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Small Factory's Datsun 620 Truck (for trucking)


Small Factory

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Hello Ratsun community, thanks for having me. My name is Tim, and live in Smithfield, Rhode Island. I am, as of last weekend, a new member of the Datsun club. To make a long story short, I have been looking for quite a while now for a vintage Japanese vehicle. After being patient, I found this. Other than washing it, this is how I received it...

 

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Some imperfections...

 

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There is some surface rust that has begun to form on the bottom of the rockers. For living in New England all of it's life, this small amount is simply unheard of...

 

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Aside from some scaling on the frame, the floors and frame are free of rot.

 

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Tag.

 

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Paint code.

 

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Motor compartment, as I got it.

 

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Under-hood silver insulation. Is this OEM?

 

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Thanks for looking...!

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Thanks guys. The truck came with some cool original bits.

 

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...and a full history.

 

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So, from what I have put together:

 

The original owner is unknown (no records), and turned in the vehicle to the ford dealer after 1-2 years of ownership and putting on 13,470 miles. 

 

The previous (2nd) owner purchased it in January 1980 for $4528.93. It was purchased/registered under the wife of the owners name, so her name appears on any of the dealer-produced records, but his on anything others.

 

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They seem to have saved almost every inspection report, insurance card, service receipt, even receipts from when they purchased carb-cleaner and other bits from the local auto-parts store. I put together a quick timeline for the dates and mileage. The mileage for the inspection reports is rounded to the nearest thousand, unfortunately. The truck didn't move other than going to get inspected from 1988 to 1995. It received it's final oil change in September of 2003, and he past away shortly thereafter. It sat in the garage with 30,809 miles until I took ownership last week (his wife past away so the estate was sold off). It was always garaged by him, so the paint is not faded and still retains a nice shine.

 

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Amazingly enough, with new oil, draining the tank and putting in new gas, and a new battery (checked all fluids as well) it fired up immediately. Gotta love Datsun's. It was driven around the neighborhood a bit, then I took it home for the 2 hour trip without a hiccup. I was amazed. Besides the tires being out of balance from sitting, it was smooth and tight.

 

It was obviously barely driven in winter, well, barely driven period. Datsun's are almost nonexistent in the Northeast with all the salt and sand dumped on the roads 3-4 months a year. 

 

I'll have plenty of questions along the way guys, so thanks for the warm welcome. I'll get some interior shots up soon. Hope you enjoy, I know I love looking at pictures off all your Datsun's on here...

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Welcome. Very nice 620. Congrats on the find! It certainly is rare on this coast and especially in New England.

 

It is amazing how these low mileage trucks are showing up in the recent past.

 

I pulled my 77 620 KC out of a barn in Maine this past September. One owner, fully documented 29k miles truck. You can check it out in my thread. I don't want to stomp on yours

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/64058-barn-find-yes-a-true-barn-find-1977-datsun-620-king-cab/

 

 

 

How is the interior in yours? More Pics? Any plans for it? Just keeping it stock? I hope so.

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What a sharp looking truck. Looks almost new!  Every time someone new comes on here and shows off their old yet pristine truck I just want to go kick the 3 previous owners of mine in the ass!

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That truck is dangerously close to perfect. Congrats.

 

 

wow look at that shiny metallic color!

 

 

Welcome to ratsun, Very nice truck you got there!

 

 

Welcome. Very nice 620. Congrats on the find! It certainly is rare on this coast and especially in New England.

 

 

Dude that is a nice truck. Love the colour and the imperfections aren't that bad, just adds character. You're lucky to have such a good maintenance record for it I'm jealous

 

Thanks guys. Being patient paid off... When I saw it I knew I couldn't let it slip thru my fingers.

 

My only complaints are that I wish that is was a short bed, and the previous owner didn't have that tonneau cover installed, but that's a short list!

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Here's some interior shots. Guess what, it's blue..! Unfortunately, I am missing the original tool bag, but the original jack and jack parts are there.

 

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Floors look nice.

 

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This seat-back accessory was stuffed with documents. Pretty cool...

 

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The left gauge hole is blank, but has a 5-digit number-tracker thingy.

 

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The two unfortunate bits: The previous owner decided he wanted to get all high-tech and have FM, and a digital clock. He removed the ashtray, and used some wire to hang the little FM transmitter (so no holes were drilled). He also removed the blank plate from the center console and made his own up from some masonite and mounted the clock in it. As you can see, wiring was not his forte.

 

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OEM floor mats are like new, since he had old carpet remnants cut into floor mats when I got it. Are these wood-look kick panes OEM? They don't seem to go with anything else with that brown-wood look.

 

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As you can see, he had something mounted to the side of the parcel tray. Maybe to hold a gun? 

 

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Headliner is like new.

 

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Seats are nice and vinyl-y.

 

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Shift boot has just about had it...

 

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Since the truck wasn't used much, dead bugs spent some time on the metal part of the dash, which led to some small surface rust.

 

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The 'aftermarket' additions were bothering me, so today I removed and disassembled the center console...

 

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Removed the FM transmitter. Luckily he used foam covered wires to hold it up there.

 

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Removed the "wiring". If anyone is interested in it, I'll send it to you free of charge!  :w00t:

 

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Removed 'this'.

