350-Powered, Gasser-Style 1970 Datsun 521 Pickup 4-Speed

This 1970 Datsun 521 pickup was acquired by the seller in 2009 and became the subject of a gasser-style build that involved stretching the cab and frame, fabricating a single-piece front clamshell, and installing a 350ci Chevrolet V8 with Edelbrock Performer cylinder heads, a Holley carburetor, and long-tube exhaust headers. The engine is backed by a BorgWarner Super T10 four-speed manual transmission and a Winters quick-change rear end, and the truck rides on a WAC straight axle, rear ladder bars, leaf springs, QA1 shocks, and 15” alloy wheels. Gray cloth seats, a Hurst Vertigate shifter, a roll bar, and four-wheel disc brakes are among the other highlights. This Datsun pickup is now offered at no reserve with and extra set of quick-change gears and an Ohio title in the seller’s name.

The cab and frame were extended by 6” during the build, and the single-piece fiberglass front clamshell slides and tilts forward. The doors were also stretched and fitted with custom glass, and the firewall and floors were replaced before the truck was painted in gold with graphics inspired by Hurst’s “Gasser Passer” drag racer. A bolt-in roll bar extends through the rear window, and a tubular rear bumper was installed. A crack in the paint on the roof is shown up close in the gallery.

A fuel cell is mounted in the cargo bed along with the battery.

Polished 15” alloy wheels are wrapped in Mickey Thompson tires. The truck rides on parallel leaf springs with a WAC straight axle, rear ladder bars, and QA1 shocks. Braking is handled by four-wheel discs with Wilwood rear calipers.

The cab features bolstered bucket seats trimmed in gray cloth, and they are joined by a black headliner and carpets. The door panels are constructed from metal sheet, and a Hurst Vertigate shifter has been installed along with Simpson harnesses. The seller notes that the truck does not have a climate control system.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel frames inoperative factory gauges. A Thunder Valley tachometer has been mounted atop the dashboard, and Stewart-Warner gauges for voltage, oil pressure, and coolant temperature have been added below. The five-digit odometer shows 81k miles. The title bears an odometer discrepancy brand, and true mileage is unknown.

The 350ci Chevrolet V8 is said to have been built at George’s Speed Shop in Dayton, Ohio, utilizing a 0.030”-overbored block, Edelbrock Performer aluminum cylinder heads, finned valve covers, a toothed-belt accessory drive, a Holley carburetor topped by a Hilborn-style air scoop, and long-tube exhaust headers with capped cutouts. The radiator is cooled by an electric puller fan. An oil change was performed in June 2025.

A BorgWarner Super T10 four-speed manual transmission is linked to a Winters quick-change rear end. A safety loop surrounds the driveshaft.