VF Sandman wagon and ute

**Alien DNA** · 16-02-2015, 10:12 PM

Maybe so Byron.....but look at the other manufactures vans at the time. Holden actually nailed it for once. The Sundowner looked horrible....the Drifter i didnt mind.

**Valencia** · 16-02-2015, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by HK1837

Commodore also replaced Premier and GTS not just Kingswood - a common misconception as a result of very poor journalism of the day.

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It is what I thought of HX and HZ when I was a kid, looked so girly/flowerchild/hippy after the HQ and HJ varieties.

Well of course it was flowerchild/ hippy it was the 70s

**HK1837** · 17-02-2015, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by Alien DNA

Maybe so Byron.....but look at the other manufactures vans at the time. Holden actually nailed it for once. The Sundowner looked horrible....the Drifter i didnt mind.

Maybe, but that was my immediate reaction (as a kid mind you). I though GMH nailed it with the HK GTS, the HQ GTS and the HJ GTS, which essentially cast the mould for the HQ and HJ Sandmans.

I agree the Sundowner was awful as an XC (but all XC's are awful to start with). I didn't mind the treatment on the XD though.

**wbute** · 17-02-2015, 09:28 AM

Trouble with the XD is it was ok to look at but they had issues. My brother bought one new. It leaked dust like a trouper, the door handles broke all the time, it got dents all up the door from people trying to push the doors shut with their hip. Then to top it off, it rusted out. Always shedded and lived in the central west all its life. My WB has been in the same area and not one spot of rust.
Makes you wonder if Dick Johnson really hit that rock or if the front wheel just fell off from rust?

**HK1837** · 17-02-2015, 10:28 AM

Totally agree, XD's weren't good cars for all the reasons mentioned, but the Sundowner looked good. Remember I'm talking about as seen and processed by the eyes and mind of a primary age kid in the 70's (I was 6th class in 1979). I remember the guys that lived across from my Nan's that I grew up around buying new HX and HZ Sandmans and how neither looked as tough as the HJ.

**Blocker** · 17-02-2015, 10:55 AM

Will the wagon' look anything like the RedBull tribute?

rbr-australia-project-sandman-2014-(5).jpg

red-bull-triple-8-holden-sandman-v8-supercar-(16).jpg

I've had some time to think about it and I've come to the conclusion that I want to see it and drive it before I consider buying it.
Sure it's not a 'panel van' and yes some will prefer the ute because it is more of a direct tribute to the original Sandman.
But Holden haven't made a panel van in a long time so the wagon make sense to me.

**mauser** · 17-02-2015, 01:23 PM

They could rebadge a Hiace Van and whack a sticker on it. That is really what replaced the Panelvan for Tradies. :-)

Mauser

**HK1837** · 17-02-2015, 01:38 PM

Or utes with canopies or purposebuilt trayback setups.

**Alien DNA** · 17-02-2015, 01:54 PM

Pretty clear the marketing geniuses are aiming it at familys...not the youth, like it was back in the day......all about the sales at the end of the day. The ute version will be the only relevant one of the two....IMHO.