But those headlights and the hybrid engine pale in comparison to what Lawrence sees in his eyes as the most unique features. "The original all-wheel drum brakes were upgraded on all four corners with Wilwoods," he explains with a huge smile on his face. He's talking about the 13-inch vented rotors with 4-piston Dynalight Wilwood calipers in the front and 12-inch solid rotors with 2-pistons Dynalight Wilwood calipers makin' love in the back row. "Plus, this is perhaps the only Datsun 620 Pickup in the world with 18-inch Volk Racing wheels," he continues, pointing at what we already saw earlier, the hard-to-ignore 18x8 TE37 wheels highlighting the already stout pickup in all of their bronze glory. They're wrapped around with Nitto tires and sit happily with Pacesetter front and rear stabilizer bars at the ready, in case Lawrence decides to turn haphazardly around the freeway onramps.
He also added an on-board air compressor to alleviate the rear air shocks to "support my periodic Home Depot runs," he says. These controls are easily manipulated in the cabin, which is as equally impressive as the exterior. "The interior trim panels are all carbon fiber," Lawrence points out, as we gather in the inside of his cabin. They're accompanied by custom bucket seats, MOMO carbon-fiber steering wheels, and a push-button ignition start, all of which scream Back to the Future, as if Lawrence jumped into a DeLorean.
This dichotomy of new and old, added on top of pure rarity and creativity, makes Lawrence ahead of the curve, way above the game. Sure, many have tried their hand at modifying trucks, mixing and matching certain parts, but all they get is a flurry of weird looks on the roads. When Lawrence rolls deep in his Datsun pickup with his TE37s, clean body and an epic sounding motor, everyone who sees it is left agape, kind of like how we were when we first realized that this was the first-ever truck to ever grace the pages of Super Street. This truck provides something special in the air, aside from burned clutches and exhaust fumes.
Fast Facts
Owner Lawrence Keller
Hometown Whittier, CA
Daily Grind automotive engineer
Power 160 hp at 5,500 rpm; 175 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm
Under The Hood
Nissan NAP-Z 2.2L block and U67 Datsun L20B cylinder head hybrid engine, fuel and oil stainless steel lines braided with AN fittings, polished aluminum valve cover, MSD 8mm spark plug wires, NGK spark plugs, Electronic with MSD and ACCEL ignition, Doug Thorley headers, 2.5-inch stainless steel exhaust, dual 40mm Mikuni carbs, Mikuni intake manifold, cleaned up ported and polished U67 head, Isky L4 camshafts 480 lift 270 duration, Nismo forged flat top pistons
Drivetrain
Datsun 5-speed from 1979 200SX transmission, Razo carbon fiber shift lever, Datsun Roadster clutch
Rollers
18x8 Volk Racing TE37 wheels with Nitto 225/40-18 tires
Stoppers
13-inch vented rotors with 4-piston Dynalight Wilwood calipers, 12-inch solid rotors with 2-piston Dynalight Wilwood calipers, Wilwood brake pads, braided stainless steel brake lines
Stiff Stuff
Bell Tech front struts, stock with 2 leafs removed, Monroe air shocks, Pace setter front and rear stabilizer, Energy Suspension bootings
Outside
Custom made front air dam, BMW E30 Euro headlights with HID, LED lighting, custom made and fitted tonneau cover, finished rear taillight roll pan, Euro front and rear signal and taillight lenses
Inside
Custom bucket seats, carbon-fiber panels, MOMO carbon fiber steering wheel, custom stainless pedals, push button ignition star, Pioneer head unit and CD player, Rockford Fosgate 2-way 5-inch diameter in the front, and Pioneer 3-way
Props
My family for their patience, "Thank you dear"
By Roel Concepcion
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