Eh woops woops. That’s Subaru wheels there? You know your priorities are way off course if that’s what catches your attention the first time seeing Jason Washington’s 620 up close and personal. Move the thought process in the correct direction- 5×114 wheels…Skyline set up? S-Chassis? At that point I began noticing more and more of what made this homebuilt 1978 Datsun 620 so special… and knew I had to feature it on here.
Coincidentally, this 620 became part of Jason’s life after seeing it for sale here on TriniTuner.com, some four years ago. Purchased with the intention of carrying out its life as a humble work vehicle, but due to the nature of the intended job, it’s only natural it spiraled into a race vehicle. If you don’t know by now- Jason Washington owns SpeedFab, a fabrication shop that specializes in race car stuff- such as roll cages and manifolds. Everything done to bring this Datsun to where it is currently was done in-house at SpeedFab. Now, with a project like this, 24 year old Jason has created for himself the ultimate showcase of his work.
I know you may not believe it from the photos but simplicity is at the core of this project. As you go along observing you’d notice it’s actually quite a recurring factor. For example, paint matched roll cage such that it’s virtually invisible from outside the cabin, well of course, apart from the two bars in the tail gate- but hey most pick-ups have some stuff going on back there anyways.
For those of you who aren’t Kasey with way-off-course priorities, the first thing you should notice as you follow the lines of the muted grey pick-up is that it’s very very VERY wide. All possible due to a custom fiberglass widebody front and back in order to tuck 26×9 Hoosier slicks for when in drag trim. Oh yeah this pickup does it all so other trims include: Time attack (17×8 BBS wheels wrapped in Maxxis RC1) and drift/daily driving (staggered JDM 3 Piece: 17×8 front and 17×9 rear).
A tough choice, but our favourite piece of body work done to this 620 has to be the custom made tow hook making use of a Manley con-rod!
The previously noted 5×114 wheel conversion comes from a S15 cross member, arms and spindles all paired with a set of BC Racing coil-overs upfront. The rear being a full swap from the Nissan Skyline R32. A very versatile choice of parts in order to make this 620 ready for every motorsport discipline these Tobagonians throw at it! It also makes wheel choices so much easier…5×114 FTW!
Upfront, unsurprisingly the powerhouse is none other than a fully built SR20VET with a custom fitted 3” DBW throttle body, SplitFire coils and a tray-mounted fuel cell. All governed by a Haltech Elite 1500 tuned by Jon-Marc of Big Pappi Racing, this SR effortlessly churns out 560WHP x 400TQ on race gas, and 415WHP x 298TQ on pump. Those Gen 2 Garrett’s (GTX3076) really are something else!!! Bear in mind that the 620 currently weighs 2600lbs- that power-to-weight ratio must feel bat sheit crazy when in the driver’s seat. Now, consider the fact that a goal before the end of 2018 is to get it down to 2000lbs- by replacing the entire tray with a carbon fiber composite!!!
Moving all that power to the wheels is none other than a CD009 gearbox. That 6-speed from a Nissan 350Z certainly took some getting used to when it comes to power delivery. Other driveline components include an Exedy twin disc assembly, which is only appropriate given that the main sponsor is Lange Trinidad.
Inside the cabin is your typical drift set up, just 10x cleaner than you’d anticipate. The works of a hydraulic hand brake, single carbon fiber bucket seat, Sparco racing harness, over hung Tilton Pedal box, race oriented custom switch panel, all tied together by an 8 point weld-in roll cage.
The most unorthodox part of this build has to be the fact that Jason’s favourite experience with the 620 occurs when it’s being drifted by his friend, Anthony Applewhite. All due to the fact that he’s able to see and hear his masterpiece from an external perspective.
Watching this 620 and the path it took definitely makes sense when you consider his dream car is a Hakosuka KPGC10 Skyline.
After our shoot and conversations, there is no doubt we think Jason made the right decision with this purchase and following through with the build. All made possible due to the help and support of his sponsors La Tartaruga Italian Restaurant (Tobago), Lange Trinidad Limited (Gulf Lubricants, Track Batteries and Exedy Clutches), DynoLab, Jimmy Holiday Resort, Habitat Textile and Clothing.
A 620 for the 1320 and Beyond - SpeedFab's Datsun 620 pickup from Tobago
