320 Picked up, Now I have a dilemma. Pics attached.

[eddietude]

So I finally picked up the 320 I got, and now I have a dilemma. 

 

It's in much better shape than I originally thought. 

 

While there is some rust on the rocker panels of the truck, and a couple of pinholes on the top of the cab, pretty much everything else is solid.  The fenders are nice and straight, just a couple of minor dings on one of them.  Ditto for the doors, the sides of the bed, and the tailgate.  The bed itself looks to be in very good condition as well.  .  Turns out, someone lined the bed with plywood, so it looks like it has some surface rust, but was well protected.  I haven't removed all the plywood yet, but will find out soon enough.

The side trim is there, and looks great.  Hubcaps, front bumper, grille and headlight rings are there, but need complete refurbishing.

 

Interior is all there as well.    

 

It's missing the hood, rear window, and the front window is broken.  Some of the datsun emblems are gone.   That seems to be the only items missing.  Everything else is there.   

 

The engine was removed and is sitting in the bed, but it's all there.  

 

From the paperwork in the truck, it looks like it was pulled from the road in the early 1980's.  Some of the license plate tags from 1982 and 1984 were still in the baggies and never put on the plates.  It even has the blue and gold license plates.  

 

 

So this vehicle would be a great candidate for a full restoration.  I'll feel guilty cutting it up for my purposes, hence my dilemma..  

 

The question is, would anyone want it for that purpose?  Are there people who restore these 320's?  \

 

 

 

 

[Draker]

Cut it up for what?

[ggzilla]

Yes, there are people that restore 320s

[skyblue]

What are your purposes?

[wayno]

I have found it better just to do your build, and then surprise everyone once it is well on its way to being done, if you start asking questions, you will get a lot of crap from the purists, especially on 320s.

A few on here have ran new members off with negative rep (when we had it) because they(the 320 owner) was thinking about a V8 320.

One guy on here did a VG30 L320, but he had it mostly done before telling anyone, and it was a Very Nice truck before the conversion, and it still is a very nice truck, with a VG30 in it, and he didn't get flamed either.

I know what your plans are, it's much easier to to make what you are planning to make with decent sheet metal to start with, besides it might have been crushed if you had not bought it.

Did you buy 2 of them, did it/they come out of Colorado?

[Draker]

Don't say garden trailer..

[eddietude]

My plan doesn't matter.  What I want to do won't fit, AND the vehicle is too nice to chop up to the extent I'd need to.

 

So, I'd rather find someone who wants to restore this and sell or trade for what will work for me.  

[difrangia]

Nice tail on that one!!

 

Steve

[Daddyoethan]

What would you be interested in for trade? 

 

I may be interested in the cab and doors,   price? 

[DMC]

No motor no trans. Clear title. No inner fenderwells in the engine bay.

[dp320]

Yes, there are people that restore 320s

 

No way!

 

OP: If it's not going to work just put it up for sale on craigslist and let people here know it's for sale.  I think it's safe to say that at this point it would be uneconomical to do an original rebuild in most situations.  A better plan for most of these "finds" I'm seeing will be to put a newer engine in, update the steering, transmission, differential, and restyle the truck.