Zach Edwards first saw this truck at a friend’s house, but it wasn’t much to look at back then. It barely ran, it was only ’bagged in the back, the fuel tank was leaking, it had no rear brakes, and the wooden/spray foam floorboards were a joke.
Zach saw through all these problem areas though and pulled some strings to take the Datsun home with him. His goal was to ’bag the front and get the truck in good working order—that’s it. Once he accomplished his humble to-do list, however, he became bored with it over the cold, winter layover. Zach tells us, “I built a new frame for the Datsun inside of my non-insulated garage when it was 20 degrees out. The righthand drive seems to freak people out, and everyone thinks that the truck is an unfinished project. I just decided to leave the exterior alone and build around it.”
And build the truck, Zach did. “I bought a bead roller and pressed out new 16-gauge flooring. After welding them in, I took the cab off again so I could weld up cross-braces to make the floor and cab super sturdy. While I was under there, I reinforced the rockers heavily with 1/4-inch plate and gussets to hold up during drag sessions.”
Now, it may sound like Zach sailed through this build, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, “I built the frame with a busted up torch and a grinder—five of them actually. They kept burning up. I’d like to invest in a plasma cutter soon.”
And after he finished the truck, it wasn’t an easier road to get it shot for print. “I almost got thrown in jail after/during my No Law video shoot because I had no plates, registration, insurance, seat belts, or side mirrors, and I got caught dragging. Once I did finally get my big chance, the cops ran us off the location, and minutes after that, we got stuck in a flash flood, oh and I ran over John Mata’s laptop as he was shooting. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t run my truck because of that.”
Zach, you owe us one, buddy!
Owner: Zach Edwards
Ride: 1967 Datsun 520
Hometown: Terre Haute, IN
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: Hollywood Flipper caps
Tires: Bias-ply whitewalls
Chassis Modifications
Suspension (front): Modified front section
Suspension (rear): Fully boxed 2x3 chassis
Shocks: Rear S-10 shocks
Compressor(s): Dual chrome Viair 480s
Performed By: Owner
Body Modifications
Bodydrop: 2.5-inch stock-floor
Misc.: Aged “streetrod” emblem
Performed By: Owner
Paint
Brand & Colors: Original barn fresh paint
Misc.: Pinstripes and door logo
Performed By: Aged by Mother Nature
Interior
Seats: VW low-back
Dash: Factory with the cluster swapped to right side, painted tractor red with some pinstriping
Misc.: Hand-molded red carpet
Performed By: Owner and Kevin Collins
Stereo
Head Unit: Sears AM unit with beer caps for knobs
Performed By: Owner
Engine/Performance
Engine: Factory 1,300cc
Header/exhaust: Sidepipe with black header wrap
Transmission: Four-speed with super-long shifter
Performed By: Owner
Special Thanks From Owner
"Thanks to Darrin Howard, Kevin Collins, Matt Compton, and all the friends who helped with this project."