Nissan is one of the few automakers to still offer a compact pickup in the U.S., and as is evidenced by today’s Nice Price or No Dice 720, the company got a handle on the style a long time ago. Let’s see if this well-kitted truck comes with a price most of us can handle.
So let’s just acknowledge that last week was somewhat unusual. That being said, we all came back with a storm yesterday, kicking off a new week with a new challenger which also was the first motorcycle we’ve considered so far this year.
The bike was a 2019 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, and, unlike most of our contenders, you can actually still buy that very same model from a dealer shiny and new. With a $5,250 asking price, our slightly used example could be had for substantial savings over that hypothetical new edition, at the cost of riding without a warranty bear-hugging your waist. Fully 62 percent of you felt that to be a fair trade-off, giving the Royal Enfield a regal Nice Price win.
Yesterday’s Royal Enfield had an interesting backstory. Not the bike itself, but the company that built it. That company was an Indian off-shoot of a British builder that went belly up long ago. Now the remaining bike builder, located in Chennai, India, exports its products back to Great Britain. That’s perhaps the ultimate denouement of Britain’s former imperialist endeavors, and it’s not the only evidence of the nation’s impact on industries in other countries.
When Nissan Motors first came into being in the early 1930s, one of its first products was an edition of the Austin 7 built from knock-down kits shipped to Japan from Great Britain. The close relationship aided Nissan in developing both products and production efforts which later helped the small manufacturer get back on its feet after WWII. Access to Austin’s patents and parts bins also helped Nissan in expanding its capabilities, developing its own line of engines and cars. The rest, as they say, is history.
It’s hard to say just how much of that history might be represented in this 1986 Nissan 720 King Cab, but suffice to say, the truck’s one-owner-since-new history is in itself pretty interesting. According to the ad, this 97,000-mile mini-truck was purchased new by the ad writer’s father. That dad’s failing eyesight mixed with the temptation to add to those meager miles is the reason given for its appearance on Craigslist.
That part of the ad is easily gleaned. The odd Haiku-like structure of the rest of the ad is. however, a bit hard to follow. What we can take away is that the truck is in great shape and has enjoyed proper maintenance over the course of its life. It was apparently an Arizona truck most of that time, so while it’s currently offered in Denver, it shows no major sign of rust or salt damage. There have been a few dings and scrapes picked up along the way, as well as some wear showing, but it all appears to be pretty minor stuff.
The interior looks all original with a thin veneer of personalized touches covering things like the steering wheel and dash. This is a five-speed 4X4 edition so it should be able to get things done out-of-doors, although the ad claims it to be an off-road virgin. Power comes from a 2.4 liter SOHC four that was factory rated for 103 horsepower and 134 lb-ft of torque. No, those aren’t big numbers, but remember, this isn’t a big truck.
It’s big enough, however, as the extended “King” cab allows sufficient room in the back for a pair of jump seats or just to recline the front buckets for an impromptu nap. The short bed out back may not be long enough for some, but that lockable cab makes up for that shortfall somewhat.
The title is just as clean as the bodywork but the paperwork probably doesn’t come with the wonderful ’80s stripes nor the cool white steelie wheels as does the truck. Buy the truck and you get both.
To buy the truck you’d need to come up with $11,500 to meet the seller’s goal. That’s a lot of moolah, but the ad says that these trucks often go for a good bit more. We’ll have to do some ruminating over that, but the ad’s claim that “they don’t make them like this anymore” does seem to be pretty valid.
What do you think, is this nicely-kept one-owner 4X4 worth that $11,500 asking? Or, is that too much cash, even for a King?
You decide!
Denver, Colorado, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Jerry Cleveland for the hookup!
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