It was remarkably unlike any photoshoot Super Street has ever undertaken; a rare, if not unprecedented, occurrence. It was even more unusual than the time we took pictures of myself in drag a couple of years ago and crazier than the happy hour photos of JDM Wong knocked out on the floor, adorned in garish makeup that made the prostitutes on Hollywood Boulevard recoil in disgust. It was a photoshoot that would make you bust out your pink Polos and reach for the sky. Yes, this photoshoot features Lawrence Keller's 1972 Datsun 620 Pickup, a ride you've never seen anything like in Super Street. As former editor Carter "Won Jo" Jung would say, "For realz?"
This truck is so obscure that Wikipedia.org doesn't even have a page for it. It's so old that people back then didn't even call it a "truck," but rather a "pickup." The last time I heard the word "pickup" associated with an automobile, it was when I "picked up" those same prostitutes on Hollywood Boulevard, uh, I mean, I've never heard the word "pickup" to label a ride. It was definitely made way before Gucci was the clothing to rock, way before Slick Rick got his songs to pop. In other words, this muthaflipper is ancient!
Despite its antiquated stylings, this Datsun pickup makes old-school fanatics like me want to pick one up (no pun intended). First, Datsuns last forever for some reason, as if the employees at Datsun created some sort of anti-aging cream and rubbed it all over the cars they made. Second, all Japanese cars made in the '70s almost always look fresh lowered and to the ground, coming up to the spot looking extra fly. Last, Datsun engines are built like tanks, strong and reliable, lampin' like a lightpost. Overall, it's an amazing feat, what the Datsun heads did back in the day. It's surprising that fewer people are tuning these types of rides today.
Originally, the Datsun 620 Pickup was equipped with a L16, which was the same engine used for the 1968-1973 Datsun 510. Lawrence flipped the script and installed a Datsun in-line 4-cylinder 2.2L motor, building the engine and all its aftermarket components by himself; an easy feat for him, considering the fact that he's an automotive engineer. The engine is a hybrid of a Nissan NAP-Z block and a U67 head from a Datsun L20B. Some of the parts under the hood are as equally old school as the car itself. Getting lost like a black Kate Moss in the cylinder head is a set of Isky camshafts with a 480 lift and 270 duration. Loud like the pastel on Kanye's BAPE shirt is a dual 40mm Mikuni carburetors and a custom-made 2.5-inch stainless steel exhaust. Lighting up the L.A. skyline is some fresh-to-def Doug Thorley headers and NGK spark plugs. Let's just say that damn, they don't make 'em like this anymore.
Some other engine modifications include a remote oil filter, GReddy breather oil catch can, and the relocation of the battery to the bottom of the dashboard near the passenger side. It clocked like Big Ben with a 160 hp dyno run at 5,500 rpm and 175 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm. All of this hyphy horsepower and torque is transferred to the ground via Datsun 5-speed transmission from a 1979 200SX. The 5-speed drops gems with a Razo carbon fiber shift lever and the clutch is clutch like Jerry West, coming from a Datsun roadster tranny system.
As you notice, the exterior cleans up like Detroit Red. It features a custom-made and fitted tonneau cover, finished rear taillight pan, and a Euro-style front and rear signal and taillight lenses. All of which are surrounded by a red paint color, and dent-less and seamless body line. The exterior even boasts some 21st century flavor by way of BMW E30 Euros headlights with HID. Two words: muy major.