head engines as these were patterned after MG engines as they paid for a license to build them from BMC. the newer engines were their own with a 8 port aluminum heads etc.
Learn something new every day. I suspected they may have had cast heads on early models. The info about the MG engine is interesting as I owned two of those cars as well. Loved them both.
I was a specialist in repairing those way back then. They are the most affordable to own most reliable high mileage vehicles of the late 1900’s. Are you going to sell it?
I had a neighbor who owned one of these way back there in the 70's. I spent many an enjoyable hours riding in that truck with him. The Godly wisdom he passed on is still remembered.
Had one of these sitting in the field close to our house when I was growing up in the early '70's. The owner drove his cars hard for no longer than one year then parked the old one and bought another. He had close to a dozen in the field next to his house and refused to sell a single one. Eccentricity at its finest.
Nice save on this Datsun, men ! I think a lot of people miss small trucks like these. Maybe not this small, but basic Toyota and Nissan pickups of the 1980s and 1990s - sized.
I'll bet if you could still buy a new Datsun or Toyota Hilux for less than $ 10k a lot of guys would buy 'em. They'd be great to drive to work, save gas and haul some 2x4s too.
My 71 had the master cylinder fail on my way home from work. To get home I had to stop at lights, kill the engine, put it in first, use the starter to get it going, then shift without the clutch. Amazing little truck. Drove it for 4 years and sold it for the same price I bought it for.
My husband Greg and I started watching a while back. Love your videos. We love them because there's no bickering between you guys and no foul language. God Bless and keep up the awesome work
I definitely enjoyed this, and would love to see you guys do some more work on it...maybe even a little interior and exterior clean up, too. Just a thought. Such a rare find and you did it justice. Well done
Amazing little rigs wished I’d have bought more of ‘em. However we did keep one & collected parts for the last 30 years….definitely have some of the last new OEM parts in the world. Started collecting long before the internet was born, then took advantage of the early eBay days and very thankful for doing that now.
Amazing how the bumpers ,grill,and headlight trim rings are in such good shape.And the engine bay looks pretty good.My first Datsun pickup was a 1966.I made it look decent,but it had lots of issues.But it kept running.My next one was a 71,low mileage and restored to better then new.After getting wrecked,and fixed 6 months after I bought it,it got stolen 2 years later.Never recovered
I have never seen this model Datsun truck before AND I have never seen anyone start a "modern" vehicle with a hand crank. Thanks for making my Saturday morning entertaining and educational!
I have always been a Datsun nut, I’ve had a few classics but never found one of those. So sweet and it even has curves. That 1200 was simplicity and would run strong for a short stroke block. The 1300 a series was so much peppier. I still have a Datsun truck. 1980. That’s a real gem you have in my opinion.👍
I dig that 320. I have a 620, and I have beat the snot out of it, broke plenty, and one thing I am constantly impressed by is how easy it is to fix, and how ready it is to run again after a few hours of work. I think I have head gasket swaps down to about 3 hours by myself. Still has 150# compression in all cylinders. Of course, that is an L series engine, not an A12 like that 320.
That was a cool old dastun . It sounds good and not too much trouble getting out on the road. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend to everyone 👍👋
Had a 1970, so I guess the "new" model of this truck. Saved it from a trip to the junkyard. Put a lot of miles on it----drove from So. California to Jasper National Park in Canada for a camping vacation. That hydraulic clutch brought back memories, too, and the exhaust even sounded the same as you ran down the road. One question: Why doesn't anyone ever oil the door hinges on these "abandoned-will-it-start" videos? That's about the first thing I'd do! 🙂 Thanks for the fun video.
I couldn't wait for this one to be restored, love them old vehicles, this would make a kool little going to town truck ,lol ,or a truck for Christian to haul her clean supplies in lol ,God Bless ,Restored Fan, Restored, Minot North Dakota ❤
Incredible engine, I have worked at the Nissan factory in South Africa in the early 80’s when they replaced the 1200 with a 1400 engine. My dad took his 1968 1200 engine and used to turn the pump on a 500ft water well. It still worked when he sold his farm in 1980.
That's a cool old little truck, it's an interesting point in Japanese history. You can tell it's influenced by Austin and looks kind of like a Mini. Japan had just started making civilian/consumer vehicles again as, in the early post-war period, they were only making industrial trucks and so on needed for clearing debris and re-building the country. No one could afford a car anyway but by the late 1950s and 1960s they were starting to make consumer vehicles again and were heavily influenced by western automakers from Europe and North America. Once they got their confidence back instead of copying design aesthetics from the west they started to style their own cars and the west started making our cars look like theirs design-wise!
