Sandman Production

**76hjsandman** · 10-06-2011, 11:26 PM

Hello All,

New Member, not sure whether this qustion is elsewhere in the forum...

I have a 1976 HJ Sandman Ute in Jamaica Lime (with decals), all GTS options, dash, console, guards/flutes, rally wheels, convenience light when opening door etc.

Everything is original, its a 4.2L 253 4 Speed. In the finishing stages of a full restoration.

so my questions are,

how many Sandman Utes were made (all models)?
how many HJ Sandman Utes were made?

Love the forum/website. Has been very useful.

Thanks!

**mook** · 10-06-2011, 11:29 PM

I can't help but that is one sweet ute you have there. Jamacia Lime is defiantly my favorite colour! Someone will be able to let you know

Also welcome to the site!

**Absinth** · 11-06-2011, 01:36 PM

Impossible to answer, no records of production numbers were kept.

**76hjsandman** · 11-06-2011, 02:16 PM

Really?!

I didn't know that. I am not after exact numbers then but, does anyone know roughly?

I have heard that their were only 500 odd HJ Sandman utes built. Not sure whether this is true or not..

**Absinth** · 11-06-2011, 03:00 PM

Can't even say roughly......

500 HJ Sandman..... you've heard wrong.... most of these rumors are made up by people trying to make the piece of crap they are selling more valuable...

There are rumors of only 100 - 500 HQ Sandmans made but again there is no way of knowing..... personally I think this is crap.... four assembly plants only building 125 Sandmans each over a nine month period when there is a booming van movement happening...... somehow I doubt it.... good way of selling rooted GTS steering wheels with repro Sandman inserts for big dollars though ..:Chin:

**wbute** · 11-06-2011, 05:09 PM

As Sean says, no way of knowing.

I reckon the ones you see the least of for sale are HQ/J/X/Z utes.

HQ had the shortest build time so they would have to be the rarest. HQ and HJ are the oldest and were also the less obvious over the years so that may also contribute to their demise more so than HX and HZ.

I reckon that during the 90's most of my generation would not have even known there was a HQ and HJ Sandman. HX and HZ were a bit hard to miss.
I know one HQ sandman van bit the dust by a tenant we had living in the cottage here. Off came the roof and it had a front cut put on from a hz ute and voila..... hq sandman van became a HZ ute. In 1995 a HQ sandman van was worth about $500 and any v8 HZ ute was worth about $5000.
I think we all need to bear that in mind when trying to identify a Sandman from its body shell.

**Rolla** · 11-06-2011, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Absinth

Impossible to answer, no records of production numbers were kept.

WOW! Even I was under the impression production numbers of each model we're kept by different plants around the country. I guess you could do your calculations Absinth. If each assembly plant we're able to manufacture 125 each over a nine month period, all you'd have to do is times that by how long that particular model was manufactured for. Then again, that's being a little pedantic, isn't it! :errf:

**playwme** · 11-06-2011, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by rcknrlla

I guess you could do your calculations Absinth. If each assembly plant we're able to manufacture 125 each over a nine month period, all you'd have to do is times that by how long that particular model was manufactured for.

Only problem there is that Absinth came up with the 125 in 9 months based purely on the rumour of there being 500 in total, which he doesn't believe anyway. There's not even a confirmed number that you could use to begin to make a rough estimate.

**Dago** · 11-06-2011, 09:54 PM

"I reckon that during the 90's most of my generation would not have even known there was a HQ and HJ Sandman. HX and HZ were a bit hard to miss.
I know one HQ sandman van bit the dust by a tenant we had living in the cottage here. Off came the roof and it had a front cut put on from a hz ute and voila..... hq sandman van became a HZ ute. In 1995 a HQ sandman van was worth about $500 and any v8 HZ ute was worth about $5000."

My HX very nearly bit the dust in this exact way in 1996. I was lucky by one week to save it's life. Hahaha, Back then I didn't even know it was a Sandman, Just knew it was a windowless Holden panelvan and that is ALL I ever wanted.

**GNW1974** · 11-06-2011, 11:35 PM

The early Sandmans would have to be the rarest as well due to the attitude to commercial vehicles at the time, most were bought for work first and pleasure second. It therefor would be quite logical for initial sales to be slow and demand to build amongst the younger market they were targetting. This is only my opinion and I could be way off the mark.