'ello
This is a discussion based upon the information I have been able to gleen on which exact speedo the HQ Sandman range had in it.
I always thought the HQ Sandman got the other GTS dash guages but had the origional Belmont 200Kmh speedo. This information I got when researching them years ago and a person who had wrecked one told me about the speedo being standard Belmont.
This is how I think it goes in HQ terms... in 1971/72 speedo's were mph, around feb/march 1973 they were both mph and kph with to odometer being in miles, and in 1974 the range were Kph only with the corresponding odometer. The U21 GTS speedo's were 140 Mph on 71/72, 140 Mph and 220 Kph on 73 and I think 220 Kph only on 74 (although I cant find a picture of a 220Kph only speedo).
The speedo shown in the HQ Sandman advertising pictures on this site is clearly a 200kph one, but I'm not convinced this wasn't a marketing mock-up and may not be exactly what was in the final product. (The vents on the side disappeared as they used the new HJ shell on the last HQ's, not sure about the consoles yet lol)
HQ GTS 220kph Speedo
HQ Belmont 200kph Speedo
Information from a Vanning site shows the magnitude of the options the HQ dash had throughout the range from 1971 to 1974. The guages changed in configuration and during the years as the update to KMH took effect.
http://majesticvanners.forumotion.co...n-dash-options
The GTS Dash was available as Option U21.
There were also two (2) other Options not shown:
. U16 which was a Speedo, Large Tacho and a Small Fuel Guage in the centre where the Emblem/Clock goes.
. UDI which was a Speedo and a Large Combo Fuel/Temp/Oil Guage.
This quote from Byron on a Fastlane Post recently, assisting another poor soul chasing this elusive beast, to it having the earlier GTS speedo got me thinking about this in particular.
http://www.fastlane.com.au/forums/to...6&whichpage=57
"A HQ Sandman was simply a HQ commercial with a 5 x otherwise optionable items (M11, M20, XS6, U21 and N66), 4 x feature changes (GTS bezels, steering wheel, fenders, and 140MPH speedo), some paint blackouts and a box with white or black stripes in it (plus an extra feature change on a HQ Kingswood ute). If no further options were selected you got a 173 6cyl, 4 wheel drum brakes, rubber mats and no armrests. No records of them were kept, they were seen as no different to any other option package like Vacationer, XV4 Kingswood, SS Belmont, Taxi etc."
An Absinth quote from another Fastlane post about 140/220 speedos reiterated what information I had been told years ago.
http://www.fastlane.com.au/forums/to...erms=hq,speedo
"They were standard on all GTS cars, 2 and 4 door, all engine sizes. They were not used on SS or Sandman."
These pictures of the HQ SS on release, being based on a Belmont as well, clearly also show the dash as being the standard 120mph Belmont speedo with the other GTS guages.
In addition, a quote from AN5590 on here states his HQ Sandman speedo is the Belmont one.
http://www.mysandman.com.au/forums/s...p?t=512&page=1
"Interesting re: speedo, assume by GTS speedo you mean 140mph? my HQ Sandman ute has the 125mph/200kph speedo, a HQ 72 ute bought for parts has the standard 120mph speedo as per this thread. Wonder if HQ GTS speedo changed with intro of kph?"
Interesting but inconclusive..... any thoughts????
Mauser
haha on a mission to find out about HQ Sandman's....
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