Four cylinder engines have enough back bone to do much of what their bigger counter parts can only in a smaller size. I had a Mazda truck that I used for scrap metal recycling that small fry hauled more weight than it should have.
I have 2-71 521 Datsun trucks owning one for 44 yrs while the other for 26 yrs. Been cross country up to Alaska living there never letting me down. Engines are extremely easy to work on, durable and easily modifiable. I could start em and go across the country again cuz I provide that duty of care since the day I owned them. No Silverados for me!!
I am surprised at the overall lack of rust. The cool factor of that old truck is off the charts. I am sure it would frost a bunch of people but a I would measure up that truck for a 2.3 L Ford and a 5 speed a 8.8 rear with appropriate brake and chassis/suspension upgrades
Keep it in the family. L20B is the way to go. 110hp stock. 7000rpm redline Just a Weber (or two would be better) a cam and valve springs away from being a pretty good little ripper. Not that the Ford is not a great engine. Just that an L20B (or even an L16) would be perfect in that truck if it would fit.
Those Datsun 1200 engines were good ole tough engines. I have done ring & bearing jobs on several. Same engine was in the 1200 cars the were almost same size as the Toyota Corolla with the 3K 1100 CC Engine. both were very competitive with each other. My Father-In-Law owned one of those trucks.
It's also a Datsun copy of the BMC A series as found in Morris',Austin etc etc. In fact they were popular swap in Morris Minor down here in Australia. Datsun started in japan as the Dat motor company ,Founded by an American who built Austin cars under licence.
I got a ride in one of these on Kawaii after Hurricane Iniki decimated the island. The truck had actually ended up underwater, still ran like a top after cleaning it out
That was the 3KC, and it was 1200cc. Gutless compared to the Datsun, but would last a lot longer. I had two of them as well. Interesting engine. The only slant 4 I have seen.
@@MaxNafeHorsemanship Sorry to tell You that Your wrong. The 3KC 1200cc came out in 1970. Prior that, It was 3K 1100cc. I still have the Repair manual for it AND I took My Mechanic Apprenticeship with Northern Toyota just when the 1200cc came out.
@@CountryAndClassics You could be right on that. Mine was somewhere between 70 and 73. I forget. That was long ago. I just know I thought it was a great (but gutless) little engine.
Lance looking at the bed lines reminded me of my Dad's 73 Toyota. The paint on the cab of the Toyota would fade bad but the bed was fine. He told me the truck was imported without a bed to avoid a tax placed on imported trucks. A different paint was used in the US for the beds. Maybe a similar story here. Bed was built in US and not much thought put into style to save cost? I was born in 68 so young in the mid 70's but can remember every summer helping dad polish the cab to bring back the color to match the bed.
For safety reasons always place your thumb "behind" the starting handle when hand cranking an engine especially when it is cold. Should the engine backfire the handle can kick back breaking your thumb. Earlier models had a lever to retard the ignition manually which helped to prevent this happening. Brings back memories, as a young lad starting my dad's Morris Minor on frosty mornings, he could never afford a new battery, he was out of work with dickie heart and could not swing the handle himself. If the plugs were oily she would never start, the trick was to take them out and heat them in the fire.At eight years of age I was regularly late for school, the teacher used his cane, it wasn't my fault!
Nice to see y’all Lance, Wyatt & Christian. Had couple of early 1980s Datsun / Nissan trucks. Very reliable but always had issues passing California’s strict Emission tests.
My Dad gave me a truck exactly like yours. It ran like a charm and it was indeed a '65. Ran like a watch until it was stolen. Hey - that might actually be my Dad's truck!
Great video , funniest thing, that gas tank under the hood is the twin to the gas tank on my snowblower powered by a Tecumseh 7 or 8 hp motor, pretty comical, I guess it worked to go get you to and from the grocery store a couple times a week, a guy down the road from my parents house had one and it always ran and told our dads that he only put gas in it once a month, that was funny when you dad started it with the crank like nothing , that thing is cool the front end has some nice style to it round lights instead of square, you just might get lucky and find a turn signal lens on eBay or something, that one our neighbour had even started easy in the winter from having a manual choke made all the difference he would say just not allot of heat for Canadian winters, thanks so much, one of your coolest videos and the nice thing is you may have had to drive to Oklahoma to get it, your didn't have to dig and cut it out of a bunch of trees and bushes and so snakes to worry about, i look forward to future videos of this little Datsun 320 truck, i thought your dad was going to hop in the box and ride down the road with you driving 👍,thx again
You should actually be measuring 7 - 8 volts on the positive side of the coil if you have a working ballast resistor. Some older cars used a ceramic resistor on the firewall but a lot of later cars had loom resistors which was just resistance wire that can usually be identified by the high temperature insulation on the wire to the positive post of the coil. If you run straight 12 volts to the coil the points won't last very long. Also, when you touch the positive coil wire to the battery post and get a spark that means the engine stopped with the points closed so you have a complete circuit. If the engine stops with the points open you won't get the spark. When the points close it completes the grounding of the circuit. Great video BTW!
