Datsun’s automotive ambitions stretch back to the 1930s when it made the Type 15 in a variety of body styles. Rolling through the decades, the company innovated relentlessly. Its first foray into America was in 1958, with the Datsun 1000 sedan. Its first truck arrived on our shores in 1959, carving a new niche into the market: the compact truck. Fuel efficient if not powerful, these little haulers were solidly popular, especially where they first landed – Southern California. It wasn’t long before the small trucks drew competition from Toyota, Chevy, and Ford. T.J. found us a tidy example of the compact truck genre – this white-walled, baby-blue 1967 Datsun 1300 pickup. This truck is from the 520 model series, with its rounded fender and hood lines; by 1969 that front end lost its character through a restyle that flattened its sheet metal. The seller’s listing is not very revealing – we learn that he’s the second owner, has a clean title, and that the odometer reads 68,000 miles. No word on running condition, and it’s sitting on a trailer, so we’re left to wonder.
The mystery deepens when we examine the engine bay. That’s an OHC engine in there, not the original Hitachi-carburetted 1300 cc OHV four. Early Nissan four-cylinders generated well under 100 hp, with the factory 1300 coming in at 67 hp. But the truck weighs just slightly over 2100 lbs, so while its zero to sixty time of somewhere around 16 seconds wasn’t sparkling, it wasn’t terrible. Technically the truck qualifies as a half-ton. Drum brakes are found at all four corners, and the gearbox is a four-speed floor-shift manual. That air cleaner is an aftermarket item.
This interior is decent, with no tears in the upholstery, a clean dash marred by a few stickers, and a few repairable cracks in the steering wheel. Datsun revamped the truck’s platform in 1966 to improve its suspension and lengthen the chassis – both contributed to a better ride. The cab became wide enough to seat three, though taller Americans might find the front-to-back dimension on the tight side.
The paint isn’t perfect – the driver’s door is a lighter shade than the rest of the body – but the sheet metal is fairly straight. No mention is made of rust. This truck is for sale here on craigslist with an asking price of $6500; it’s located in Dallas, Texas. Japanese vehicles have ridden a surge of interest lately among enthusiasts, but many examples remain very reasonably priced. Is this truck verging on collectible status, or do you think it still qualifies as a used truck?
Got to admit, pretty amazing, more so that it’s still available. I remember the ads, depicted in black and white, the wary, but interested buyer mentioning to the salespersons just closing a deal on one saying, “I’ve never seen these before”, and the salespersons big smile reply, “oh, you will”,,tough to speculate why this is even here at all, but I think it was an unsold leftover, sat for years, the original motor was stuck, and a suitable replacement was installed. I bet most of the miles on it now were with the newer motor. We have to remember, in 1967, buying something like this wasn’t at a push of a button. In 1967, the only dealer in Wisconsin was Jack Safro, and had to have a rural location in case of damage to the vehicles. It was really a serious concern at the time. Imagine if you will, Harley, Briggs, AMC, all going great guns,,,wait a sec, boys, let’s give that Toyotie dealer a little visit tonight( HD engines rumbling) Our Honda 50 was a damaged bike from you know who.
Anyway, this is still not compliant for any travel, but has novelty through the roof, and hopefully the hooligans that despised these are long gone. Great find.
You mean those “hooligans” that had to fight for their lives, over in Asia? And kept the country safe? I wonder why those guys had a chip on their shoulder, for Japanese cars?
Yet Volkswagens sold by the millions.
Big C… I upvoted you and am adding this… I’m 74 and grew up in the 50’s…. in a small town which saw 42 young men and their tank group leave for impending Asoan war in 1940. They and many others were captured by the Japanese. and became part of the Bataan Death March. My friend’s dad was one such survivor … he was very soft spken and a wonderful guy… he never spoke about what he had experienced, altho other survivors did and made presentations to Kiwanis etc.
In about 1980 I was surprised to see a Datsun pickup in his dad’s driveway… Perhaps this was his way of putting it to rest…..
BTW…. his dad outlived the others from our town.
I think that Volkswagens were more easily accepted because many Americans had German ancestors and could relate to them better….. at least in 1950’s Ohio….
