V series 'Sandman'

[HK1837]

You missed it mate. You have said the canopy is called a sandman. Therefor someone that owns a HBD canopy converted ute has a Sandman!

I didn't say any such thing! I said the HBD brochure calls the canopy a "Sandman" conversion for a ute. Apart from the fact that HBD is not Holden therefore has no weight, it is a Paradox anyway. Sandman means "sports" commercial, not "panel van". Adding a canopy to a ute didn't make it a Sandman, never did. Take a 1971 HQ 173 3spd ute and add a van roof - it isn't a Sandman. It is a "panel van conversion" of a ute.

In the day a lot of non-Sandman vehicles eg V8 4sp BO6's were sold new as Sandmans because dealers "converted" them by adding stripes, as Sandmans were hard to get. They were a dealer modified ute or van, not a Sandman regardless of what original purchase paperwork said. Same deal with this canopy.
Turning this around 180deg, there is an original HJ Sandman ute owned by a person here on this site. It left the assembly plant as an L31 M41 HJ Kingswood XX7. The purchaser (current owner's relative) bought it as he wanted a 308 TH400 for towing but didn't want a Sandman, just a Kingswood. It was modified by the dealer, had GTS guards removed, Kingswood accessory side strips added, blackouts painted over in body colour and stripes not fitted. It was sold as a Kingswood with no mention of Sandman. But it is a Sandman, as that is how GMH built it. The dealer modified it - early HBD!

[V6HQUTE]

there not sandmans and never will be, maybe call it a panel van, itll only ever be a commodore with a canopy or commodore panel van, if you said to someone my car is the ve sandman in the car park theyd think your nuts but if you said ve ute with a canopy or ve panel van they might find it, does that mean we all a ve ss ute a sandman too?? in a nut shell its a commodore ute with a canopy they look sweet but there not a sandman, the sandman belongs to hq-hz

[ozbox]

[HK1837]

I'm out, like arguing with a woman! I know what I said and I know what is correct.

[ozbox]

I'm out, like arguing with a woman! I know what I said and I know what is correct.

[V6HQUTE]

I'm out, like arguing with a woman! I know what I said and I know what is correct.

wheres blocker we need a "like" button

[sandasharpe]

Working from fuzzy memories here but I think the canopy was designed by Peter Hughes when Simcoe was the man at Holden. It was sourced to a company in Broady who went broke and I'm not sure who's doing them now. These weren't done by HBD as HBD was set up in a separate plant in Adelaide to do the special bits. I visited HBD when they were doing the dual fuel conversions prior to it being incorporated in the general assembly. I think HBD was somehow part of HSV or something like that and they were doing all sorts of bolt on custom stuff for customers who wanted something a bit special without adding that complexity to the line.
The Sandman Conversion was ordered through the dealer and fitted by the company making them.
Within Holden these were always referred to as Sandman conversions - make of this what you will. If I said to anyone within Holden, my car is the VY Sandman in the carpark they'd know exactly what I was talking about and would go straight to it.
I love the passion you guys have about this though. HK1837 - how the hell do you know so much about this? Are you Ben Stewart in another guise? I am a little in awe.

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By the way, When is HK1837 gunna do a Sandman book? I'd buy it.

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By the way x 2 - The HBD plant was on the Elizabeth site

[playwme]

[/COLOR]By the way, When is HK1837 gunna do a Sandman book? I'd buy it.[COLOR="Silver"]

He's doing it, he's just a bit slow cause he spends too much time on here correcting people.

[Alien DNA]

I got curious today if Holden still offer the canopy...or are able to get one through them. After being on hold for 10min the spare parts bloke said no......best try aftermarket and said he wouldnt have a clue where to start looking. So however many canopies are out there, thats all there are...if you're so inclined to get one

[Vombil]

I got curious today if Holden still offer the canopy...or are able to get one through them. After being on hold for 10min the spare parts bloke said no......best try aftermarket and said he wouldnt have a clue where to start looking. So however many canopies are out there, thats all there are...if you're so inclined to get one

the canopies were/are installed by a company in melbourne and badged HBD or what ever. they cannot be freighted interstate (too fragile and need a trained tech to fit them apparently!) the ute has to go to them and custom fit... they still do them for vu-vz and now VE. big big money. i called around 18 months ago and they wanted 6 or 7 k

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thats the blokes alien! nice link dude