Cloud White is the color (or tone) of this 1995 Nissan D21 Hardbody XE King Cab 4×4 pickup, and it’s quite a departure from the company’s first pickup offered in the U.S. in the late 1950s, the 220-series. The seller has this Hardbody 4×4 posted here on craigslist just southeast of Portland, Oregon, and they’re asking $11,700. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
I love the unique rear side windows on Nissan’s D21 (the follow-up series to the 720) pickups with the windows wrapping around to the roof a bit on each side. The Hardbody pickups, named for their overall rugged look and also for the double-wall bed, was the company’s first really modern pickup, and this S-body version, the King Cab, was designed in Nissan’s digs in San Diego.
Despite the double-wall bed (this one is also wearing a bedliner, so does that = a triple-wall bed?), the body panels can still exhibit dents from the outside as expected. This one is showing a small dent on the right front fender, which may or may not be able to be massaged out by a PDR specialist. I’d want to give that a try; this l’il rig looks just about perfect otherwise.
The D21 Hardbody pickups were offered in the U.S. from 1985 through 1997, in rear-wheel drive and 4WD, and in single and extended-cab versions that Nissan referred to as the King Cab. It’s the perfect cab size, in my opinion. There is enough room back there to at least somewhat hide your luggage or other gear, and you can haul a couple of actual humans back there in a pinch when you fold down the hidden seats on each end. The rest of the interior looks nice, other than some obvious sagging on the left side bolster of the driver’s seat. The cool part, other than this truck having 4WD, is seeing the 5-speed manual.
The other great part is seeing the VG30E fuel-injected SOHC V6 with 153 horsepower and around 180 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by the 2-speed transfer case and 5-speed manual, sending power to all four wheels when needed, the seller says this truck has 89,000 miles, and it runs and drives “excellent,” and everything works as it should. You could do a lot worse with your $11,000 than owning this good-looking Nissan 4×4. Have any of you owned a similar one?
Scotty!!! I can actually attest to how durable these trucks are. Many years ago I delivered a lot of lumber, sheetrock, roofing shingles ( etc. Etc.) To a really great builder. I lost count how many homes he built, but anyways, he had one of these. A little older. 4 WD extended cab. He had well over 300K hard earned, hard worked miles. Other than normal wear and tear items like clutches and brakes, it was original. The motor was never touched. He “replaced” it with a half ton Chevy that, truth be told, he also worked very hard and had good results with. But he never got rid of the Nissan. Sat in his barn. Rust was unfortunately the main issue. It seems like a very reasonable price and looks great. I’m with SG, perhaps a PDR pro can get that little dent out. Or make it better. So…. I also want to say… Is there ANYTHING Curvette can’t find? We have a good number of folks who submit all kinds of vehicles and I truly enjoy that and want to say thank you. And Scotty, of course to you and the other writers as well, a huge thank you for your time, insight, and research that go into all your write ups.
You are way too kind, Dave, thanks much! I love the stories that you and others share. We should have a feature that shares readers’ stories. Hmm… (scratching gray chin whiskers)
Well Scotty….. That makes two of us with grey chin whiskers.
Around 1999 I bought a used ’96 Nissan Regular cab, 5 speed 4 cyl. pickup with just over 40K on it. Solid truck, no issues. This later prompted me to buy my new 02 Frontier Crew Cab pickup which presently sits in the driveway as I type this. They can bury me in it. It’s a keeper.
370zpp I’ve been looking for a stick shift 4wd, manual hubs Frontier for sale for yrs near us. 💁♂️
Why not buy this instead? MUCH better truck that will
run almost forever – not what I’ve heard about Frontiers.
I have a friend who has one of these in the 2WD
version.He figures that he has well over 400,000 miles
on it,& still looks really good.He bought it new.
It is a cool rig for sure anglia. The “hardbodies”
I may have a line on an old Tacoma now.. 2.7L 4wd, stick, real basic… Its all I need, but i forgot how small they were inside, and I just seem to get bigger 🍺 🍔 😲💁♂️
Angliagt, my 02 Frontier has been dependable from day one. Over the years I have hauled everything you can imagine in it and still do. Original drivetrain, uses no oil. Never even been parked in the garage. Sat outside through more hurricanes than I can remember.
If Nissan would go back to building trucks like this they just might make it. If I was in the market for a truck I would be taking a closer look it is on the higher end of the price range but its better built and can haul twice as much as that thing Nissan calls a truck today.
The older trucks are very overpriced because they are a no computer car, they do not turn you on to your insurance company because you hit the brake too hard or excellarated too fast. They do not follow you around so they know where you are. There is no screen that can go dead.
So now that we are running to these type of vehicles and everyone it telling them via YouTube to “buy these” vehicles, the prices are stupid.
I joke around that I want a 2 door 78 Ford LTD landau because of those reasons. My parents had one and it was the most indestructible vehicle they ever owned. I hope I just did not make the price go up on that one!
The only real issue is rust! I wonder how many have left an older rust free car or truck behind as they are fleeing dry states like California?
In 1990 I bought an 86, RWD, 4 speed, 4 cyl King Cab with a topper and drove it for several years and loved it. Perfect size.
I have a 94 D21, King Cab, that my dad bought new. Before he passed, I let him know that I wanted it (even though his fool son already had too many cars). A couple of days before he passed, he told me “we (he and mom) had a lottery for the truck, you were the only entry”. Great little truck. Sadly, it only has the basic 4 cylinder, and an automatic, so it barely has enough power to get out of its own way. But with over 175K miles, it has been the most dependable vehicle I’ve ever owned. It’s my ‘daily driver’. Whoever buys this 95 is in for a real treat…great write-up Scotty!
I had a very base 1990 regular cab with the 4 cyl, 5 speed. Loved that little truck! It had a great ride, got good mileage and was hard to beat for durability. Alas the tin worm got the bed and I needed something a little bigger for college moves. Gave the Nissan to a friend who gave it to the kid up the street from him, who put a flat bed on it. Changed the original clutch at 197,000 miles. At 237,000 a drunk woman hit his truck where it was parked and bent the frame, sadly totaling the great little truck. That 4 cylinder never burned a drop of oil! Even at 237K, it still didn’t use any oil!
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Also had several of it’s sibling, Pathfinder/Terrano with the diesel engine (TD27). Every time when we went to travel New Zealand we bought one of them. Usualy with around 250K to 350 K miles om them.
New Zealanders love them, they call em “bullet proof”. Still many of them on the road there.