As a nissan guy. Y'all got a gem there.... My 94 hard body pickup slammed on it's nuts with a mono leaf kit and 5in blocks hauled amazing loads laying frame on the axel.... This little truck deserves new life
That is one cool truck. I love the patina. If I had it I’d patch the holes, give the new metal some patina, polish it up, put a good sealer on it and drive it just like it is. 😁
God I love this. My dad bought the next model type a 1300 Datsun in the same red in 1969. That thing ran, and ran, and ran. He sold the truck in 1980 and I was sick that he didn't sell to one of us. It was straight and a California truck, no rust.
Excellent video RESTORE Crew :) those DATSUN small pickup trucks are amazing my uncle John has them since 1970 for years still got a 1994 Toyota T100 Tacoma basic model California model also lives in Ontario Canada bought in 2004 year! Yes do remember him saying those truck had West Coast on doors and one's near are traveling tow package types for blind spots tow a trailer! Those 1100 CC motor last long time and 1 barrel carb 550 CFM Carter or Holley too ! Yes funny part those Cranks for Jack also turn motor it helpfull when need do time chain set up plus distributor set up on number 1 cylinder plus check out points even when starter faulty too and tons more ideas to like do clutch or ring gear replacement too! That truck not bad shape also still got box is awesome and excellent! Fuel tank is only 12 to 15 gallon type !
That clutch master might work now the slave is moving. I'm glad you were able to get the bolt out of the torsion key. When I first saw it I was afraid the torsion bar was broken. I liked to die of anxiety waiting for you to get to the point of checking it out! While I have never seen a Datsun torsion break, we are talking about you guys aren't we? LOL! Those little trucks were some of the best running, easiest shifting vehicles around. I have had four 521 trucks over the years, two '71's and two '72's. Three of them I had down to the frames the third I got it running, went to back it around outside and the whole cab lifted off the frame! The only thing really keeping the cab from rolling off was the shifter and the steering column! I ended up parting it out but I did take it around the block before I parted it out. The frame was rusted in two under the bed in front of the left rear spring. I guess from many years of fuel leaking on it. My first one was a little badass. Jap high compression head, lumpy cam, two sidedraft webers and Datsun headers. I had to sell it after I got chased across a state line hauling shine. Nuf said. That was back in the 70's, I'm 63 now and know better. Ah, the stuff we did as teenagers. I wish I could make you an offer right now but circumstances won't allow. Treat her nice. Get it up on a rack and spray it with a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and chain bar oil underneath to stop the rust in it's tracks. Park it outside and keep the smokers away from it for a few days. Find that one last sign painter in town and put the shop logo on it and you will get some awesome PR and advertisement for sure! Cheers! Terry
That was cool I didnt expect the key crank toward the end that was cool. I've never seen a truck like that before. I really enjoyed the video thank you for taking the time to make them. God bless you all.
I thank you guys for being proud of your Christianity -- I also have a music ministry -- love what you all do and have watched every video -- keep on for the kingdom God Bless you all
I owned 3 of those back in the day. Got 34 mpg driving them hard. Sold my last one with 480,000 miles on it. I had just overhauled the second engine in it. For it's size, I think it was the toughest, best built truck I've ever owned. I hauled unbelievable loads with that thing.
They were rated at 1 ton
Was this in Australia or somewhere else?
I lived in Oregon in those days.
I went through a few 510 s with the L16 pjc four bangers. Best cars I have ever owned except for a Geo Metro I bought as a work car and drove it until after I retired 20 plus years....... with no problems. Just the usual stuff ...... 50mpg.....
@@soundguy5813 how is a six bolt wheel rated at 1 ton - i had the Toyota equivalent years ago it was 1/2 ton
Christian, I really appreciate your slow movement camera style when your brother and father are working under the hood. It adds a style to your videos that is way more professional than others out there, and is nice and slow and smooth for those of us that get motion sick with fast camera movement.
