This Thai food cart seems to attract a vintage-oriented clientele. That Datsun 620 pickup with the cab extension is not exactly a common sight anymore, even here in Curbsidelandia.
Related reading: Datsun King Cab pickup CC Honda Civic gen2 CC
CC Outtake: Suddenly It’s 1980
– Posted on July 14, 2014
I’ve never seen a cab extension like that on a 620, period. Aftermarket? Nice pair with the old Civic wagon though…the wagon in particular looks pretty well kept.
Definitely modified. Datsun had King cabs at that time, but nothing that large.
Plus it looks pretty much identical to the one seen on Toyotas of the same vintage.
Can’t be 1980 because there are no John Anderson bumper stickers on either of these cars.
I see that Civic wagon around pretty often, but I’ve not noticed the Datsun. I’d love an old truck like that, preferably a Toyota. Quite a few of those around, but yeah Datsuns like this are quite scarce.
Also the woman at the cart is totally checking Paul out.
I’m trying to remember if they had Thai food carts in the ’80s?
There is an option on the Datsun that we might want to consider. While on Saipan and a couple other places I saw this era Datsun, Toyota, Mazda, and Isuzu with four doors. The wheel/bed relationship look just right and so does the crease in the side. I could be talked into believing this was an alternate universe import. It’s sure over 25 years old as 1979 was the last year this style was sold in the US.
If this is homemade I would think it had a chassis extension as well and a very elaborate job done. Not at all like extending a slabside. Cannot think it would have been worthwhile but who knows. Could this be Aussie, Kiwi, or Thai? I could be talked into most anything but homemade or mom and pop shop.
Lee, it’s not homemade. There were a number of companies making these extended-cab mini pickups at the time; they were quite popular. I’ve shown several here before. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-capsule-1977-toyota-cortez-sleeper-cab-pickup/
I’m afraid you are right-again. I could not find this under the Datsun Pacific offerings. The thing that gets me is the bed. It looks like the whole rig is longer because of the relationship of the rear wheels and the bed. It isn’t just a cab extension. Somebody did their homework.
This picture is an example of the sort of thing I saw when I was visiting Saipan. It was being used by Marines and (I think) SEALS. Real workhorses but with that bed being set so far back, a heavy load would have you doing wheelies.
Lee, all of these aftermarket cab-extensions had their frames cut and and lengthened. There was quite a little business with them at the time. The cab extension was big enough for a full seat, or lots of storage. They are nothing like the Asian double cabs.
That cab extension on the Datsun pickup is probably very practical, but it sure is ugly. Those old Datsun pickups get my vote for “prettiest truck ever,” but that overly-large cab sure spoils that classic look.
I like the old ‘bulletside’ Datsuns too, from an appearance standpoint. But lets not forget the Chevy LUV. In ‘4 eye’ variants, that’s a good looking little rig. Especially with a stepside conversion.
Two Points:
1) When refilling the Honda 5-sp manual transmission after replacing the clutch, don’t use 90W gear oil as I once did on a wagon just like this. The service manual specifies Dexron ATF. Follow the manual unless you want to be stranded on the side of the road with fried transmission bearings on a cold snowy day in in Utah.
2) My bowels ache just from imaging the food produced in that sketchy Thai “restaurant”.
Hmm. Our ’80 Civic five speed specified 10w-40 in the tranny.
That model Datsun were popular new with their Japanese built B series Austin engines but they rusted like mad, however several survive locally but not with extended cabs even the Kingcab versions are nowhere to be found I’m not even sure they were sold here, Hondas that age are few and far between to, rust also being their greatest enemy coupled with biennial inspections. Good twofer
Bryce, these have SOHC L-series engines; nothing Austin about them.
The ones we got had a 1500cc OHV photocopied from the BMC B series, the squarer bodied later model had the OHC L series engine not these, we mustve got leftovers.
That cab extension on the Datsun is likely an aftermarket conversion. Never seen one on a Datsun, but in the early/mid 80s there were a good many done on Toyotas. Ive seen single cabs with a huge raised roof sleeper conversion, and Ive even seen them on the Xtracab variants. Talk about an overtaxed motor!
The cab stretch is certainly uncommon. I can’t say I remember seeing one back in the day. I saw a lot of stretched Toyotas on the other hand.
Paul:
Did you consciously crib your title from an article (Motor Trend? Car and Driver?) introducing the AMC Pacer?
No; they consciously cribbed it from this famous ad (below). I’ve been using that title for my Outtakes for years. I’d forgotten about that magazine article, but that’s obviously where they got the idea from.