11 years

[LiftedThruChrist4x4]

Hello everyone, my name is Kevin and just last week I purchased this 1984 nissan sunrader with a flatbed conversion. It does have the full float 1 ton rear and I must say this truck is probably the coolest thing I've ever owed.  I named this thread "11 years" because that's how long I've been trying to buy this truck from this older gentleman who used to run a nursery down the road from my house.  In highschool I actually had an 85 720, which I bought exactly the way its pictured, minus the island Chain rear window sticker haha.  My blue 720 had that dreaded 3 speed auto though and, most of these trucks not surviving new York winters made it incredibly difficult to find any at the junkyards, so the fact that there's an 84 720 right up the road from my house really just put a rock in my shoe for a long time lol well I wanted the 5speed out of it, but the old man wouldn't sell it to me, even though it had already been sitting for 2 years. Fast forward to 2019 and I move back to New York after living in Phoenix AZ for 5 years, and to my surprise the dually is still sitting in the same spot in front of his barn! Well after going to see him for the 2nd time, and also about 7 years older than I was the first time I tried to buy it, he agrees to sell it to me! Well I leave just ecstatic, but upon returning not even 24 hours later to talk more with him and look at the truck closer, he informs me that after charging the battery and starting the truck (fired right up apparently, and it hadn't moved since I tried to buy it 7 years earlier!), his brother had mentioned to him he could probably get a lot more than the price he had agreed to sell it to me for if he took it to auction, so I was heartbroken when he said we no longer had a deal.  By this time my blue 720 from highschool had been sold and sold again, it's still in my tri county area actually, but nonetheless I was pretty bummed out. This was 2019, so fast forward to January of 2023. I'm with a buddy heading to harbor freight and I'm riding passenger and we pass by that nursery where the dually was, and I'm usually driving myself when I pass by and never get a good chance to look, but riding passenger allowed my eye to catch the glimpse of something white and I said to myself IT CANT BE. Well I get home later that night and had to know so I drove back over to the nursery and pulled out back and sure enough there it was.  It was only about 8pm so I knocked and the old man, Dave, answered. He remembered me from the first 2 times.  I asked him if he was ready to make a deal finally and he said yeah you can have it man. So for $600 and 11 years of patience, a few of which I didn't even know the thing still existed or if it got auctioned or who knows what.  But no.  Here it is. And now it's mine

 

1984 sunrader 

bought from original owner 

70k original miles 

A Pontiac dealer bought the thing from Canada, and then proceeded to flatbed it..  the gentleman I bought it from bought the truck just the way it is..  used as a nursery truck it's whole life. All 3 of my vehicles have a sort of unique story behind them which really strengthens the bond I share with my machines.  I've been lurking on these forums a wee bit since getting this thing and I have a lot of work ahead of me.  Pic dump in no specific order, I haven't written a forum post in probably over 5 years. 

 

I drove the truck home too! Drained out bad gas (super easy with that external pump!!!) And threw In a filter and some lines and an oil change with a squirt of Startin fluid had it fire right up on a 35 degree day in early March in Western New York haha.  I want to do a fluid change on the rear axle, trans gear oil, probably another oil change here shortly, and start figuring out why I have no lights.   That was a clenched drive home I'll tell ya what!! That rot hole in the frame appears to be the only one I've found and it's isolated to what's in the picture. I have a few friends who are excellent welders and have done frame repairs so I'm going to have it done by someone who knows what they are doing.  

 

I appreciate any and all who actually read all of this.  I'll put a 'Too long;Didn't read' summary up at the top. 

 

Thanks!

Kev

[linda s]

Funny. I flew to New York to pick up my Nissan Sunrader and that is a really long story too. But about yours

First I'm guessing those tires are 20 years old. Check the date code, google will show you how. They probably need to be replaced if you plan on driving more than a couple of miles. Hate to see you trash your long awaited truck by crashing it because a tire blew.

Also your springs are as flat as pancakes. That's going to have to be addressed soon too. If you need help feel free to ask.

Parts for old Nissans can be difficult to find

Linda S