Thank you - well done
She does good work, for sure. In the filming and editing both. We definitely need to remember her more often. >>;=)
Yeah agree. This is my favorite car channel to watch for that exact reason. No quick cuts. Minimal edits. Feels like you are there working on it with them.
Excellent remark mate, the camera work is clear and steady. Greatly appreciated. Cheers mate.
Being a Datto 1200 motor I knew it would be running in no time. They are bullet proof!
Old Datsuns never die...
That truck is super-rare, a Japanese collector would likely pay big money for it!
They were based on the English Austin. They reverse-engineered the Austin motor but did make some improvements to it. Swapping Datsun 1200 motors into English Austins and Morris's was a popular performance upgrade here in New Zealand back in the 70s.
Arigato for getting it running, (Arigato-Thankyou in Japanese).
Oh baby I love old Datsuns!! Almost as much as Puddin! this is gonna be a gooder!!
Cm
Puddin doesn’t like Datsuns. He is now a set Yee hauls on fire guy
I’ve never seen one of those old Datsun P/Us here in Canada 🇨🇦 there probably eat up by salt if they ever sold them here , Chevy luvs were never sold in 🍁
Goodn*
@@geralddavies2333 000
Love these old Datsuns! My fist car back in 1976 was an early 70’s Datsun pickup. I drove it for years and then my younger brothers drove it. Three boys all learned to drive a standard on the little Datsun.
Mine was the 1973 620 pickup..spent thousands on restoring it. So worth it!!!
I worked for a Datsun dealership back in 1968 to 1970. Those trucks were great little trucks. If I remember right they sold for $1799. The 240Z, and the 510's were the best Datsun was selling in the late 60's.
@@doublel7337 My first and unquestionnable car was an Apple Green 1972 Datsun 510 2 door. It was THE car to have at the time for us, young turks. The Honda Si of it's time. The legendary John Morton driver at the BRE racing team made it world famous. Sweet memories ! 😊
@@marcryvon I loved the 510 from the first time I drove one. Those were great cars. I had just bought a 66 Olds convertible, or I would have bought a 510. I drove many of them and was never disappointed.
Hey guys, i am always so amazed at how these early Japanese trucks are built to be reliable. Having had many old Datsun's in my time, I can attest to their sure will to keep on running. Lance, as always, you and your dads skills are incredible, I love the way your video's are filmed with such quality and an eye for showing the beauty of these old rides. God bless you all all over at Kravened.
I love these older Japanese 🚚 trucks! My oldest one was a 1976 Toyota pickup with the 7 foot bed and 20R engine. It was a rarity to find one rust free. These old trucks simply don't exist anymore! I love watching you guys give life to these old treasures! Blessings
May I just take a moment to compliment the person standing behind the camera. The video picture is just perfect. Thanks so much to whoever handles this enormously important part of these very enjoyable presentations.
Watching further I'm struck by the similarity of this lovely little vehicle to the British Austin and Morris models of the fifties and sixties. The engine is remarkably similar to the series A engine which lasted well into the seventies and are still happily chugging away in collector's Morris Minors, Austin A40s and many more. I never thought I'd be nostalgic about the barked knuckles and nipped thumbs I had from working on those cars and vans but this is bringing back a flood of memories, particularly of working with my late father. He would have enjoyed this a great deal. Thank you for what you are doing.
so awesome to see yall bring these old rides back to life.... id love to have this truck
ME TOO!👍
Love it! Nice to see some UA-cam channels out there wrenching on cars that a lot of people have never heard of. Something out of the ordinary.
I used to have a 72 Datsun 1200 car. I am sure it's the same block. Looked the same. That thing would do 105 mph. Just don't overheat it. The aluminum head warps easy. On the bright side, they are very easy to remove and replace. I did it more than once. One of your best rigs yet. Puddin' approved I am sure.
One of the cars I regret selling was a 72 Datsun 1200.It was a one owner car.They had bought it in Guam when they lived there.It was a automatic and had a/c.When they came back to the U.S., they had to have a heater installed.Great car.And now they are worth $$$$$
@M They had those engines were built before the the aluminum head engines as these were patterned after MG engines as they paid for a license to build them from BMC. the newer engines were their own with a 8 port aluminum heads etc.
Different engine these were all cast iron
Learn something new every day. I suspected they may have had cast heads on early models. The info about the MG engine is interesting as I owned two of those cars as well. Loved them both.
that is Not an aluminum block
You guys are awesome some of those old rigs would be scraped Thanks for bringing us along for the ride
I was a specialist in repairing those way back then. They are the most affordable to own most reliable high mileage vehicles of the late 1900’s. Are you going to sell it?
