What is important in a Sandman

[hj308]

What if you found a van/ute that had all the things you were looking for but the motor was not original? you could keep a look out for a date correct motor to add to that vehicle down the track although I realise is easier said that done but not impossible.

[HK1837]

What if you found a van/ute that had all the things you were looking for but the motor was not original? you could keep a look out for a date correct motor to add to that vehicle down the track although I realise is easier said that done but not impossible.

You could, but that is really folly as it makes no difference to vehicle value what the engine is if it isn't THE original, with one exception: a Nasco/GMP&A replacement engine of the same displacement. It might be nice to fit a QR or a QT where the original was one, but if your original was QR921345, QT921346 is as original as QR921344.

[Vombil]

i just picked up an HX Sandman Van over here in WA..

my criteria were very very simple (mostly because they are SOOO hard to get here)

windowless and minimal rust. i looked for well over a year to find the one ive got now.

what i ended up with exceeded my expectations. Factory 308 M21 and Mandarin Red. Needs paint and interior. Everything else is fine.

Ive bought and sold an absolute boot load of cars. In my opinion when i look for a keeper, one that im prepared to pay big $$ for it MUST be original and unmodified. If its a shit colour that dosnt matter as much as that it has a good body and little rust.

I dont like looking at cars that have been butchered. It kills me.

If you need to cut holes for A/C etc id just wind down the windows instead. You cant chase the big bikks on re-sale if its not the complete picture (unless your lucky and get a muppet buyer!)

thats my opinion HK. i'm extremely anal and ridiculously fussy tho

[Absinth]

If I found an all original matching numbers documented Sandman I would restore it exactly as per original..... that is what a restored car should be and to me is worth the most money.

As far as I am concerned those who say it is about the car not the money are talking crap. No one likes to lose money and at a minimum want to break even if they have to sell the car. There is something wrong with you if you spend 60K restoring a car and think nothing of it if you only get 40K for it when and if you have to sell it.......

If you don't have documented evidence of an original engine fitted I don't think it devalues the car too much if you fit an L31 M21 combo to an original L20/L32 M20 car as long as it is period correct.

For me.... non factory original colour and trim devalues the car by at least the cost of returning it to original factory colours.... just rubbing back the car and repainting it the factory colour would not be good enough for me as a restored car should be painted as per original and not one or two different layers of colour.... the car would have to be stripped, taken back to bare metal and sprayed it's correct colour so definately no change out of $10,000.

An incorrect trim colour is also not cheap to change back.... the interior and complete dash has to be removed and re-installed..... if the original colour was Buckskin and had been re-done in black the crashpad has to be re-skinned... $450.... new door trims.. $900... seats and console pad recovered... $1000... new carpet.. $250... new headlining and visors.. $300 ... strip all the dash and console back to bare plastic and have it all repainted... $400??? door armrests re-skinned.. $300 .... so at least $3600 to restore the interior trim back to original.

Your $40,000 Sandman with non-factory paint and trim to me is now only worth $25,000 or less.

Personal choice of the potential purchaser also plays a big part in value particularly with colours. I much prefer the bright 70's solid colours over metallics and particularly dark metallics...... I would pay more for a Jamacia lime HJ than I would for exactly the same car in Jade green. I would pay less for one with a Tan or Chestnut interior.

I don't think fitting optional extra's like power steering and factory air would de-value a car but I don't think it necessarily increases the value either as many people know these were rarly optioned on Sandman or GTS for that matter as they were very expensive options in their day...

[hj308]

Ok lets say hypothetically speaking a really nice looking van like the Windsor blue van at Echuca did not have the date correct 308, great looking van but how much would this devalue it. Seans thoughts are that it does not really devalue it that much but with Byrons thoughts it could possibily affect the asking price/value up to 25%. So with a asking price of a van such as that for around $40 k would it be fair to say that some would see it's value much less that or would most people be happy to pay a premium price for a vehicle without the original motor. I suspose like a lot of things it comes down to what the buyer wants ie: totally original including correct motor, chasis, paint and trim etc. I dnt think you can argue that something totally original is going to be worth more but the question is how much does it affect the value of the car next it with the non original motor in the buyers eye.

[HZSandman]

It's the Windsor blue that devalues that van for me :lol:

Ours does not have the original motor but the exact same model motor.

[HK1837]

All good stuff. I knew i'd never get consesus, just interested in what the thoughts are. I know what my thoughts are, just interested in what others think and feel too.

I'm convinced now that if I do find a bright coloured HJ-HZ (like Jamaica Lime or Mint Julip) that it'd be a car to on-sell to someone with different taste to me. I couldn't own it, and would happily swap for the same car in Jade Green!

I'm pretty confident a non-original motor will defintely devalue an otherwise mickey mouse car. However as Sean says, maybe a period correct looking 308 and M21 or TH400 could offset that issue if in a 202 or 253 vehicle (the reason I stress looking is the actual block cast date is irrelevant in this context, just that it is done right and has the right prefix). Remember too the date code means didly squat, these can vary wildly. It is an engine number close to your original that you should be seeking if this is important to you.

I'd never trim a car different to original, paint, well doesn't bother me. Might be more of an issue on a van. But a properly repaired ute painted in 2 pack undercoat and painted in acrylic is easy to change colour. I'd only do this if the vehicle actually needed painting though, and I wouldn't bother with a concours resto. I agree with Sean that a ridgy didge original car should be left alone, i'm talking about a vehicle that needs work, but is a good solid rust free car. Just needs tired mechanicals overhauled, paint and some trim.

[wbute]

Date code and engine numbers that are close are not as important as an original rego or ordering documents with the actual engine number on them to go with the correct engine. That is what lifts a car up above all the rest, along with a documented resto.

All the rest are great to but are not up there with one with proof of originality.

Factory air is a great thing to put in even if hardly any of them got it. Pointless building a van/ute and having no fun driving it in summer.

[Vombil]

yeah the original puchase docs definately put it in a different league.

I recently sold a one owner Papaya HX windowed kinga 6 cyl 3 on the tree Van for over $9,000.

The buyer fell in love with the history and originality of the car. Now he can tell his mates he bought a "one owner with books"! not a bad statement to make for a 35yo vehicle

[Gaddy]

The most important thing in My Sandman is ME!!

Who REALLY gives a S*$t if the engine is the original?? As Far as i can tell, and have been told by ppl on here, mine is an all matching Number HX except for the engine!! It has a Mild 308, on LPG, but should be running a Hi Comp 253!!
Not an original colour either, but still looks the goods..
Big Deal!! When I turn the key and those 8 pistons start rumbling, There is a buzz in me for sure!!
So I say to all who just want to drive their Sandman and enjoy it, Put what ever engine you want in it!! Its all about Personal preference in my mind!!
If you have the original block tucked away then yeah it may help get you a better price if you sell it, but heres hoping none of us ever have to part with ours!!