Settle an argument please...

[BionicXR6T]

Can anybody tell me for certain if ALL the Holden Sandman ute and panel van range ( HJ-HX-HZ) came out with the fluted GTS front guards as stock ?

[Wonky]

Easy!! Pictured below is my HX Sandman 308 bought brand new Jan 1977. No flutes.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Previous%20Vehicles/010sandman31981-1.jpg

[Phizzle]

Can anybody tell me for certain if ALL the Holden Sandman ute and panel van range ( HJ-HX-HZ) came out with the fluted GTS front guards as stock ?

Optional, I think they came with the GTS dash as stock though.

[Wonky]

Optional, I think they came with the GTS dash as stock though.

:yup:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Previous%20Vehicles/015Sandman81981.jpg

[VY5.7LTR]

Thats some wagon for shaggin' Wonks :goodjob:

[duke5700]

Wonky you are possibly the coolest bloke on the forum :goodjob:

[whitels1ss]

:yup:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Previous%20Vehicles/015Sandman81981.jpg
A picture taken from the old "work bench" Gary? :stick::jester:

[VYSHSV8]

Where's the fluffies and mullet and also board rack :):):)

[whitels1ss]

Easy!! Pictured below is my HX Sandman 308 bought brand new Jan 1977. No flutes.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Previous%20Vehicles/010sandman31981-1.jpg
It would not have come from the factory looking like that! :confused:
Those wheels are not factory. :)
(Actually those wheels and that radio in the dash look a fair bit newer than 1977 Gary.):confused:
Also surely you did not re trim the hood lining on a brand new car in 1977?
When were the pictures taken mate?

[Gee]

Stock, and I dont think they were optional either

- flutes on HQ and HJ.

- no flutes on HX and HZ.

They all had the GTS style dash and steering wheel.

Righteous van Gary!

[Wonky]

It would not have come from the factory looking like that! :confused:
Those wheels are not factory. :)
(Actually those wheels and that radio in the dash look a fair bit newer than 1977 Gary.):confused:
Also surely you did not re trim the hood lining on a brand new car in 1977?
When were the pictures taken mate?

Pictures were taken around 1980 just before it got sold. I added the rims, HM extractors and twin 2" :eek: exhaust by Daalder in Dandenong (they were around way back then!). Added a Pioneer radio-cassette and Pioneer speakers and also got up and cut the hole in the roof for the moonroof with a jigsaw!! :eek: Was crapping myself in case I did it wrong. :lol: Then got another place in Dandy (Vancraft from memory - long since gone) to do the velvet roof lining. :limpy::D

[whitels1ss]

Pictures were taken around 1980 just before it got sold. I added the rims, HM extractors and twin 2" :eek: exhaust by Daalder in Dandenong (they were around way back then!). Added a Pioneer radio-cassette and Pioneer speakers and also got up and cut the hole in the roof for the moonroof with a jigsaw!! :eek: Was crapping myself in case I did it wrong. :lol: Then got another place in Dandy (Vancraft from memory - long since gone) to do the velvet roof lining. :limpy::D

Yeah Gary that brings back some memories, I remember Daadler exhaust
over in Dandenong when I used to live in Melbourne.
They were really good and cheap and they were one of the first places that could bend up custom exhausts.
I remember being amazed in about 1975 watching this machine they had bending exhaust pipes up to fit on my car! :goodjob:

A mate of mine was a motor trimmer at a place called "Supertrim" in Nunawading, all that stuff was in back then!

[BionicXR6T]

Stock, and I dont think they were optional either

- flutes on HQ and HJ.

- no flutes on HX and HZ.

They all had the GTS style dash and steering wheel.

Righteous van Gary!

HX and HZ didnt come with factory fluted front guards...:)
:goodjob:...you just won me 50 bucks....thanks GEE:smilesandbanana:

[XUV]

was '' Sandman '' on the tailgate optional too ?

[Wonky]

No. I had my tailgate sticker removed ASAP. :D

[worknssv]

Wonky Wonky Wonky....... The tailgate sticker was the best part!