Why did you waste your time pull for volts and engine would be out and east to work on ha!ha!.
Any idea were I can order body parts such as rockers ,fenders ,floor panels
I'm about to pick one up almost looks the same.. I'm very excited about it..can't wait to get working on it.
Those old Datun trucks were the best, I'ld love one.
Hey mate did you ever work on the u320 one which was the sort of King cab with the full size back seat but only two doors
I had a neighbor who owned one of these way back there in the 70's. I spent many an enjoyable hours riding in that truck with him. The Godly wisdom he passed on is still remembered.
Nice looking for a 65! Snagged it right out of puddins back yard. Love this show and your hard work.
Lol yee HAUL
Had one of these sitting in the field close to our house when I was growing up in the early '70's. The owner drove his cars hard for no longer than one year then parked the old one and bought another. He had close to a dozen in the field next to his house and refused to sell a single one. Eccentricity at its finest.
What a cool little truck! Look forward to seeing more of this one, she’s a runner for sure! Great job gettin her to go down the road!
The little truck has a baby face, so cute ! Should get thirty miles to the gallon, and just as many smiles. Very enjoyable video !
This video definitely inspired me to get my own 65 Datsun 320 running again! Thank you guys!
Nice save on this Datsun, men ! I think a lot of people miss small trucks like these. Maybe not this small, but basic Toyota and Nissan pickups of the 1980s and 1990s - sized.
They have made the small trucks large trucks small and the big ones smaller
@@shadowwolf9329 check out the new Ford Maverick
@@ennengb2010 I have not seen a Ford Mavic in years
@@ennengb2010 maverick that is. I remember those Ford cars though the last one I saw was a 1970.
I'll bet if you could still buy a new Datsun or Toyota Hilux for less than $ 10k a lot of guys would buy 'em.
They'd be great to drive to work, save gas and haul some 2x4s too.
That is so awesome to see that ol truck running !!! Idk where u guys find these things but I'd like to find a honey hole like that.
Good looking truck! Great job. You guys amaze me. God bless you!
My 71 had the master cylinder fail on my way home from work. To get home I had to stop at lights, kill the engine, put it in first, use the starter to get it going, then shift without the clutch. Amazing little truck. Drove it for 4 years and sold it for the same price I bought it for.
yep sold my 70 Datsun for 50$ more than I paid in 1984 after 2 years use it was a 1600.
You don't see too many of these trucks around. Another great revival!
My husband Greg and I started watching a while back. Love your videos. We love them because there's no bickering between you guys and no foul language. God Bless and keep up the awesome work
I definitely enjoyed this, and would love to see you guys do some more work on it...maybe even a little interior and exterior clean up, too. Just a thought.
Such a rare find and you did it justice. Well done
Amazing little rigs wished I’d have bought more of ‘em. However we did keep one & collected parts for the last 30 years….definitely have some of the last new OEM parts in the world. Started collecting long before the internet was born, then took advantage of the early eBay days and very thankful for doing that now.
Amazing how the bumpers ,grill,and headlight trim rings are in such good shape.And the engine bay looks pretty good.My first Datsun pickup was a 1966.I made it look decent,but it had lots of issues.But it kept running.My next one was a 71,low mileage and restored to better then new.After getting wrecked,and fixed 6 months after I bought it,it got stolen 2 years later.Never recovered
I have never seen this model Datsun truck before AND I have never seen anyone start a "modern" vehicle with a hand crank. Thanks for making my Saturday morning entertaining and educational!
I have always been a Datsun nut, I’ve had a few classics but never found one of those. So sweet and it even has curves. That 1200 was simplicity and would run strong for a short stroke block. The 1300 a series was so much peppier. I still have a Datsun truck. 1980. That’s a real gem you have in my opinion.👍
That's the oldest Datsun (Nissan) I ever saw. Good job you guys! Looks good enough to restore.
I dig that 320. I have a 620, and I have beat the snot out of it, broke plenty, and one thing I am constantly impressed by is how easy it is to fix, and how ready it is to run again after a few hours of work. I think I have head gasket swaps down to about 3 hours by myself. Still has 150# compression in all cylinders. Of course, that is an L series engine, not an A12 like that 320.
That was a cool old dastun . It sounds good and not too much trouble getting out on the road.
Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend to everyone 👍👋
This will be awesome I Remember them and always wanted one back in the day.you never see any around anymore..
