What might be the nicest 1987 Nissan Hardbody (D21) pickup truck left in the United States has just come up for sale on Bring a Trailer. With only 1,092 miles, it might be as close as you ever get to owning a brand-new example of the classic Japanese pickup truck.
How this truck reached 2023 with so little mileage was explained by its seller, who in the listing’s comments says the truck was initially bought new in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was outfitted as a recreational truck with a body-color-matched bed topper, fog lights, speakers in its bed, and a towing package. Evidently, though, the Nissan was rarely used and instead remained in a garage alongside some classic Chevy Corvettes for the next 20 years. That prevented it from being treated as disposable the way many of its brethren were, allowing it to become a rare example of a survivor.
Its appeal as a small, simple classic truck will only be increased by the basic spec it was ordered in. Its power comes from a pedestrian 2.4-liter fuel-injected four-cylinder, which made about 106 horsepower and 137 pound-feet of torque when new. While the D21 was available with four-wheel drive, this near-base, steel wheel-equipped truck shows no indication of having 4WD, and is likely rear-wheel-drive. Its Carfax is clean, meaning the truck is probably not far from brand-new—though that doesn’t mean it won’t need some attention.
The listing acknowledges that because it has barely 1,000 miles, it has never received an oil change, meaning its engine isn’t fully broken in. Its tires are original, which means they’re dry-rotted, and will try to kill you. The same goes for the rest of the rubber in the truck, like the belts, which definitely need changing. Also, some of its gaskets may have dried and cracked over the last 35 years, opening up the possibility of leaks.
If you’re willing to give this D21 the attention it needs, it’ll be up for auction until Tuesday, Jan. 10. Bidding hasn’t caught fire yet, but you can expect potential buyers to pour in as the timer counts down, because this may be the last chance any of us get to own a D21 as fresh as this.
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