In my last COAL story, I touched on the rise and demise of my 1998 Ford Ranger thanks to some quickly changing traffic conditions. My roommate picked me up from the accident and life went on. Thankfully work and school were all just a short bike ride away but I recognized I would need a vehicle again soon, so I started looking right away. As you may recall from my F-150 post, I was amazed by the array of vehicles Arizona had to offer and I really liked the compact truck offerings of the Japanese brands. I liked the Tacoma and Toyota “Pickup” but they sure held their value. Since I would be buying this one out of pocket, I thought Nissan’s D21 “Pickup” aka “Hardbody” should be considered, too – especially at ~75% of the price of a Tacoma. I found a Craigslist ad for a 1996 Hardbody 4×4 and the seller generously offered to meet me on campus for a test drive.
I told the seller to drive first then I’d try my hand behind the wheel. The seller drove like a bat outta hell! She said the truck CAN move quickly, you just have to keep the revs up. Goodness, no need for that, I felt! When it came time to swap drivers, I’m sure I put her to sleep with my driving style. The truck drove very well – the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder was not overly powerful but adequate and the 5-speed manual transmission shifted well. The only thing – the odometer was broken, which is common on these trucks. She said the odometer broke four years prior and estimated it had around 100,000 total miles on it. I liked what I saw and wasn’t in much of a position to be picky, so I paid her ask of $4,000 for the truck and dropped her off back in Phoenix.
A bit blurry but here’s the truck very shortly after I bought it. The toolbox was removed and the wheels exchanged for some stock alloys in short order. I liked the factory graphics but they were missing from the passenger side bed due to an earlier accident, so I removed them completely for consistency.
The Nissan Pickup as it was called, also went by its internal designation of D21 and by the marketing name of Hardbody. Since the early 80s, with the previous generation “720”, Nissan/Datsun trucks were manufactured in Smyrna, Tennessee for the US market – no doubt an effort to avoid the Chicken Tax. The D21 was a successful truck for Nissan, selling millions of examples and could be had in a variety of drivetrains, transmissions, cab types, trims, etc. The Pathfinder SUV was heavily based on the D21 pickup and Nissan surprised Toyota by bringing a 3.0L V6 to these small pickups in the late 80s. Toyota scrambled to react to this market segment of a more powerful compact truck and it took a year or two before they had their own V6 – resulting in the weird stopgap engine, the 22R-TE (turbo). I always admired the D21 for its rugged good looks, reasonable size and stellar reliability record (especially with the KA24DE 4 cylinder).
The truck served me really well those last several months in Arizona and soon enough I was packing up to head to Iowa. On the highway the truck turned higher RPM (relatively) at speeds, which I wasn’t a fan of. I never bothered to look up the axle code but I’ve heard rumors that some of the last 4×4 Hardbodies got the super low gearing NISMO rear diff. No idea if that was true or even if this had a limited slip, all I recall is it felt like it was screaming at anything above 65MPH. Any highway travel in the truck was typically at a fairly relaxed pace as I did not like to push it.
The first fall back in Iowa. You can see the nice factory alloy wheels and the clean look without the graphics. In this picture, it appears I was doing my patented leaf mitigation process – load up the truck and cowboy around town until they’re gone (our town does not have yard waste or a dump so…)
Back in Iowa I wasn’t driving much as school was taking a good portion of my time. Also, I worked at the Vet College south of the main campus so between classes I could ride my bike over to work and back far quicker than I could drive or wait for the bus. This was my first four-wheel-drive vehicle so when the snow flew that first winter, I was absolutely blown away by the difference it made. My roommate had an ’81 4×4 Toyota pickup and we’d drive around in the deep snow trying to get stuck. Even with crappy highway tires we couldn’t!
The Hardbody was damn reliable but there was one instance it left me on the side of the road. One early spring morning I had the wild idea of driving up to the Iowa/MN border to buy a bike off Craigslist. As I was about 30 miles out, the radio died. Then about 10 minutes later the lights flickered off and maybe a mile or two after that the truck died altogether. Thankfully I was on the phone with my dad this whole time and he called it as an alternator failure. He also looked up area repair shops and summoned a tow truck for me. What a guy, who needs OnStar?! The bike folks kindly met me at the shop and maybe even dropped a few bucks off the price for sympathy, best I recall. Not long after that I was rolling south again.
