Good morning! We’ve made it to the end of another week, and as some of you have surmised, we’re back looking in the Golden State for our final pair – though, due to circumstances beyond any of our control, maybe not quite where you expected. Today is also going to be one of those rare days where you get a “both” option in the poll, because I think you might want it.
Well, that trashed Corvette yesterday went over like a lead balloon, as I expected. But kudos to the 21% if you who were brave enough to choose it! You could be right; there might be a salvageable Corvette (or one hell of a Lemons race car) hiding under all that crap. And if someone decides to find out, please let us know. That’s a story I could easily pitch to the powers that be.
Myself, I’m sticking with the majority and playing it safe with the Caravan. I’m no fan of the 2.6, but I can probably get it running well enough to take to car shows, where a bone-stock first-gen Caravan might be appreciated. And if not, a turbo/manual swap might be fun to try.
All right; it’s time for the big reveal of my stupid theme for the week. As some of you already figured out, we went from Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta… and you would expect today would be LA. But that poor city has enough to deal with right now without someone poking around looking for cheap old cars, so we’ll skip it and head straight to northern California, where I’m told the girls are “warm.” (I suspect they average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit there, just like everywhere else, but whatever.) Today’s cars are the same low price, and in roughly the same condition, and complement each other so well that I suspect you may want to vote for both. Let’s check them out.
1982 Datsun 720 ST – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: San Francisco, CA
Odometer reading: 200,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Once again, here we have one of my favorite little Japanese trucks: the Nissan/Datsun 720 series. These little wonders aren’t as refined as the later Hardbody and Frontier, but they’re built like tanks, and they have attitude in spades. This is an earlier example, when the taillights were still below the tailgate, and the hood still had black plastic louvers. And, more importantly, before “The Name Was Nissan.” This one still just says Datsun on the badges.
The very earliest 720s were powered by the old L20 four-cylinder, but this one is new enough to have the twin-spark NAPS-Z engine, displacing 2.2 liters. It has 200,000 miles on it, but it runs great, the seller says. It was just tuned up, has new brakes and tires, and the timing chain and water pump were replaced 20,000 miles ago.
This is the sporty ST model, which features bucket seats, a center console, a tach, a sporty steering wheel, and those graphics on the outside. It’s a little rough inside, but not bad at all for the age and mileage. The seller says everything works, and they claim it has air conditioning, but I see neither a button on the dash nor a compressor under the hood. It does have power steering, though, which is a luxury for a little truck like this.
The outside isn’t perfect, but it’s rust-free, and it has good patina. The bed has been coated in spray-on or roll-on bedliner, so it should be ready to earn its keep. And of course, it has those wonderful rope cleats on the outside of the bed.
1990 Volvo 740 GL – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.3-liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Sonoma, CA
Odometer reading: 250,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
How do you follow up a popular boxy car? If you’re Volvo, you make an even boxier one. The 740 was supposed to replace the 240, but the 240 stubbornly refused to be put out to pasture, and actually outlived the 740 by a year. This body style was originally sold as the 760, with the infamous PRV V6 under the hood; this 740 features Volvo’s lower-powered but far more durable “redblock” inline four.
You could get this engine with a turbocharger, featured in a wonderful series of magazine ads, but this one is naturally aspirated. Moreover, it’s backed by a four-speed automatic, which is a bit of a letdown for enthusiasts, but at least it’s a good reliable automatic. This car has a quarter of a million miles on it, and it runs beautifully. It has a bunch of new parts including a new timing belt and rear brakes.
The 740 was a step upmarket from the 240, and it’s just a little bit nicer inside. This one is in very nice shape, it looks like, and the only thing that doesn’t work currently is the air conditioning. It could use some new door seals, the seller says, but that’s about it.
It has aftermarket wheels, which I like, and add-on chrome trim on the wheel arches, which I’m not as crazy about. But since it’s a California car, it’s unlikely they’re hiding any rust. The paint is faded, and the clear coat is of course falling off, but it’s straight.
I actually like both of these cars well enough that I hesitate to pit them against one another, but that’s the name of the game. They’re $3,500 each, but honestly, I think buying them both would be seven grand well spent. If you agree, I’ll give you the option of choosing both. If for some reason you don’t want either one of them, tough. You’ll just have to wait for next week.
(Image credits: sellers)
I never thought I’d say this, but… that Volvo is too boxy.
Both, the Nissan would be a great little companion for summer tasks, but I’d probably keep it away from the wrath of a PA winter. That’s where the Volvo comes in – put a set of winters on there with a little extra weight in the trunk and that thing will do just fine, thanks. Also – love that the commitment to boxy extended all the way inside too.
I picked both, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the Volvo. My grandmother had a 740 GLE 16 valve, which she later sold to my father. The GL engine isn’t as powerful, but is supposedly more reliable than the 16 valve. Great cars.
Just put my ‘88 240 to rest and I’d rather have something different. The little 720 truck calls to me from the best period of my life. Datsun it is.