Great video and truck guys, this is a rare gem😀
Love this abandoned cars and trucks giving life back❤
Had a 1970, so I guess the "new" model of this truck. Saved it from a trip to the junkyard. Put a lot of miles on it----drove from So. California to Jasper National Park in Canada for a camping vacation. That hydraulic clutch brought back memories, too, and the exhaust even sounded the same as you ran down the road. One question: Why doesn't anyone ever oil the door hinges on these "abandoned-will-it-start" videos? That's about the first thing I'd do! 🙂 Thanks for the fun video.
That's a great little truck, love it. I had a Nissan 1400, it's even smaller than the 1200, and I'm about 6ft. Loved that bakkie. Great job 👌🏻
You guy'z are one of best, you made this old Datsun returned to life.
Love watching you and your dad resurrecting these old rides looking forward to the next
thank you Dad, for being the father that every son needs!
I couldn't wait for this one to be restored, love them old vehicles, this would make a kool little going to town truck ,lol ,or a truck for Christian to haul her clean supplies in lol ,God Bless ,Restored Fan, Restored, Minot North Dakota ❤
Incredible engine, I have worked at the Nissan factory in South Africa in the early 80’s when they replaced the 1200 with a 1400 engine. My dad took his 1968 1200 engine and used to turn the pump on a 500ft water well. It still worked when he sold his farm in 1980.
That's a cool old little truck, it's an interesting point in Japanese history. You can tell it's influenced by Austin and looks kind of like a Mini. Japan had just started making civilian/consumer vehicles again as, in the early post-war period, they were only making industrial trucks and so on needed for clearing debris and re-building the country. No one could afford a car anyway but by the late 1950s and 1960s they were starting to make consumer vehicles again and were heavily influenced by western automakers from Europe and North America. Once they got their confidence back instead of copying design aesthetics from the west they started to style their own cars and the west started making our cars look like theirs design-wise!
Thanks for that additional info - I was thinking that it reminded me of an early Austin A50 pickup.
Adam I agree with you that the old datson trucks were neat but they were also a good work truck too
@@robt2151 i agree, it should be bigger then a mini, but resembles and A50!
@@shadowwolf9329 Shows that you don't need a V8 to be great.
Four cylinder engines have enough back bone to do much of what their bigger counter parts can only in a smaller size. I had a Mazda truck that I used for scrap metal recycling that small fry hauled more weight than it should have.
I have 2-71 521 Datsun trucks owning one for 44 yrs while the other for 26 yrs. Been cross country up to Alaska living there never letting me down. Engines are extremely easy to work on, durable and easily modifiable. I could start em and go across the country again cuz I provide that duty of care since the day I owned them. No Silverados for me!!
I am surprised at the overall lack of rust. The cool factor of that old truck is off the charts. I am sure it would frost a bunch of people but a I would measure up that truck for a 2.3 L Ford and a 5 speed a 8.8 rear with appropriate brake and chassis/suspension upgrades
Keep it in the family. L20B is the way to go. 110hp stock. 7000rpm redline Just a Weber (or two would be better) a cam and valve springs away from being a pretty good little ripper. Not that the Ford is not a great engine. Just that an L20B (or even an L16) would be perfect in that truck if it would fit.
If it aint broke, don't fix it. That engine will get the job done.
@@MaxNafeHorsemanship True enough. I have seen A series Nissan engines in some pretty interesting places. They are simple and reliable engines.
In my opinion this little truck should bring good money. The first thing to come to mind is how much? Lol! I would love to have it. Great video guys
Those Datsun 1200 engines were good ole tough engines. I have done ring & bearing jobs on several. Same engine was in the 1200 cars the were almost same size as the Toyota Corolla with the 3K 1100 CC Engine. both were very competitive with each other. My Father-In-Law owned one of those trucks.
It's also a Datsun copy of the BMC A series as found in Morris',Austin etc etc. In fact they were popular swap in Morris Minor down here in Australia. Datsun started in japan as the Dat motor company ,Founded by an American who built Austin cars under licence.
I got a ride in one of these on Kawaii after Hurricane Iniki decimated the island. The truck had actually ended up underwater, still ran like a top after cleaning it out
That was the 3KC, and it was 1200cc. Gutless compared to the Datsun, but would last a lot longer. I had two of them as well. Interesting engine. The only slant 4 I have seen.
@@MaxNafeHorsemanship Sorry to tell You that Your wrong. The 3KC 1200cc came out in 1970. Prior that, It was 3K 1100cc. I still have the Repair manual for it AND I took My Mechanic Apprenticeship with Northern Toyota just when the 1200cc came out.