It’s interesting when you start talking about war conditions. Where I come from there were probably as many fought in the South Pacific as in Europe. One of my uncles was a navigator on a bomber crew who was shot down over France and taken prisoner by the Germans. He said that they were treated reasonably well; even the Red Cross care packs came through. He went to his deathbed not condemning the Germans, except maybe the SS and the Nazi party. However go to those who fought the Japanese, and their opinion was very different.
I pulled up to the coffee shop in my new Toyota HiLux pickup in 1971. There was some conversation and questions asked, amidst a lot of Japan bashing. One guy simply finished his coffee, slammed his cup down and stormed out. Another member of our coffee row said that his brother was killed in Pearl Harbor. I knew that he served in the Navy and died in the South Pacific but I didn’t know it was Pearl Harbor.
Not to mention the UAW and USW hooligans who rightly viewed every imported vehicle as a threat to their livelihood. My father worked for US Steel at their R&D facility, and it wasn’t unusual for someone who drove to work in an import to find his tires slashed at the end of the day – at the R&D facility, which was non-union! You didn’t dare drive an import to one of the mills. I guess that pretty much defines hooliganism, but I give these guys credit for recognizing the threat posed by imported vehicles long before industry leadership.
As for me? My father had been gone for 15 years when I bought my BMW, and I still felt guilty.
@Chuck – I can confirm your comment about Volkswagens. Dad told me that it was OK (but just OK) to own a VW if you worked for USSteel because VW wasn’t considered to be a predator. Japan could build cars much cheaper than the US or Germany, so the resentment was much greater.
I have a different take on some WWII Vets reaction to the Japs and Jap cars
My Dad was on Tarawa commanding landing crafts that brought the Marines ashore. My Uncle served in Occupied Japan after fighting his way across the Pacific. Strangely enough my Dad was an admiralty litigator whose biggest clients were Japanese ship builders in the fifties and Sixties. When he retired from his firm in the late eighties he was considering going as counsel to some of the biggest names in Japan before he ultimately became to ill to do so.
He went to Japan regularly all through my childhood in the Fifties and Sixties on business.. I think he admired the ancient Japanese culture; the emphasis on respect and formality even as he had seen the worst that sort of mentality can do when its all about following orders of your superior.
Still, he only drove GM cars after a brief fifties flirtation with a Mercury and a Plymouth! Here’s to all who have served and especially those who died for the rest of us even as we sometimes seems to forget that. I appreciate them.
Wow Howard, you dug deep for that fairy tale about an unsold leftover!
Better than your lame comment.
Hooligans after little itty bitty Datsun trucks? What kind of hooligans did you have up there? You people ! :)
My FiL had a newer one with the flattened sheet metal…maybe ’70? He had bowling trophies glued to each front fender, one to a side? No joke. Just for that I forgave him anything. I wanted the truck when he died but Grandma gave it to her oldest granddaughter who I’m sure, if she treated cars anything like her cousin, destroyed it in record time!
Nice lil truck…loved the earlier front end.
Hi Mw, while the last thing I should have to do, is justify my opinions, I’ll respond on your dime, as we usually get along. How dare some say my lack of regard for our vets, and must be new here, not to know my stance on that. The “hooligans” I speak of were NOT Kilroy, or GI Joe, ever hear of a group called “The Outlaws” out of Chicago? Milwaukee had a “chapter” and they were heck bent on vandalizing foreign vehicles and pillaging. They all had choppers and hung out at Milwaukee Harley on Fond Du lac Ave. and were a scary bunch. Those were the ones that destroyed our Honda 50, not GI Joe.
I want to also apologize to the author, her great post gets derailed, again, for what it’s worth, folks, at least I try and keep it focused on the vehicle.
I remember sitting out back behind the maintenance building with “the boys” during breaktime and a guy drives up in one of these. Aldo, the resident wise guy, asks him, “What the heck is that thing good for?” The guy says, “About 30 miles to the gallon.” Aldo just sits there, looking like a nincompoop.
And in 1967, gas was what? 30 cents a gallon?
Yes and minimum wage was $1.25 per hour. So you could travel over 120 miles compared to 50 miles for the same cost !!
You would think by now everyone would recognize the iconic Weber air cleaner, which indicates the popular carb swap……
… And all the better for it!