Some other quirks over the years, the plastic timing chain guides were shot so it would rattle for ~3 seconds on startup but at no other time, the aftermarket alarm system was annoying as hell and would go off occasionally but I never disabled it and the CV boots were ripped. I tried using replacement split boots/hose clamps but that never fit right and just threw the grease all over the inner fender well. Oh well – they never bound or made that clicking noise but then again, I rarely ever used 4WD or had the hubs locked.
Immediately after my first full year at ISU I took an internship at an urban/community farm in Albuquerque. The truck (slowly) hauled my minimal summer belongs down I-35 and over on I-40 without complaint and once I was there on the farm the truck was a godsend for myself and the farm. None of the other interns had their own vehicle with them that summer so I’d give folks rides to and from work, haul farm supplies and equipment, take produce to market, etc. I was glad to lend it out its services, it was so thrifty and never asked for anything. One memorable time – I put a dent in the passenger side front fender using a Ford 8N tractor and a tandem axle flatbed trailer in the farmyard. Swing wide, sweet chariot! Ooops.
As the summer came to a close it was time to head northeast for the fall semester, my last before graduating. I’m not sure if it was the allure of all those rust-free southwestern cars, the eclectic characters I met that summer, or the permanent patchouli radiating from a certain young lady farmer from New Hampshire I’d taken a shining to but the truck was to be laden with a 4 wheeled hitch hitcher from Springfield, MO onward (topic of the next COAL). The Hardbody pulled the whole ensemble through those Missouri hills and home so well – I was shocked. It was like nothing was back there. The magic of the KA24DE, I guess. What an engine!
Image cropped to protect the originality of future COALs (Any guesses? Let’s see them in the comments!) I assure you not a drop of Grain Belt was consumed until I got to my final destination.
The truck continued to see me through graduation and onward amazingly well. December 2009 was not a good time for a recent graduate to be looking for a job so I laid low and stuck around town as I applied to countless positions. The Vet College took me back for a while after graduation because my boss had a mild heart attack and after that, I got in with an ag company that I’m still with 11 years later. I kept the truck for a few more years, even concurrent with other vehicles since it was paid for and never asked for much.
In 2013 I was living in an apartment complex when I got an unsolicited offer to sell it. I recognized the guy when he’d come around from out of town – his ex-wife and children lived in the other end of my building. He (also named Sam) had some story of nostalgia – said he had a truck just like this when he was younger, and he wanted another to keep for memories. I told him I would sell it once I used it one last time to get my project car back from my parents’ house since it was my tow vehicle. I think I suggested the price, which looking back a few years later, was way too cheap. I did not base the price on any research, just a totally off the cuff number. I put new GL4 gear oil in the trans for him in an attempt to address third’s issue but that did not seem to help the issue and off it went.
Towards the end of my ownership some of the paint was flaking off down to primer on the doors and getting into third gear was sometimes mildly notchy, requiring a double clutch.
A few months after I sold it, I called him just to see how it was treating him – mostly hoping the transmission wasn’t getting worse. His reply? “Oh, that truck? I sold it a month ago. Made a lot of money.”
Looking back on this truck I have nothing but pleasant memories. It took me where I needed to go and was very affordable, reliable transportation for the six years of ownership. I hope it’s still running around somewhere making someone happy. It likely is.
These are excellent trucks, and I still see them running around in heavy use. On my way to Santa Fe last weekend, I passed one with a loaded bed rack. It was managing 70, which was above the limit for that particular area.
It does not surprise me the man you sold it to made a profit on it. They’ve been coming into their own lately.
Yes, these trucks are starting to get their worth – especially nicer examples. I’m glad to see these being appreciated.
Wow, that’s really moving for one of these. Especially on those grades and at that elevation! This truck has been on I25 a time or two from ABQ, I love Santa Fe!
My first new vehicle was a 1995 2wd like this. 4cyl, 5 speed I paid $9995. It was great value and a pleasant little truck to drive.
