Sandman Battle Off

[wbute]

Surely I am not the only one in Australia prepared to go into bat for the HX!

They were the first to have the decent stripes on them and I am prepared to say that is what paved the way for Sandmans popularity today! Long live the HX.

HX HX HX Oi Oi Oi

[HK1837]

HX will always be the poor cousin; always the least popular. The engine and grille let them down as a series in my opinion. Luckily the Belmont and HOLDEN models except Sandman and tonner didn't get the ugly duckling grille. In my opinion HX Sandman and GTS both had the ugliest decals of their kind, maybe only eclipsed by a HZ GTS with full stripe treatment. There were some major redeeming features though introduced in HX: Combination switch, RTS suspension geometry, Lukey mirrors and more blackouts to name a few. The HX HOLDEN Sandman was a much better featured vehicle than the HQ/HJ Belmont/HOLDEN Sandman, much closer to the HJ Kingswood Sandman in features. The HX probably had the most visually pleasing interior of any Holden yet, especially with 60A trim on a red or dark blue exterior. 18V with the silver dash was very nice too. Still though the HZ sort of rounded off what the HX started. Engines were better sorted, handling was fixed. I just wish they'd kept the silver dash and single headlight front! At least with HX and HZ you could order DL7 stripes too!

[HZSandman]

HZ for me...

Why..
twin headlight front,
the good stripes
great dash layout (HQ is worst dash ever, what were they thinking)
The spoiler

Whats missing:
GTS guards should have been there
Get rid of that anti pollution crap

I could go an HX as well for all the above reasons but those recycled/copied HQ and HJ stripes are ordinary. If you spend the extra on top of a standard ute/van you want to stand out so I have no problem being lairy.

PS. the black outs make the hx and hz look meaner as well

[wbute]

I reckon the HX grill blacked out and especially in the LE twin headlight front was the nicest of the lot. Also thought the HJ grill was the plainest. Just goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I actually reckon HQ was the best looking but as I dont own one I could not possibly vote for them...... and as HZSandman says about the dash being ugly.

If only the mighty Worlds Best WB had kept the flag flying...

[HK1837]

Imagine if they'd actually kept going into WC, WD etc. The WB ended circa 2/1985. By 1988 we had an injected 5.0L. So assuming the W size made it till then we'd have had injected WD Holdens with TH700R4 and T5 boxes and Borg Warner diffs. By that stage the old W size would have been close to 20 years old!

[Robbo]

I quite like the HZ.

Why? Because it's the only one I ever owned, and ever will.
Had a fabulous interior.
Drove great on "ALL" road's..bitumen..dirt..mud..gravel..laden or unladen.
Looked great with the twin headlight front and stripes.Although was not sure about the stripes at first. Now, to me, they look naked without them.
Was very comfortable to drive long distances, no back aches, in all weather sitution's.
Handled very well for a ute.

[HK1837]

Told you we would never get a consensus on best looking!

James, you are right, each to his/her own! Funny stories about HX grilles. You know that these were the very last to be available new (you still see them on Ebay from time to time). The little twist of fate for HX Sandman: Sandman always got either a black painted grille ie HQ/J or the GTS grille (as it was painted black) in HX and HZ. Ignoring standard 1-tonner and WB, HX was the only series where the grille was actually different for Belmont (sedan/wagon) and HOLDEN (ute/van) from Kingswood, Premier and GTS. To be true to HQ and HJ the HX Sandman should have just got a painted HJ grille. My guess is the HX Kingswood badge wouldn't fit so they used the HX GTS grille, remembering that HX Sandman was in reality a Kingswood in features except for side strips.
I remember when Rare Spares had HJ, HX, HZ, HX Statesman, HZ Caprice and HZ SL/E new hanging in their shops.

[SNDMN]

My best would be a Barbados Green HQ van with HX silver face dash and HZ handling ... perfect!

[playwme]

Hard to go past a twin headlight front with a chin spoiler. Like Stickthis I had to have the Sandman and the GTS. Wouldn't mind doing my WB ute as a Jasmin Yellow HZ replica as well. RTS suspension is good to have too. I haven't driven a non-RTS commercial but if it's anything like my HJ Statesman then it's no doubt a bit of a boat.

[GNW1974]

HQ for me, can't wait for my project to arrive from Qld, coming down to SA very soon. No pollution restrictions, dash for the driver only and the lead in for some great models to follow. Has that pioneer car feel when driving it.