I already own a very old luxury sedan, but I’ve been half-looking for a knock-around old truck to handle the occasional hauling assignment … and that Datsun fits the bill perfectly! We’ll take the truck.
These would be the perfect pair for staying under the radar after an “escape from Ozark with the drug dealer’s cash” sort of scenario.
Absolutely the 740 GL. I had an ’89, and while it was down on power compared to my 740 Turbos, it was possibly the best one of the 3 740s I owned.
If your hobby is rust repair, by all means, go with the Nissan. Few vehicles were more enthusiastic about oxidizing into dust.
740s, on the other hand, had exceptional galvanization and rust proofing from the factory, including undercoating. They do rust, but much less aggressively, and one that’s lived in CA for a long time is probably pretty clean underneath. (Come to New England if you want to be horrified by the effects of brine)
The late B230F is basically going to live forever. You can wake them up with a different camshaft. And it’s hooked up to an AW70L lockup 4-speed auto made by Toyota; also nigh indestructable. And the rear end is a Dana 30, as noted earlier this week. The HVAC is from Harrison, so it’s basically A and G body stuff from the ’80s. A blower fan motor for an ’84 Citation with AC is a drop in replacement, and when I had my 740s, they were $20 a pop with a lifetime warranty. Yes, the replacements failed reliably every 18 months or so, but a new one was free with the receipt and it took about 40 minutes to change, working slow. That’s a big improvement compared to the entire dash disassembly required to replace a 240 blower.
Just a great, great car – incorporating all kinds of fixes they learned from the 240, such as a real electrical system with a central fuse box and relay panel (the 240s have electrical pieces sprinkled DELIGHTFULLY throughout the car, such as the intermittent wiper relay upside down and behind the dead pedal under the carpet, where the inevitable windshield leak fills it with water). The strut towers are braced to the firewall for added rigidity; a tweak only 240 Turbos got in the North American market, and there are various upgrades you can make for more body rigidity. I had a piece that went between the rearmost lower control arm mounting points, tying them together. Again, something other markets had that we didn’t get in the U.S.
If you want to experiment, you can swap in one of the late 760s IRS setups, too, but then you’ll have to play with Nivomats, and that’s not my favorite pastime.
The 740 GL is about as perfect as the RWD Volvo ever got.
I’ve heard the 740 described as a “240 with the stupid taken out“.
That is 100% accurate. The 240, of course, started life as the 140 back in 1967, which means its design began around 1960. Amazing longevity and foresight. A masterpiece. The 740 took that basis and updated it with lessons learned about manufacturing and quality. They seem to have intensely studied the RWD G-Body GMs, for example.
I love the truck’s practicality, but my lanky legs will not fit in a regular cab pickup of this variety. I could drive it for maybe 20 minutes, but that’s it.
I’ll take the Slovo with the unkillable engine, and since the A/C is toast it would get a set of winters and do cold-weather duty only.
easily the Datsun
You’ve had a lot of those old Datsun/Nissan trucks on the showdown lately LOL
Both. A good little truck for yard work and home improvement runs and a sedan for the teenager. I had an 83 diesel version of this truck with a king cab and even though the block cracked on me, I still have fond memories.
The Datsun pickup truck all day long. I had a Volvo from that era (960) and that thing cost a fortune to keep. I will be forever haunted by the price of getting the Nivomat rear shocks replaced.
Even in boredom spec – this Volvo seems a better deal.
If it was a *240* sedan, or a 740 *wagon*, I would have gone with both, but a 740 sedan is not a Volvo I’d really be interested in.
I’m surprised the Volvo is losing right now.
Notawagon problems.
Old Volvos trump regardless of body style.
Volvos are cool, especially old 740s. My neighbor crap can races a 740 wagon. Old pickups are cool, with bonus points for louvers. Both
This is definitely a “both” sort of showdown. I adore those Datsun pickups, even if this one is let down by failed graphics and the droopy/cracked interior plastics all Datsuns of the time succumbed to, but that Volvo is a gem and the red block is a bonus over the PRV, even if it is let down by not being a stick.
I don’t think I’ve seen any vehicle with as much charm as that Datsun has for less than 5k is a very, very long time. Spray some fresh clear coat over the paint and decals as it is now, and put some freshly white painted steelies on it and you’ve got an incredibly neat little truck. Volvo doesn’t quite do it for me with the auto, so the Datsun wins alone.
Thanks for the both option! I was going to vote for the Volvo because I really need a car like that. But I like the truck more! Both for me!
Both.
If the Volvo were the wagon, yes.
But sadly it is not.
So Datsun it is.
I had a ’81 Datsun 200SX back in the day, still have fond memories of that goofy little nugget, this 720 shares enough similarities with that car that for me it’s a nostalgia pick.
I’d like to have a Volvo someday, but would prefer a manual wagon, so Nissan takes it today
A pickup is more deserving of a spot in my driveway, but that Volvo is pretty great too.
Don’t need the Volvo, but a little truck with a stick is right up my alley!
Both please for my fake internet moneyz.
Volvo is about perfect for age and era and I want to do truck things in the little Datsun.