Sounds like your KA powertrain was more reliable than the preceding Z engine that my 1981 720 had … I lost the head gasket and then transmission countershaft (1st-3rd gears plus 5th and reverse) in short succession, before hitting 100K miles. That said, I would have replaced it with a V6 Hardbody but they were delayed coming to market and still unavailable in the summer of 1986 so I bought a new Ranger instead. So we took the opposite path between the two makes of compact truck. There are still quite a few Hardbodies running around here, hauling old pallets stacked high, or landscaping equipment.
I think the very early Hardbodies used the carryover Z engine. The V6 offerings never really interested me in these early trucks. They ate head gaskets (mostly the Toyota 3.0s), used timing belts with short service intervals and offered 10 more horsepower over the four-cylinder – all while returning worse fuel economy.
I had a 2WD version of the next generation D22 for three years, a 2000 King Cab with the same powertrain. Dead reliable, it needed no repairs other than thermo control amplfier for the air conditioner which was pretty important since I was dealing with a rental house in the Inland Empire at the time. $20 and an hour of my labor later the A/C was working perfectly.
When I bought my first house in ’87 (a Craftsman built in 1930), I knew I’d be Home Depot-ing a lot, so I got an ’88 Hardbody King Cab SE-V6 5 speed. Loved that thing; it went 240k before I replaced it in 2001 with the Trooper (needed 4 doors and airbags with the arrival of my kid). The truck wasn’t on the side of the highway with a For Sale sign for more than an hour before someone paid my full asking price in cash without test driving it. I probably was asking too little ($2500). I also believe it was south of the border within 48 hours, where the manual V6 I hear is mighty popular.
I drove one of these back in the 90s and it was an interesting comparison to my 84 S10. Overall it was more car-like. Softer springs, better ride, better attention to detail, and a smooth, rev happy engine. But it wasn’t good for heavier loads, as the rear springs sagged easily. Also, the rear axle would hop under hard first and second gear acceleration, a byproduct of the long, soft leaf springs. Generally it was a nice vehicle.
Never sell a vehicle to someone who walks up to you and asks if it is for sale. Many a time exactly what happened to you is what happens and is what they are hoping for. I have had that several times over the years concerning my older cars. I throw out $25K and that shuts them up as they walk away. Some may say that maybe they really wanted the car. Yeah, maybe, but not likely for the reason they think. Besides, if I wanted to sell it then it needs to be my decision and then I list it.
Truth. Oh well, it’s all in the past and I obviously got my money’s worth with this fantastic truck!
I love these and always regarded them and the Pathfinder as equals to the Toyota Pickup/4Runner at 75% of the price or less.
I have yet to see a Pathfinder overland build turn up on my social media feeds though, so I guess I must be missing something…
I’m not certain but I have heard the aftermarket support for these trucks isn’t nearly as vast it is for Toyota rigs.
Plus the 4×4 fanboys will lament the Pathfinder was never offered with a solid front axle while the 4Runner and Toyota Pickup briefly were.
“…all I recall is it felt like it was screaming at anything above 65MPH. Any highway travel in the truck was typically at a fairly relaxed pace as I did not like to push it.”
Your axle ratio was no doubt around 4.10 at minimum. That’s what my 2011 Ranger (also a 4-cylinder) has got. Any Interstate driving sends the engine’s RPM well north of 2000–it’s around 3000 at 80 mph! Normal highway driving up to 60 mph isn’t a problem. I believe most 4-cylinder pickups were geared this way to make the most of the available pulling power from the “lesser” engine–in relation to the more powerful V6 options at the time. THAT’S probably how your Hardbody managed towing/hauling duty as well as it did; 4-cylinder pickups are practically highway-legal compact tractors. Sure you’ll be slower than most other vehicles but it’ll do the job with nary a complaint from the transmission, a major weak spot in many older V6 minivans (especially CHRYSLERS).
Below is what a 4-cylinder pickup is REALLY capable of doing with the right gearing & hitch setup: my Ranger pulling the rear half of an ’85 720 (coincidence?) converted into a trailer loaded with random junk AND a Wells Cargo MW6 trailer hitched behind THAT! Total trailer weight must have been right around its maximum tow rating (2200 lbs. give or take), but it never felt strained one bit–SLOW but sure-footed all the way. I definitely don’t do this often nor do I advise anyone to do so, but this clearly shows the base engines in these trucks can do WAY more than what they’re usually given credit for. Interestingly, a similar-vintage Frontier or Tacoma is rated for up to 3500 lbs. in 4-cylinder form; perhaps some of the credit has already been acknowledged.