[XUV]

what was the ford and val equivalents called ??? was it sunrider and sundrifter

When vans ruled and was the only car to do up and Van Wheels was the mag .

Glad we got over that hump , but , I do wonder where all the sin bins went ??

[OMR346]

Glad we got over that hump , but , I do wonder where all the sin bins went ??

I know where there is a HG PV sitting right now. Hopefully i will own it in the next couple of months :)

[whitels1ss]

what was the ford and val equivalents called ??? was it sunrider and sundrifter


The Chrysler van was called the "Drifter" for certain!
I think the Falcon van was called the "Sundowner" ???:confused:
Edit...Just Googled Falcon "Sundowner" for certain! :)

[HQvanner]

dont have sandman's, but theres two sitting in the old mans shed. haha
mine and his.

from a few years ago. when i first got mine.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc296/jish7/15092007591.jpg

[Typhoon BF]

Poor kids these days what sort of shaggin waggon do they have.

Im sick of walking through the city at night so see some chicks foot up on the dash and the seat wound back

[VL Executive]

My dad had a 1975 HJ sandman panel van in the early 90's. It was a 253 V8, four speed. It was in a bit of a sad state when we got it, with faded paint, front removed, and the 253 needed a rebuild. Fixed it all up and kept it till it was sold in mid 1993. Did not know for certain if it was a genuine sandman or just a mockup. It had the GTS dash and fluted guards. And a sandman decal just behind the front doors. Only had single exhaust, and was not windowless. Was light green, the same colour as the tailgate on the one in the pic above.

[XUV]

dont have sandman's, but theres two sitting in the old mans shed. haha
mine and his.

from a few years ago. when i first got mine.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc296/jish7/15092007591.jpg

noticed the fluted vents on your van , ah ventilation , no condensation , that be a true shaggin wagon .

We had a couple of them ,
a HZ 202 3sp with yella terra heads and a WB 253 4sp .

[HQvanner]

noticed the fluted vents on your van , ah ventilation , no condensation , that be a true shaggin wagon .

We had a couple of them ,
a HZ 202 3sp with yella terra heads and a WB 253 4sp .


HQ comes standard with them, as do the very early HJ.
mine as it sits at the moment, is a 202 4 spd. eventually to be ls3 4L80E. gunna be fun when its done.
oldmans is a 308 with a t700

[Jag530G]

The Chrysler van was called the "Drifter" for certain!
I think the Falcon van was called the "Sundowner" ???:confused:
Edit...Just Googled Falcon "Sundowner" for certain! :)

Didn't Ford also do a "Drifter" style version of the Escort Van as well? Or am I just imagining it?

As to a previous poster's comment about where have all the Panos gone, the non hotted up work vans long ago racked up intergalactic mileage and rust killed them, have a look at the few listed on carsales as an example. As to Sandmans and custom/hotted up base models, its the usual story, many by now suffered death by hugging a power pole and the others are like some featured in this thread, sitting in a shed yet to be hotted up or driven occasionally.

Wonky's van, love it, especially the headlining!

Personally I would love a HZ pano (RTS), windowless, LS V8, WB Caprice dash/doors/electrics but, and this may seem very odd, due to the fact that I have a wife and daughter, I would like a bench seat/column shift for the three of us to go travelling together.

Cheers Matthew

[whitels1ss]

Didn't Ford also do a "Drifter" style version of the Escort Van as well? Or am I just imagining it?


Yes it was called the "Sundowner" they did a Falcon, Transit and an Escort "Sundowner" as shown in the brochure link below!

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/brochures_ford_1979_range.htm

[Wonky]

The Chrysler van was called the "Drifter" for certain!
I think the Falcon van was called the "Sundowner" ???:confused:
Edit...Just Googled Falcon "Sundowner" for certain! :)

:yup: We had the old Holden/Ford thing going even back then!! :D I had the HX Sandman 308 4 speed manual as above and my mate had an XB Sundowner 302 4 speed manual van.

[whitels1ss]

Just saw this page, thought of this thread and thought I would put it on here if anybody was interested in more info on Sandmans. :)


http://www.monaroparts.com/sandman.htm#identifying a sandman