I curse this language for not giving me the proper words to describe my feeling about trucks. I love their rugged do-anything nature, their ability to look good when dirty, their high driving position and their ability to carry anything. With all of this being said, I could never buy one. Call me crazy, call me what you will, but I would much rather have a fast car that holds the road in a death grip than have a practical, solid vehicle that is completely reliable in winter. In the name of duty, and of course for the sake of the truck lover, I fully prepared myself to try out one of these “practical tools”. I mean, at least when I come out of it I’ll love my speedy cars even more right?
This brings me to the 1994 Nissan pick-up truck. This pick-up is a small truck propelled by a rather large four-cylinder engine. A 2.4-liter engine to be exact. This engine is classified under the engine code of KA24, which means the engine from this little pick up truck just happens to be the little sister of one of the most loved cars in the tuning world. Yes, the KA24 is related to the 240sx (Nissan 240) and just in case you are wondering, the 240 does mean 2.4 liters. We are talking about a truck that not only shares the same motor as a car, but that car happens to be one of the most sought after drifting cars ever built! So, if there is going to be any beast that could tip the scales for me to either love or loath a truck of any kind, it should be this one.
Not to be one to make decisions on aesthetics or practicalities, (ahem), I take the cube to my secret racetrack to see just where the Nissan pick up truck sat on the bloodline from the 240sx. Starting the truck is not extremely impressive. The first thing I notice is that it has good power, but the rear axel likes to skip and cannot put all of its power down. There is also a lot of body roll and the clutch, while practical, does not shoot my tonsils to the back of my throat. So, I am sorry to report that it was just a truck. Yes, it can rev, but it is just a truck!
Making my way back home I hear that it is quiet and easy to move in and out of traffic. This little pick up has the ability to carry half of a yard of dirt, which is more than I can say for my fast cars. This Nissan is good on gas and even has some towing capabilities (it helped tow my RX7 back to my house at one point). To top it all off my Girly loves the truck. In fact, she bought the exact same truck I am now reviewing. While she might be in love with the truck, I am not convinced. Yes, it is nice. Yes, it is smooth. It’s even better on the environment than a 13b motor on 20 PSI of boost. It’s nice to drive and kind of fun in a strange way, yet I still cannot justify spending the money on a truck for myself. I was never able to truly express why before, but I now know the reason for my dislike for trucks. I am a man of utility. This would probabljay make you think, “There is nothing more utilitarian than a truck!” Wrong. The utility I seek is in fast and sleek sports cars that whisk me away to a world where the only thing I care about is fulfilling a childhood fantasy to be a racecar driver. A truck, on the other hand, due to my own description of utilitarian, cannot be luxurious because it is a tool. A truck is a device used to do work, not for fantasizing about being a racecar driver. A truck reminds me that I have a fence to paint, a deck to build, garbage to take to the dump and a friend that can call me when they move. I do not want or need a constant reminder of all of the housework that I have to do today. As far as any type of truck goes, this is a good one, yet it is not a vehicle I would buy myself.