When we think of a sport truck, some might say Nissan invented the genre. The Datsun 720 pickup with offered in “ST” guise, which stood for “Sport Truck.” They came loaded up with unique graphics, a killer three-spoke steering wheel, extra gauges, and alloy wheels. Before that, the humble Datsun Pickup didn’t necessarily have a dedicated moniker of any kind, but it’s not hard to see where Nissan’s marketing people got the idea. This Datsun is described as a “510” in the seller’s description – which may be a simple typo – but I kind of like the idea of it being a pre-ST pickup. Find it here on eBay for the reasonable price of just $1,325.

This truck has seen some things – that is for sure. And most of those things probably involve some level of salt water exposure or other triggers for rust. Now, Japanese vehicles from this era are notoriously prone to being rotten, so it may actually be faring better than most vehicles of this age that haven’t been kept in a bubble. However, the body damage is curious to me, as the gaping hole above the passenger side rear tail light doesn’t appear to be the result of rust damage but an actual body panel having gone AWOL. Photos of the other side show the errant panel in place, so someone simply misplaced or damage the original piece; the same can be said for the replacement tailgate.

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The listing notes that the seller picked up this pickup from the estate of the original owner, who passed away. It reminds me of a very similar truck my elementary school janitor drove, same color and all, for many years. Looking back, it was still somewhat unusual to see someone who needed a truck using a Datsun or a Toyota; after all, trucks were what America did best. However, just as we’ve seen lately with the re-introduction of nameplates like the Ford Ranger, there was a significant need for a light-duty pickup that could still haul when called upon but return decent MPGs when just commuting back and forth.

Technically known by its internal model code as a 521, the Datsun used a humble L16 inline-four cylinder engine that pushed out 96 horsepower and 100 of.-ft of torque. The new plug wires suggest someone was tinkering not too long ago, possibly trying to get the Datsun ro run, but it’s still inoperative at the moment. The truck sports awesome patina that was hope the next owner is fine with keeping, especially with that killer bumblebee-style stripe. The asking price seems dirt cheap for a runabout, and if the engine comes back to life with ease, you’ve got a cheap and cheerful parts runner.