Sandman Register

[adam perth]

that HX ute GVM is interesting, the only one i have seen at 1800 Kg. all the rest have been 1860, then 1950kg and 2200 Kg

[HK1837]

the 1800 vs 1860kg thing in HX 6cyl is an anomoly I haven't worked out yet. Originally I thought it may have been XU4 vs XX7 but that vehicle and another dispelled that one. Could be a mistake, but I have a few now. Other possibility is A/C vs no A/C, as you will know this makes a difference in the tyre placards on utilities.

[adam perth]

i wonder if the upgrade from 1860 kg to 1950 kg for utes and
1950 kg to 2000 kg for vans was to do with the introduction of steel belted radial tyres at the time..?

[HK1837]

It could be butit didn't happen at the start of HZ.

[Absinth]

Did you get this HZ Byron?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[HK1837]

Thanks mate. Pretty basic Sandman but good numbers. Dandenong pumped out some HZ Sandman vans in 1977 and stopped dead in December with none after that. I have 17 recorded between 10/77 and 12/77 starting at chassis numbers AHZ0000xM 10/77 up to only 3 digit AHZ0058xM 12/77. So methinks Dandenong was building only vans at that time alongside UC's. They'd definitely ceased utes by that stage, plus I have 1 x non-Sandman van only in that timeframe (a Kingswood). Probably getting ready for VB Commodore.

[HK1837]

Just quickly a comment on that last post. Note where I said I have 17 x 1977 plated Dandenong Sandmans recorded between 10/77 and 12/77 yet the Dandenong HZ chassis numbers only progress into the late 500's by the last 12/77 I have recorded. When I get a change i'm going to try to ask a favour of a certain person and sit down at a microfiche and go through all 1977 HZ's from Dandenong (looks like less than 600 cars), and see what percentage of 4spd HOLDEN vans that are in that 600 that I have recorded. This will at least give me an indication of a rough percentage of what was built at that plant in that time period versus what I have recorded. Rough figure I know but it may give us a ballpark HJ-HZ Sandman build number by extrapolation for the rest of the database. From what I can see from my records and Leroy's it does appear that the only HZ's Dandenong were building in 1977 were vans. The 1 x Kingswood van from that period along with the 17 x XX7 vans and it is an XU4.

I did some more counting in the Database last night:

409 x Sandmans
29 x most likely to be Sandmans.

409=

LD1 - 1
L20 - 12
L32 - 178
Blank (173 HQ or some HJ) - 0
Blank (253 HQ) - 20
L31 - 196
??? - 1.

29=

LD1 - 0
L20 - 2
L32 - 12
Blank (173 HQ or some HJ) - 0
Blank (253 HQ) - 6
L31 - 9

[mr.jones]

Byron, what date do you have for the last Dandenong ute, the last one I have come across is J541486 in Sept 76?

10/76 Adel utes seem fairly thick on the ground compared to other months. Coincidence!! :Chin:

It might also be my small sample size I may have found all the utes made in that month.

[HK1837]

9/76 is the last Dandenong ute. I have the PSN somewhere (Ben found it for me). I only have 2 x HX Dandenong Sandman utes recorded.

[jennie285]

Hey Byron I hope you have included our yellow van in that count Danenong build 10/77 AHZ00205M
RB