BigBadBuford

Thanks again for the info. I went and looked at it a second time and I had to pass on it for $3250, it was just more than I wanted to spend on it. I noticed there were a few more rust spots lurking under the paint and the driver's side door was worse than I remembered. It looks like it has a bit of filler put in it before and was starting to fall out where it was rusting.. looks fine in the pics but in person it doesn't look that great. I'm going to give the local body shop a call and see what they would want to fix up those spots and try to price out some tires (looks like 14 inch light truck tires are almost impossible to find anymore) and put together an offer I'm comfortable with - I'm thinking something in the $2750 range. Just for fun here is a pic of the truck I'm trying to replace - this was from 1984. Thanks! John

Last week I thought I had finally found the 720 I was looking for - showroom condition 38k mile '85 King Cab for $4700. It was in NC and I am in PA and I was working with the guy to set up a time to pick it up and the guy had told me whoever got there with the money first would get it. I was ready to leave that night and he called me back and told me he was going to hold it for a day for another guy instead so another one slipped through my fingers again. That night another one came up for sale right down the road from me. It is an '85 standard cab 2wd with 100k miles on it. Out of the ones I've driven it is the best running and driving one - engine ran well, brakes felt good, front end was tight and clutch and transmission were good. Only thing I didn't like about it was no power steering. Overall it is in good shape, the body is straight with a few quarter size spots of rust just starting in random points on the body. The frame is rust free. The paint isn't in the best of shape though - it has been touched up in a few spots but is overall dull - not sure that buffing would fix it - and the paint on the roof is starting to peel. The interior is nice with the exception of a some wires hanging down under the steering column - I think it was from the radio the current owners put in. This is a very low option truck - I think the only option it had was a/c - it had no factory radio, rubber / vinyl floors, no center console, etc. Although the truck is currently inspected it would need new hoses and tires shortly - they were both dry rotted pretty bad. The battery would also need to be replaced - it had to be jumped when I drove it. The guy was asking $4500 which is way too much, but he did say he'd take $3250 for it. Think that is still on the high side considering it isn't the exact model I'm looking for (really wanted a king cab), but these don't come up for sale near me in decent shape very often and I'm getting burned out driving down south then striking out. If I got this truck I would like to do a few things to it but not sure how big of a deal it is. First I'd like to add the center console around the shifter - I see you can still get them new. Are they hard to fit in a truck that wasn't originally equipped with on? Also - some of the trucks have extra cowling under the dash on the passenger side that covers up the a/c equipment - I'm not sure if this truck didn't have it or it was taken off at some point. Was that piece standard and if not are they hard to get? This truck didn't have a factory radio - it just has a storage bin there. The guy put a radio in the glove box - he said it wouldn't fit where the factory radio went. Does the dash need to be modified or do only certain stereos fit in the factory location? Also, I'd really like to have power steering - is it hard to retro-fit onto a truck that didn't have it from the factory? Thanks! John

Thanks for the replies. I decided to pass on it for now and wait for something nicer. I was really torn on it, but the last two vehicles of this vintage I bought blew a head gasket and dropped a valve shortly after buying them so would like to get one as nice as possible. I'll definitely have to stick around especially once I do find one, seems like a nice place with a lot of knowledgable folks.

$1800 was my lowball offer. It was for sale for a month at $3500. I originally told him I wouldn't go higher than $2500 but lowered the price after seeing it in person. Don't think he would go any lower since he didn't want to do $1800 initially. I may just pass it up if the consensus is that it is not worth it.

Thanks for the info so far. Here are a few pics from the original ad. I don't have a picture of the dent on the passenger side or the undercarriage. The passenger side dent is on the bottom half of the extended cab, the guy said he backed into it in the driveway.. it isn't creased too bad so think it shouldn't be too bad to pull back out, or I could just leave it as is. The guy did mention it had new rear brake shoes put on recently - they were put on when it passed inspection a month or two ago. He also said that the transmission was rebuilt at some point in its past and that the 3rd gear grind started after that. I've looked at a few other Datsun and Nissan trucks since I started looking a few months ago. I saw a 620 with an amateur paint job that was lowered and modified fairly heavily for $3000, an '84 King Cab 2wd that was good mechanically but was starting to rust pretty good along the bed seam, an 86 King Cab 4wd that supposedly ran and drove but was totally rusted out - frame and body for $850, an '85 2wd that had a decent body but was lowered and modified and needed some engine work for $2200, and an '81 King Cab 2wd that was extremely rusty and drove terrible for $1500, and an 84 4x4 missing the transmission for $550. As you can see the prices are all over the place here so not really sure what they are worth and they don't come up for sale too often here. I live in PA and I've looked at the trucks here, in MD and VA (this one is in VA). I liked this one since it was very original, the body was the best out of the ones I've seen (except possibly the other 85 in MD), and the interior was in pretty good shape for its age. The extra options like ac (unfortunately doesn't work), power windows, locks, etc are nice even though this is the total opposite of the spectrum compared to the 2wd base model w/ no options that we had growing up. As I mentioned in my first post my biggest concern are the mechanicals - don't want to get it home and have any more surprises. Thanks! John

I'm a new forum member and I'm looking to buy a Datsun or Nissan 720. Growing up we had an '82 Datsun King Cab and have always liked these trucks. I've been searching for one for a while and found one that I'm considering buying. It is an '85 King Cab 4x4 ST and the guy is asking $1800. Overall the body is in decent shape - it has a little rust starting on the driver's side wheel well and the passenger side of the extended cab is dented in a bit but think it could be pulled out and look decent. The frame looked ok as well - just some surface rust on the end of the frame rail on the driver's side. Interior is fairly nice - little rip on the driver's seat and the driver's side door handle is falling off (think the screw just fell out) but all the gauges and electrical items work with the exception of the radio - it turns on but just plays static. The biggest thing I'm worried about are the mechanicals. The truck has 270k miles on it. It drove a little rougher than other 720s I've driven and it clunks pretty bad on and off throttle. I think either the motor / tranny mounts or u-joints are shot. The trans also grinds in 3rd gear unless you are very gentle. The brakes worked ok but the pedal felt a bit softer than some other 720s I've driven too. Engine seemed good and oil looked clean. Overall it doesn't seem like a bad deal - but not sure if this is a fair price for the truck. Are there other things I should look at on a vehicle with this many miles? I like that it is all original and one owner but the miles and the mechanical issues have me a bit concerned. Any comments appreciated! Thanks! John