HQ Sandman - Consoles

[mauser]

Thanks mate. My van has never had armrests and they look like origional door trims to me.

There were people on Fastlane argueing about HQ Sandmans having the later console. I guess unless a photo of one shows up from a new one we will never know. :-)

Maybe Ill run into an old surfee who had one from new...

Another curly one that has surfaced on a board was that HQ Sandmans all had a black steering columes to go with the steering wheel. Mine has the chestnut one to match the interior so I guess Ill say that one isnt right.


Mauser

[HK1837]

Thanks mate. My van has never had armrests and they look like origional door trims to me.

There were people on Fastlane argueing about HQ Sandmans having the later console. I guess unless a photo of one shows up from a new one we will never know. :-)

Maybe Ill run into an old surfee who had one from new...

Another curly one that has surfaced on a board was that HQ Sandmans all had a black steering columes to go with the steering wheel. Mine has the chestnut one to match the interior so I guess Ill say that one isnt right.


Mauser

I'll have to have a look at the steering columns. Knobs were black, Dark Ash or Chestnut. There is no mention of any specific colours for the column pieces so one would assume they are the same as all other Belmont or Kingswood commecial with that trim code, but needs research.
HQ Sandman would never have got any different console to any other HQ, so if they had a different console so did GTS at the same time. Remember HQ Sandman wasn't anything special, just 5 x component options on an otherwise standard vehicle, plus 5 feature changes, some black paintouts, deletion of rocker moulds on Kingswood and a set of stripes in a box. People make out that they are some special thing that had this or that, where reality is they were the ancestor of a VG S pack ute (ie Sports Option).

[AN5590]

Knobs were black, Dark Ash or Chestnut. There is no mention of any specific colours for the column pieces so one would assume they are the same as all other Belmont or Kingswood commecial with that trim code, but needs research.

My ute 5/74 has Chestnut interior, steering is column is Chestnut but has been painted black somewhere along the line - I'm sure by a prior owner..., same with indicator stalk. Console looks to be in the same boat ie: painted black... All dash knobs are black.

I am the 5th owner but have had it for over 25 years and it hadn't been messed with too much when I got it, but it is hard to know exactly what things should be like. Have included a pic of console, not sure is this is what is being referring to as a 74 inertia reel console or not, but I'm pretty sure that this would be the orginal console. Note that footwell trims from WB and gearbox boot is not original, also used to have viynl floor in Chestnut. Cheers

[GNW1974]

I have read these comments with interest. All I can say is the 4/74 HQ Sandman ute I had in the early 80'sdidn't have retracting seat belts or arm rests. From this all I can assume is that it was a Belmont based ute and I hope this helps someone.

[mauser]

nice... but which console did it have... :-)

Did you have somewhwre to put ya beer while rolling a smoke...

Mauser

BTW any pictures of the beauty?

[GNW1974]

nice... but which console did it have... :-)

Did you have somewhwre to put ya beer while rolling a smoke...

Mauser

BTW any pictures of the beauty?

Sadly I took the console out as it had been trimmed at the front to fit the underdash air con and it was always loose and annoying. The last time I saw it about 25 yrs ago it was hanging in my parents shed in the south east of WA and dearly would love it for my current project, even if only for interest and to get the correct style. All I can remember was that it was black, had the padded black arm rest and not much else I can think of at this time. Interior was Chestnut as was the steering column, Sandman Steering wheel, GTS dash with no clock.

I only have one decent photo and I plan to post it up this weekend. The is also probably a HQ ute down there as well with the original HQ GTS guards we fitted up for my brothers farm ute as mine had been changed to HJ guards. (They were in perfect condition). I do have a shot of it with the original guards but it is not of the whole car.

I also looked at and knocked back a HQ LS 350 Monaro in great condition for 2K in the early 80's, wish I had brains then.

[HK1837]

My guess is all black and then painted.

[Absinth]

All consoles were molded from black ABS plastic and then painted.... Even black consoles are actually painted with black paint over the black plastic. HJ to HZ dash plastic is the same, all painted over black ABS plastic.

[HK1837]

ADR normally start earlier in practice too Paul than the mandatory timeframe. Some didn't though.