Project Car Hell, Vintage Japanese Pickup Edition: Datsun 320 or Toyota Stout - AutoWeek

Last week, a pair of 20-something-year-old Japanese factory hot rods vied for parking space in the fiery furnace of the Hell Garage. No, what you need is one of the first Japanese pickups to be sold in North America as your parts hauler, and that pickup must be restored and customized in full-on, Tokyo-grade VIP Style. If you're going to slam a vintage Japanese pickup lower than a delinquent borrower getting stomped by a Yakuza heavy, you need a truck that will look right with about a half-inch of ground clearance, embroidered curtains in the back window and... In other words, we're not talking about a Mazda B1500 or an Isuzu Wasp (actually, a Wasp would look good with the VIP Style treatment, but you can't find one). What we're talking about here is a genuine Datsun 320 pickup, with styling that still shows the influence of former Nissan partner Austin Motor Co. Yes, the 320 comes with British credentials, which certainly adds to the character of the project. Check out this 1965 Datsun 320 (go here if the listing disappears) in Southern California, priced at a very reasonable $800. Tim, the seller of this truck is a poet, so let's admire his work:. Source: autoweek.com