@@CountryAndClassics You could be right on that. Mine was somewhere between 70 and 73. I forget. That was long ago. I just know I thought it was a great (but gutless) little engine.
Lance looking at the bed lines reminded me of my Dad's 73 Toyota. The paint on the cab of the Toyota would fade bad but the bed was fine. He told me the truck was imported without a bed to avoid a tax placed on imported trucks. A different paint was used in the US for the beds. Maybe a similar story here. Bed was built in US and not much thought put into style to save cost? I was born in 68 so young in the mid 70's but can remember every summer helping dad polish the cab to bring back the color to match the bed.
Cool truck . Thank you !
It's so much fun to see these 2 guys working together! I enjoy every second of their video's!
For safety reasons always place your thumb "behind" the starting handle when hand cranking an engine especially when it is cold. Should the engine backfire the handle can kick back breaking your thumb. Earlier models had a lever to retard the ignition manually which helped to prevent this happening.
Brings back memories, as a young lad starting my dad's Morris Minor on frosty mornings, he could never afford a new battery, he was out of work with dickie heart and could not swing the handle himself. If the plugs were oily she would never start, the trick was to take them out and heat them in the fire.At eight years of age I was regularly late for school, the teacher used his cane, it wasn't my fault!
Man you brought a smile to my face when it started up.
What an awesome little truck. Great video, as always.
What a cool truck
Love these produced videos.
So glad you’re saving this beauty!
Nice to see y’all Lance, Wyatt & Christian. Had couple of early 1980s Datsun / Nissan trucks. Very reliable but always had issues passing California’s strict Emission tests.
My Dad gave me a truck exactly like yours. It ran like a charm and it was indeed a '65. Ran like a watch until it was stolen. Hey - that might actually be my Dad's truck!
Excellent thanks and happy new year to you all
Hey guys I was just wondering is that little truck leaning to the right side or is it just me leaning LOL
Again it was a pleasure to spend time around a wrench and your family
those old trucks and car's won't die! best on the road back then, I owned 3 of them back in the 80's
Great video , funniest thing, that gas tank under the hood is the twin to the gas tank on my snowblower powered by a Tecumseh 7 or 8 hp motor, pretty comical, I guess it worked to go get you to and from the grocery store a couple times a week, a guy down the road from my parents house had one and it always ran and told our dads that he only put gas in it once a month, that was funny when you dad started it with the crank like nothing , that thing is cool the front end has some nice style to it round lights instead of square, you just might get lucky and find a turn signal lens on eBay or something, that one our neighbour had even started easy in the winter from having a manual choke made all the difference he would say just not allot of heat for Canadian winters, thanks so much, one of your coolest videos and the nice thing is you may have had to drive to Oklahoma to get it, your didn't have to dig and cut it out of a bunch of trees and bushes and so snakes to worry about, i look forward to future videos of this little Datsun 320 truck, i thought your dad was going to hop in the box and ride down the road with you driving 👍,thx again
By far the coolest vehicle y'all have revived. Love that styling.
You should actually be measuring 7 - 8 volts on the positive side of the coil if you have a working ballast resistor. Some older cars used a ceramic resistor on the firewall but a lot of later cars had loom resistors which was just resistance wire that can usually be identified by the high temperature insulation on the wire to the positive post of the coil. If you run straight 12 volts to the coil the points won't last very long. Also, when you touch the positive coil wire to the battery post and get a spark that means the engine stopped with the points closed so you have a complete circuit. If the engine stops with the points open you won't get the spark. When the points close it completes the grounding of the circuit. Great video BTW!
Two things that's always good to find. An unlocked motor and a key. If it has a clean title that's a cherry on the top.
As a nissan guy. Y'all got a gem there.... My 94 hard body pickup slammed on it's nuts with a mono leaf kit and 5in blocks hauled amazing loads laying frame on the axel.... This little truck deserves new life
And the saying goes..... They don't make them like they used to
True about Datsun: ua-cam.com/video/06nu2tA9UeI/v-deo.html
Here in Australia every working man, tradesman, farmer had one. They were such a good workhorse. They were everywhere downunder.
Beauty fellas, loved my ol' 521 Datsun.
Wojooow Nice Love Datsun
Excelente. Son muy buenos mecánicos, los felicito, les mando un gran abrazo desde Argentina, Buenos Aires.
Christian brings the glamour to the channel, superb on the camera too.
I had a 1980 datsun pu. Loved that little truck. It never let me down. Body rusted off it long before the drive train quit...
