The Dukes of Hazzard was set in the Deep South. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Datsun Sunny is from the Deep-Deep South - as in Australia - and you'll need to decide if the price for this odd homage is southern comforting.
Look Martha, there's something you don't see every day, a pickup truck for Oompa-Loopas.
Well, at the very least not here in America. Datsun did sell their Corolla competitor, the 1200, here in the States, just not all of the ones that they might have. That little coupe that we did get was cheap, noisy and rough, attributes that the company turned to their favor by describing the car in ads as 'sort of a miniature muscle car.' Muscle cars were at the time an American staple, but there was a Sunny model that really epitomized the American ethos - that being a pickup. Sadly, we were denied the Sunny Truck.
Not any more however, and as though to make up for those years of rebuff this personally imported 1976 Datsun B120 Aussie Ute has been made extra American by adopting General Lee livery and (removable) numbering. The image of the trucklet so presented is a little jarring and discordant, sort of like accidentally barging in on Eric Bana bumping uglies with Paula Deen.
The Datsun B120 was sold not just in Australia, where it was known as the Ute, but also in New Zealand, South America and South Africa - a export strategy that was seemingly based on latitude. As I noted, the little truck was not sold in the U.S.- its El Camino-like unibody putting the truck squarely under this county's chicken tax, as there was nothing that could be left off and added after import so as to qualify as a percentage of domestic content.
This Sunny has the stock A12 engine, an 1,171-cc four that was good for 70-bhp. Backing that up is an also stock 4-speed stick. Remarkably this one presently has more horns than pistons under its hood and as you might expect owing to car car's theme, they play Dixie and not Waltzing Matilda.
On the inside, there are a pair of seats from something later, as well as a non-stock center console. Aside from that, the crazy pumpkin paint as leaked in here too, covering the door frames, pillars and glovebox. That might distract you from the fact that the steering column surround is missing, and the fact that it's on the right side of the car.
If driving on the wrong side freaks you out then perhaps the cool bodywork will calm your nerves. The closest thing I can think of that this reminds me of is an Austin Mini pickup, but of course this one's rear-wheel drive. There are subtle fender flares arching over too-wide aftermarket wheels, and a front air dam that looks a little out of place. That's all kind of take it or leave it, as is the whole General Lee business.
Plusses include a bunch of new parts on the car and the fact that it presents well. At least seems to, as all of the pics in the ad appear to have been taken 'down-under.' There is some rust bubbling up on the floorpan and a dent in the door, according to the seller, and the car needs some front end bushings to stop the wobblies. None of that will matter of course when you pull into the parking lot at the Piggly Wiggly, as this would certainly draw a crowd.
The question of course is whether its $10,500 (American) price will draw a crowd as well. You now need to decide if this imported Dixie Chick is worth that kind of money, or if it's just generally over-priced.
You decide!
Portland OR Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Civrdi for the hookup!
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