 

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...and buttoned it all back up like it was intended.

 

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Now I have to begin to source a blank plate for the console, and an ashtray as well. I will go to the thrift store and get a black leather coat to use for the material for a new shift boot. The old one is still good enough for me to disassemble, and use as a template to cut new pieces. Luckily my wife sewing machine can sew leather...

 

Thanks for looking.

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I pulled my 77 620 KC out of a barn in Maine this past September. One owner, fully documented 29k miles truck. You can check it out in my thread. I don't want to stomp on yours

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/64058-barn-find-yes-a-true-barn-find-1977-datsun-620-king-cab/

 

 

 

How is the interior in yours? More Pics? Any plans for it? Just keeping it stock? I hope so.

 

I just checked out your thread, that is very cool... I could only imagine the excitement of pulling out a vehicle that had been buried for 30 years.

 

As for the future plans, I am going to put a 'no fat chicks' sticker across the hood and a fart cannon wired to the back bumper, and a cold air intake made from PVC going thru the front head light.

 

OR, my plan is...

 

Right away I am going to try and get that shift boot made, try and find a plate for the console, and an ashtray. Also try and find a factory tach if I could.

 

After that, I plan on flushing all the fluids, driving and enjoying it when the salt is finally off the roads while I save up some money to have a body shop sand down and re-paint the rockers in the original blue. I won't touch any other part of the truck paint wise since it is so clean (even to repair any dings and such), because it's honest and you can't beat original paint! 

 

I really like the original stock look with those steel wheels and dog-dosh hub caps. I would love to install some white-letter or yellow-letter tires, maybe a little more on the wider side in the rear; to give it that hint of OEM coolness. I also think the wheels might look nice in the same body-color blue. No adjustment to the ride height. Stock.

 

Besides finding and installing a factory tach (and the console plate and ash-tray) I wouldn't do a single thing to the interior. I love it.

 

Longer term, I would love to disassemble the bed and cab from the frame, so I could sand down the underside of the floors and either paint in the factory blue or simply apply fresh undercoat. Also remove the drivetrain, sandblast the chassis and repaint to new. Rebuild maybe, at least reseal the transmission and motor, and rear axle. Paint or clean them as well.

 

I wouldn't leave the engine bay stock though. I love a clean, simple well plumbed and spotless engine bay with no extra unnecessary items cluttering it up. My goal would this to sit as a stock looking truck inside and out, but under the hood, a, or some, side draft carbs and other fun mild performance bits for the L20. All emissions removed and boxed up. In RI (and many other states out in the east) we have no worries about emissions after 25 years. They test for them in RI, but if the vehicle is over 25 years old, it doesn't have to pass. Or, if you register it as an antique, there is no inspection whatsoever...

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I just checked out your thread, that is very cool... I could only imagine the excitement of pulling out a vehicle that had been buried for 30 years.

 

As for the future plans, I am going to put a 'no fat chicks' sticker across the hood and a fart cannon wired to the back bumper, and a cold air intake made from PVC going thru the front head light.

 

OR, my plan is...

 

Right away I am going to try and get that shift boot made, try and find a plate for the console, and an ashtray. Also try and find a factory tach if I could.

 

After that, I plan on flushing all the fluids, driving and enjoying it when the salt is finally off the roads while I save up some money to have a body shop sand down and re-paint the rockers in the original blue. I won't touch any other part of the truck paint wise since it is so clean (even to repair any dings and such), because it's honest and you can't beat original paint! 

 

I really like the original stock look with those steel wheels and dog-dosh hub caps. I would love to install some white-letter or yellow-letter tires, maybe a little more on the wider side in the rear; to give it that hint of OEM coolness. I also think the wheels might look nice in the same body-color blue. No adjustment to the ride height. Stock.

 

Besides finding and installing a factory tach (and the console plate and ash-tray) I wouldn't do a single thing to the interior. I love it.

 

Longer term, I would love to disassemble the bed and cab from the frame, so I could sand down the underside of the floors and either paint in the factory blue or simply apply fresh undercoat. Also remove the drivetrain, sandblast the chassis and repaint to new. Rebuild maybe, at least reseal the transmission and motor, and rear axle. Paint or clean them as well.

 

I wouldn't leave the engine bay stock though. I love a clean, simple well plumbed and spotless engine bay with no extra unnecessary items cluttering it up. My goal would this to sit as a stock looking truck inside and out, but under the hood, a, or some, side draft carbs and other fun mild performance bits for the L20. All emissions removed and boxed up. In RI (and many other states out in the east) we have no worries about emissions after 25 years. They test for them in RI, but if the vehicle is over 25 years old, it doesn't have to pass. Or, if you register it as an antique, there is no inspection whatsoever...

 

 

Great sense of humor is so important.

 

Love your plans. Glad it will stay relatively Stock. 

 

The kick panels are not stock. The speaker location is stock though.

Here is a pic of mine.

 

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I may have a tool bag for you.I will take a look.

 

Post a wanted ad in the classifieds for the ashtray and blanking plate. Maybe for the tach too. Although factory 620 tachs are rare and fetching a good bit of cash these days. 

I have seen a few sell on ebay for high dollars. 

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