That would be a cool truck to tool about town in, but it would have to restored to nearly new condition to consider $4,000 imo.
I’ll go off-topic
In my neck of the woods that truck in running condition is NEVER going to sell for $500
The seller would let it sink into the mud over time, before he’ll let it go for $500
But I agree that $4000 is too high . . . but not by $3500
A former neighbor used to have one just like in the picture, but it was 4x4
Ironic that those who loved their small pick-ups in the past would not pay more than $500 for one. This may explain why manufactures no longer offer small trucks, some people view them as useless.
There was one advantage to an old Datsun or Toyota 4X4 ,you could snake them through the woods where a full size (even in those days ) wouldnt go .If you want an older Datsun or Nissan ,hold out for a "Hardbody "(D21 ?) By that time they were much improved(had a 86.5 Hardbody with the NAPS-Z 24 engine 105 on the speedo,would bury the peg with some left over)
But despite how good the body looks,you better look the frame over real well .
Agreed…If you want an unstoppable little 4x4 the 83-94 Toys are basically unbeatable…prob more model yrs than that honestly… But @kmccune called thata one pretty accurately.
I dont think 4x4 ing is this OP’s goal as he is looking at a garden variety 2x4 in this unit…
At any rate he was well advised here on the decision process…that thing is worth nowhere near 4K
Blackbird
“That would be a cool truck to tool about town in…”
Only if the OP’s town has roads with no potholes or other pavement irregularities, or if the OP is able to tolerate the worst ride quality imaginable!
Nevada, you find it ironic that those of us who loved our small pickups wouldn’t pay $500 for a 36 year old beater that hasn’t been on the road for awhile?
For the record, those of us who loved our small pickups paid happily full price for new ones. And we’d do so again. We’re just not dumb enough to pay $4K… or even $500… for a beat up old beater old enough to run for president.
If you think they’re useless, if you think one needs a “mine’s bigger than yours” pickup to do any work, you’re dead wrong. I could fill a book with all the work I did with my small pickups.
The prime rate in 1980 was 18%+. Would the bloated, overpowered, bedazzling pickups popular today remain popular if they were financed at even 12% interest? Isn’t it generous of the Fed to enable US to buy all the horse power and pizzaz we deserve.
@“Honda Blackbird”
“he is looking at a garden variety 2x4 in this unit…”
So OP is looking at a PIECE OF WOOD . . . ?! 
I’ll apologize 1st because I’m going to go off-topic too.
@db4690 quote, “The seller would let it sink into the mud over time, before he’ll let it go for $500” I think that may happen to my '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Gotten a couple offers, but people want it basically for free. $300 is just an insult to my intelligence, so I can imagine how the guy selling this truck might feel. If I’m not pressed for a few hundred bucks, and there’s no homeowners association to force me to have it hauled away, I just might let it sit. . . and sit. . . and sit. (of course for me there’s the added dimension of being a very private person and not wanting the hassle of going on craigslist and dealing with all the random weirdos that might turn up).
I suppose the only practical advice I can offer the “OP” is this: A great way to save money is to look at sites like craigslist and eBay; look at the pictures of the neat-o old cars and imagine how cool it would be to drive it around town in them, and then turn off the computer and go to bed. Cost: Free!
Personally, after the experiences I’ve had, I wouldn’t want to buy another vehicle that had “been sitting”. You’ll have problems with hoses and belts dry-rotted, water pump frozen, anything like CV boots / rack-and-pinion boots probably dry-rotted, brittle wiring, and on and on and on.
@the same mountainbike
I don’t think small trucks are useless and I don’t call them beaters. Those old trucks are daily drivers here in the southwest and an old truck that needs an engine is still worth $500 here.
@ED Belts, hoses and water pumps wear faster on vehicles that are driven daily, these thing need to be replaced if the vehicle is driven or stored. I frequently see cars that are 10 to 15 years old and less than 20,000 miles with the original belts and hoses, they don’t wear out while in storage.The same cars with 150,000 miles have replacement belts and hoses and radiators, these things wear faster with use.
When financially challenged people can’t afford the real bargains because they can’t afford to make a mistake that results in repairs that are more expensive than the price of the car. While I am relatively knowledgeable about automobiles I have found myself hauling vehicles to the scrap yard and losing a few hundred dollars on them and several times sold cars for only a few dollars more than I had invested in them. But more often than not I made a worthwhile profit or drove more value out of a car than I had invested. When someone buys an AS IS beater to use as a daily driver with no back up vehicle and little cash left they are spending themselves into a corner.
Nevada ,that could be a yes ,no ,maybe ,idea you foisted ,some vehicles plain have inferior plastics or used to (Volvo comes to mind-by the same token however the less intense sunlight and cooler temperatures may have been easier on automotive plastics in the Scandinavian countries.But it seems tires deteriorte as fast or quicker setting around .Tarmac ,believe it or not will stay viable longer under moderate usage .
So I can see your point ,but I believe there are some exceptions.
Belts and hoses don’t wear out if unused, but the elastomers in them do deteriorate with time.
That includes brake cylinder and/or caliper seals, crank & cam seals, valve stem seals, and any and all other parts with elastomers. In a vehicle this old, everything must be evaluated.
I would think that old sled is easily worth a grand or even 1500 dollars. Depending on the below…
The only thing I would balk at for that price would be the claim that it needs a tune-up after just receiving a head gasket job and carb overhaul. Who knows if either one of those jobs was done correctly or if the rough running is a sign of something far more serious.
Given that the guy is asking 4 grand for that thing and which he no doubt bases the price on the low mileage I would guess that he’s pretty firm on the not real world price.
There’s also that potential rust issue which has been mentioned.
I don’t care if is a truck, car, snowmobile, lawnmower or chainsaw, never buy anything that “needs a Tuneup”.
That phrase just means they have no idea why it runs so bad and are not going to spend any money or time to find out.
I think we’re quibbling over semantics here. Ok, so a car doesn’t wear out from sitting; and the rubber parts don’t dry-rot, " the elastomers in them do deteriorate with time. " If I’m trying to drive the thing to work, and a valve stem or fan belt or the water pump suddenly fails, I’m going to refer to the vehicle as " a dry-rotted old rusty pile of junk " among various words I can’t type in a family-friendly forum; even though that is not the correct technical term for what happened.
" In a vehicle this old, everything must be evaluated. " If you’re going to pay a shop to do that, it’ll cost way more than the thing will ever be worth (labor charges). If you’re going to do it yourself, its going to be a labor of love, 'cause you’ll never get compensated for the hours you put into it. (on the other hand, some people spend hours and hours watching football and baseball on television, if you spend hours doing this, at least you’ll have a neat-o old truck to drive to show for your time)
@“oldtimer 11” your post is the most succinct thing I’ve read in a while, I wish I could “agree” with it twice! “needs a Tuneup” indeed!
It doesn’t actually cost that much to have a shop go over it and provide a written report. Getting it roadworthy again… well, if you have to pay a shop to do that the cost needs to be deducted from the vehicle price.
But I think we’ve gone adrift. The post was about a 36 year old Nissan pickup in highly questionable condition for $4,000. Only a crazy man or an extreme optimist would ask that for that truck. Only a crazy man would pay that for the described vehicle. All the other details just explain why.
When I was growing up anyone wanting such an absurd amount of money for a nearly worthless vehicle would say: "What’s he been smoking?’
Remember, Noah’s ark only had little more than 40 days and 40 nights on it and very low mileage.
Yeah, and you should have seen the mess in the bottom of the hull!!!