My speedometer goes up to 120 mph. The engine would be screaming into oblivion at anywhere near that speed because of the gearing. That’s too fast for these trucks anyway!
Quite the wagon train there!
Yes, I suspect you’re correct. I recall when the truck was put in 4 low, you didn’t even need to push the accelerator, it would crawl on its own off idle!
I had three of these one right after the other all kingcab and 5spd. First was an ’88 with 4cyl naps-Z. The weird one with 8 plugs. It served me well with no issues for several years. Highway driving never concerned me since I was well used to driving my abnormally aspirated 510 longroof which absolutely thrived on high revs 3500 to past redline. I hauled a lot of stuff in that truck and later bought a cap for the bed colour matched to the truck. This one met an untimely end at the tail end of a snowstorm that involved a quick transition from dry pavement to deep rutted snow to a skating rink of fresh freezing rain ending in a head on collision with a concrete barrier, a short flight and hard landing. I was young and foolish and joked that me and the rear bumper survived. I walked away with a slight limp and lots of bruises.
Only days after the collision I was at a Nissan dealership where I purchased my second hardbody and the only new vehicle I would ever buy. Due to unfortunate circumstances I was expecting some inheritance however it would be tied up for a while. Terms of the financing involved 6 monthly payments and a lump sum that at the time made my hand shake while writing out the cheque. I wheeled and dealed on a leftover ’94 V6 model. Blue with the grey cap from the wreck. The truck had the typical stick on graphics popular in that era. Grey that matched the cap. It really looked good. The only thing I had to do on that one was the timing belt. Well water pump. Later a second timing belt. Failure is not an option on these. This truck also served me well for dump and depot runs and short moves. It met an untimely end when the po-po while responding to a call ignoring procedure and cleaned me off the road. Knocked the front end of the truck a foot to the left. I kind of knew what to expect as far as write off value was but when the settlement was more than double… I cashed that cheque right away!
And bought a ’93 v6 4×4. I tried real hard once and got it hopelessly stuck in deep snow 2wd high mode. Switched to 4wd low mode and drove out as if on dry pavement.
Game changer! on a snow covered parking lot I could spin that thing in ways I never thought possible. Still relatively young and somewhat foolish. I hauled some really heavy loads in that. Once while re-shingling my roof I inteded to load up the truck in two trips due to the weight. While our backs were turned one of my helper’s kids and a few from the neighbourhood had made it a game to fill every little bit of remaining space with the rest of the pile of stripped roof. Truck looked like a lowrider all squat down. I later flat towed an’80s Elcamino nearly 600km on the highway. After checking with the provincial police about the legality of what we were up to. Turns out that truck was driven hard and put away wet. Previous owner did some off roading with it. I intended to repair the cab corners and rocker panels and “while you’re there” I pounded on the frame with a BFH and found it was badly corroded from the inside out in key areas. Off to the bone yard it went.
Total distance travelled by the trio? Roughly 780k km. 240k or so on the first, 225K on the second and the remainder on the third. No issues other than regular maintenance, an o2 sensor, water pump and timing belts mentioned. Oh and exhaust manifold studs on the 4×4 which I was able to drill out and tap from the fender wells. Love the 4×4 for that.
Truly durable, under-rated little trucks.
I dated a girl twice, once in 94/95, and again in 2000/01. The second go around I co-signed on a 91 Hardbody for her. The 2.4/5-speed. I taught her how to drive stick in it. A few months after we broke up in Feb. 01 she moved to Bedford Tx. A few months after that I get a letter from the bank saying I was now responsible for the payments, which of course at the time i ignored. But now, I wish like hell I had done that and gotten the truck back. Hers was White. One of my first uses for it was towing my 86 Tempo back home after it threw a rod one week and 50 miles after I had bought it. I do wonder sometimes what its ultimate fate was. Sadly I took no photo’s.
Sam: Somehow, I missed this COAL, so I’m catching up. Well, I guessed wrong on the Honda, LOL!! I think you just like throwing a surprise! I LOL’d at “leaf mitigation”, I personally believe in “natural dispersion” no bagging or raking for me, LOL!! 🙂
Hahaha! Better late than never! Thanks for reading!