Hell ya, a Datsun!!! I've owned quite a few in my day. I'm currently rebuilding a 69 510 2 door. Glad to see you guys playing with one.
I am always looking for all models of Datsuns. They are becoming rare.
I want it. So cool. Wish they looked like this today. I'm falling in love with these vintage Japanese trucks from that era.
I got my steak and my Mexican coke, im just here to watch you guys do all the hard work while I relax.
That’s the coolest little truck
Good to see Derek vice grip garage watching with us those of you that are not familiar with his channel highly recommend checking it out
Restored and VGG on a Friday night, love it.
That is one cool truck. I love the patina. If I had it I’d patch the holes, give the new metal some patina, polish it up, put a good sealer on it and drive it just like it is. 😁
I like watch what u guys do reviving old cars....feel sorry for the loss of uncle Frankie....luv form fiji islands...
Thank u wish the family the best...may God almighty bless what you will be doing next..on with your
God I love this. My dad bought the next model type a 1300 Datsun in the same red in 1969. That thing ran, and ran, and ran. He sold the truck in 1980 and I was sick that he didn't sell to one of us. It was straight and a California truck, no rust.
Excellent video RESTORE Crew :) those DATSUN small pickup trucks are amazing my uncle John has them since 1970 for years still got a 1994 Toyota T100 Tacoma basic model California model also lives in Ontario Canada bought in 2004 year! Yes do remember him saying those truck had West Coast on doors and one's near are traveling tow package types for blind spots tow a trailer! Those 1100 CC motor last long time and 1 barrel carb 550 CFM Carter or Holley too ! Yes funny part those Cranks for Jack also turn motor it helpfull when need do time chain set up plus distributor set up on number 1 cylinder plus check out points even when starter faulty too and tons more ideas to like do clutch or ring gear replacement too! That truck not bad shape also still got box is awesome and excellent! Fuel tank is only 12 to 15 gallon type !
Datsun's are tough trucks, I love the eclectic vehicles you guys tackle.
This truck is a testament of Japanese quality & ingenuity - a true work horse that still lives and might be a worthy restoration project.
Really neat little rig. Runs very well after sitting so many years! Great video guys!
Love old datsuns. I'd love to have 1 of these 320's
That clutch master might work now the slave is moving. I'm glad you were able to get the bolt out of the torsion key. When I first saw it I was afraid the torsion bar was broken. I liked to die of anxiety waiting for you to get to the point of checking it out! While I have never seen a Datsun torsion break, we are talking about you guys aren't we? LOL!
Those little trucks were some of the best running, easiest shifting vehicles around. I have had four 521 trucks over the years, two '71's and two '72's. Three of them I had down to the frames the third I got it running, went to back it around outside and the whole cab lifted off the frame! The only thing really keeping the cab from rolling off was the shifter and the steering column!
I ended up parting it out but I did take it around the block before I parted it out. The frame was rusted in two under the bed in front of the left rear spring. I guess from many years of fuel leaking on it.
My first one was a little badass. Jap high compression head, lumpy cam, two sidedraft webers and Datsun headers. I had to sell it after I got chased across a state line hauling shine. Nuf said. That was back in the 70's, I'm 63 now and know better.
Ah, the stuff we did as teenagers.
I wish I could make you an offer right now but circumstances won't allow. Treat her nice. Get it up on a rack and spray it with a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and chain bar oil underneath to stop the rust in it's tracks. Park it outside and keep the smokers away from it for a few days.
Find that one last sign painter in town and put the shop logo on it and you will get some awesome PR and advertisement for sure!
Cheers!
Terry
Good to see the old Datto running.
brings back a load of memorys. thats when cars where easy to work on, unlike todays cars.
That was cool I didnt expect the key crank toward the end that was cool. I've never seen a truck like that before. I really enjoyed the video thank you for taking the time to make them. God bless you all.
I want to see a part 2 of you finishing it up and washing it and giving the old girl shine
Another delightful find for you blokes. Great work. 👍
I thank you guys for being proud of your Christianity -- I also have a music ministry -- love what you all do and have watched every video -- keep on for the kingdom God Bless you all
That’s the coolest little truck 🍻
sweet. Havent watched it yet but I'm already happy. DATSUN yes.. !
that was to hard fellas sweet little old girl you got there 😉
Neat little truck and not to mention it runs like a top and sounds like a jewel. I would love to see this pickup fully restored.
wow just a great find the later tny datsuns were big back in africa kenya even in the safari rally