Aztec trim

**mckackie** · 22-09-2011, 11:30 PM

Update
Heard back from Holden's HQ authenticator yesterday...Dear Richard,

We thank you for your recent email in relation to your Holden sandman vehicle.
Please see your attached authenticity as requested.
We have attempted to locate information on the trim for the sandman however we have been unsucsessful.

At the earliest convenience, should you wish to discuss matters further, please contact the undersigned on 1800 033 349, quoting the above mentioned reference number.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Geljon
Holden Customer Assistance Centre

So the plot thickens even further......

**mckackie** · 31-10-2011, 12:14 AM

another update.....
still no-one can tell me anything, and no custom weavers or screen printers want to get involved in reproducing the trim.I am waiting to hear back from a mob in Santa Fe, USA who specialise in short-run custom weaving, mainly saddle rugs to see if they are capable of helping. I'll keep you all posted.....

**mckackie** · 04-02-2012, 01:29 AM

further update.....
I have been driving my van here and there to keep it running sweetly, and it attracts a lot of attention wherever we go. People I have spoken to who were into the van scene in a big way in the 70's can remember the the trim being an option, and there was even one bloke (who grew up in Cronulla, NSW) said he could recall other colour variations like purple and green. I have since established it may be a fabric called habitat upholstery covering, but close examination also suggests it may be a weave, although many who have examined it say it is a print. any one out there got a spark of memory? I will try to get some very high res. pictures up as soon as possible.

**HK1837** · 04-02-2012, 07:03 AM

It must have been something a dealer put in.

**mckackie** · 07-02-2012, 11:20 PM

Actually Guru, I was chatting with another old holden tragic the other day, and he pointed out to me the fact that GM-H had that archives fire a few years back, so therefore anything that the authenticators can tell you would be fairly standard fare. They did lose alot of information, apparently. The trim, he did say was at one stage, fairly common, in up to four different colour schemes. I tend to find I get alot of old Cronulla locals looking around the van when I take it out, and (must be one of those reverse polaritied pussy magnets) I seem to get 40-55yo blokes telling me how they had a X or Z van with the trim, or had a mate with one with the trim, even old mechanics and tin bashers saying they can recall it.I can confirm a red variation, and have heard about green and purple as well. Might have been a limited factory option perhaps, and I ponder just how many nice vans had the seats ripped out to replace them with Ricaro or statesman seats or other wank factoring, or were just written off or scrapped, that may have had examples of this trim. Food for thought, anyway.

**mckackie** · 02-10-2012, 12:18 PM

And the investigation has a small break-through.....I was introduced to a gentleman last night who is a muscle car tragic as well, and when I showed pics of the trim to him, he said he could remember having a TE celica with the exact same trim insert.(WTF!!?) Therefor e my next move might be to chase it up with toyota Australia and see if they can remember anything or know where to get it from or manufactured. Hmmmmmm......

**HK1837** · 02-10-2012, 03:19 PM

It won't be a factory insert or it'd be in the colour and trim chart books. If these were new cars fitted with it, it will be a dealer done thing. If it was factory it'd have a special TRIM line which I bet none of the cars with it have. I do have the HX and HZ trim samples books here at the moment and if you put up a photo of the pattern i'll compare it to what is in them.

**Innuendo** · 02-10-2012, 03:41 PM

Attachment 2676

This is the Aztec trim. It was common in the late '70 and early '80. The fabric was sold through Daleys Auto Marine and Upholstery Supplies Pty Ltd in Sydney.
I've seen it in multitudes of cars as it was a favourite of auto upholsterers. You must remember to have "Cloth Inserts" was an upgrade and thus desirable at that time.

I'd suggest you speak with Jim Badger Auto Upholstery (02) 4283 4199 in Fairy Meadow (Wollongong).
Jim's been around this stuff for a very long time. Just how good his memory is? He'll need to see a good picture.

Or speak with someone who is a long time servant to Daley's. I seem to remember them moving from Canterbury Road.

I certainly remember the fabric. But I have no recollection of Holden ever offering it.

**HK1837** · 02-10-2012, 03:52 PM

That is definitely not factory fitted Holden trim in my experience. You could get a few obscure cloth inserts that many won't have seen before, but as far as I know you could not option them on a HJ-HZ Holden or Belmont, only Kingswood and up.

**mckackie** · 06-10-2012, 10:33 PM

check the link at the top of the thread to get a look at the trim in blue in my first post. If you see the driver's seat trim, use the toggle at the top right to scroll through the pics of the van I put up earlier. there is a good pic of the blue trim there.