I converted a few Toyota pickups, including my own. Easy swap, easy to tune,
a very good alternative when the original carb was worn out, and a little more power. You bought the carb and a kit for the vehicle they were going on. I never needed any other parts to do the job. And the price was very reasonable.
My Bro-in-law had one in the same color in Cary NC while in grad school. I got to drive it a few times. Very nice and surprisingly smooth.
I do know that the old Toyota and Datsun/Nissan pick-em-ups are enjoying quite the resurgence, especially the Toyotas after Back to the Future. They are getting spendy, especially the diesels.
I may be interested in an old Japanese pick-em-up when I move back to the states. They’d have decent homeowner utility when needed, run to the dump and Home Depot/Lowes, and be insured as a classic. a useful fun toy.
My parents bought a 1969 Datsun station wagon when it was a rarity in our town. Good pep and I enjoyed the stick shift. Quite reliable as well. My foray into foreign trucks came a bit later; 1986 Toyota 1-ton and I loved it!
My bro-in-laws truck was 1600cc, so it must have been a ’69.
Bought one of these with my 1st BIG navy paycheck, we yore it apart the 2nd day and installed a dual cab 265 with cam Chevy. Burned the tires off of it after we removed all the name on it and painted it black and of course street slicks,
i think “too early” to be seen on the Right Coast. Looking, in fact, I thought I’d see RHD. They DID start the revolution tho. Just like the cars.
Looks like a weber a/c on a holley carb? May B it’s the 32/36 progressive you see on so many (the ‘pinto carb’). I used to like the single wall bed’n lill tie downs. But…
not long till “the improvements”. Then (I missed both, no longer wrenchin) efi & all the computers. Today I might take a ’18 ranger’n put softer springs in (rough bounce in most these) or similar Yota. But liked the size on these all till about early ‘90s (all began to really grow).
@geomechs and others… Yes… thanks for your thoughts… My friends’ dad was a member of the Ohio National Guard… and they were the first called up… a year before Pearl Harbor. After the War he returned home and ended up marrying the widow of the first hometown boy killed in the War. Their first born was my friend….. his older sister was from the man killed.
Our town was probably equally represented between those going to Europe and the South Pacific. All the veterans were known around town and held in high regard, but the Bataan Survivors were held above. In about 1955 a new 1-8 school was built and named ”Bataan Elementary”.
Likely that many reading these comments have never heard of any of this….
“Bataan Elementary” (Thumbs up emoji)
At least the kids going there will know about WWII.
So many don’t.
bad day at Black Rock!
It sounds like Coast people were likely to get posted to the closest battlefront. I’m in CA now but born and raised in New England. My FIL for the first marriage was in the 101st, parachuted into France on D Day, was wounded and never talked about any of it when I was around. I found out later that he was a Captain and is in that classic photo of Ike talking to the troops just before they packed up and left. He also never said anything about us hopping into a VW van and going cross country (twice), but I bet he didn’t like it.
My dad stormed the beach at Omaha.
Back then, if buddies enlisted together, they could stay together. So he and five friends went to boot camp together right after HS graduation.
Two came back.
My dad ended up as a Sgt., because of battlefield promotions. He ended up on one of numerous squads guarding the road to a schoolhouse in Reims, France. They didn’t know why and guarded the road.
He never once spoke about the war. He got two purple hearts, and had a hand without full function. He never got any VA subsidies for his injury.
I know he was in the Battle of the Bulge by a ribbon, but not much else.
I suspect the most difficult past was going in with pals at eighteen, and coming out missing four pals at twenty.
Talk about growing up quickly! From an Okie farmboy to grizzled war veteran in two years!
Truly, the greatest generation. Not one soyboy or gender fluid nutcase among them.
My dad joined the Marines before Pearly Harbor, and stayed in the Marines for 6 years, well after WWII ended. He served solely in the South Pacific . . . and that is really all I know, as he never talked about it. Had it not been for a formal photo, in his dress blues, I would have never known my dad served. I also found out he was a paratrooper. That said, I do blame WWII for his early death at age 54. He died from COPD and many strokes, which were directly attributable to the free cigarettes given out daily by the Red Cross. Strangely, I do have memories of him going into early VW dealers, and lusting after a “bus” . . . but never any Japanese cars.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I had the 1972 version. The most durable pickup I’ve ever owned!