Anyone Remember the Datsun 620 Pickups ?

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CrackyWainwright

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After the bad time my folks had with the '75 Celica GT, they traded it for a 1979 Datsun "Li'l Hustler" single cab pickup just like the one in the photo except ours was white. That was one tiny little truck, and it was difficult for the four of us to all squeeze into the cab for a ride to the church house every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night as was the law in Alabama then (and now!).

Sadly that Datsun had endless carburetor issues just like the Celica and spent more time in various mechanics' shops than on the road. After a couple of difficult years, Dad traded it for a 1980 Chevette. This is beginning to sound like another "Bad Car Decisions" thread.

Anyone know anything about those tiny Datsun trucks?
 
I had a 79 Datsun truck like that only mine was yellow. Bought it used with high miles and replaced the alternator only.
Not much room in it but I was the only rider at the time. Drove it for 3 years and it ran great.

Traded it for a new 87 Nissan and drove that thing for 8 years and sold it with 196k miles. Great trucks. At least mine were.
 
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Yes, I owned a 75 Sport truck (Canadian dealer package)

2.liter OHC engine about 95 hp and a 4 speep manual.

Kind of Spartan, and slow but it had a lot of grunt for a small truck and did not give me much trouble.

It was probably the most antiquated vehicle (mechanically) I have ever owned with King pin front suspension and Drum brakes all around.

Strange you had problems with both your Celica and the Datsun.
I remember there was a lot of hate for Japanese vehicles at that time, do you think your problems could have been intentional?

I once won a drag race against a Chevy El Camino with my Datsun, but that is another story.
 
I still own a 1979 Datsun 510 wagon, and it has the same motor as the truck...the L20B. The carburetor on mine went bad in the late 80's, and I replaced it with a Weber, and I have had no problems with it since. I also deleted the California smog stuff when I put the Weber on. It just sits now because it got rear ended at low speed, and the hatch got messed up. I looked for a hatch for a long time, but prices and shipping were ridiculous, so it's just sitting there for now.
 
Originally Posted By: BigD1
I still own a 1979 Datsun 510 wagon, and it has the same motor as the truck...the L20B. The carburetor on mine went bad in the late 80's, and I replaced it with a Weber, and I have had no problems with it since. I also deleted the California smog stuff when I put the Weber on. It just sits now because it got rear ended at low speed, and the hatch got messed up. I looked for a hatch for a long time, but prices and shipping were ridiculous, so it's just sitting there for now.


Mine had two clamps on the sides of the tailgate, that would hook on to the truck box to hold it closed. Kind of basic, but it worked.

My truck did not have a cat or any standard emission stuff (being Canadian, it may not have been required) that might have helped reliability.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Hitachi carbs?


I couldn't say since I was just a kid at the time, but some of these other fellows might know.
 
I had an uncle who was quite fond of those, and towed a small camp trailer with them. They were pretty solid mechanically, but even in salt-free Texas they rusted away (like all Datsuns of that era were prone to). I can't say they were very spectacular, because he didn't keep them 200k miles or anything- he probably wen through 3 of them between '75 and '80.

Along similar lines... My Dad bought a 79 Mazda B2000 for about $100 at one time, and it was similar. The little drivetrain was stout enough, but the body was already rusting when he got it. It had a staged vacuum-secondary 2-barrel Mikuni carb that was the biggest POS I've ever seen. The 2-liter engine was so underpowered even for the tiny truck that the 2nd barrel would only open if you wrung it out until it screamed, and that was so rare that it usually stuck solidly closed and wouldn't open at all when you needed it. The under-dash AC was about the size of a loaf of bread, and would cool for a few minutes then freeze up into a solid block of ice and you'd have to let it thaw to get another few minutes of cool.
 
Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
2 spark plugs per cylinder right?


No. That was later.

The engine was not even cross flow. The exhaust manifold formed a Hot Spot for the carb.
 
I worked with an engineer at General Dynamics in 1990 who had a '73 with a Chevy 350 shoehorned in with a chopped down Ford 9" rear gear. That thing was quite the project.
 
My 79 510 Wagon was super reliable besides the carburetor issue that the Weber took care of. My L20B engine had the smog pump, and I deleted that. My engine is way north of 200,000 miles. It had one clutch changed at around about 150,000 miles, and since the factory clutch did so good I bought another factory clutch to install. Probably end up just parting it out because I saw a recent car show on TV, and these old Datsuns were being restored. Saw a nice wagon that was the same vintage as mine that looked really nice.
 
My first vehicle (1988)was at 1979 Datsun King cab, it had a bad motor when I got it. I was able to pick up a used L20B engine in Dallas and drop it in, it never ran right but it got me from a to b.
 
Does anyone remember the drill for taking of the head on a 510. You push a wooden wedge down into the lower timing cover to capture the timing chain and the tensioner. Then remove the wedge to put the head back on. The manual gives the dimensions for the wedge so you can make one for yourself.
 
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
My first vehicle (1988)was at 1979 Datsun King cab, it had a bad motor when I got it. I was able to pick up a used L20B engine in Dallas and drop it in, it never ran right but it got me from a to b.


Yep . . . that "King Cab" was all of about 10 inches deep!
 
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