HJ Sandman Confirmation

[HJsandman75]

Hi There, I believe to have an original HJ Sandman ute and want to see if it is on your register? Details are below

Plate 1
Model: 8WN80 JR
Body: 857479-S
Trim: 1890-18V
Paint: 568-15953
Eng: L31
Trans: M21
Axl: GV4

Plate 2
HJ coupe utility
date: 6/75
BHJ26200-S
GVW 2200kgs
seating 2

plate 3
8N80TEH857479J

Its a Mandarin red HJ kingswood body, 308, manual, black interior, 3.55 open wheeler diff, Sydney built car. This would be one of the last ones built before the GVW derating took effect mid year 1975. Unfortunately it no longer has the original motor in the car although it is a QT block, it is date stamped october 1973. I have the original engine number though, just don't know of its where abouts. It would be good to track that down?

Could you please confirm?

Thanks, Fred.

[HK1837]

Fred

You can't pick these from ID tags. It may be a Kingswood Sandman or it may be a Kingswood. Diff was a 3.36 originally.

[HJsandman75]

Hi Byron,
thanks for your reply. Is there any other way of confirming it is a sandman? Reading other blogs, mine has all the correct equipment fitted (wheels, gts dash, guards, centre console mounts). It has been repainted at some stage in claret colour. Stripping the car back to bare metal, all the correct black paint outs were where they should be and the original manadrin red paint was evident. I believe the sydney cars stamped the body number into the frewall? the number on the firewall, chassis rail and plates all match up.

[HK1837]

Console mounts is the only real difference that isn't easily unbolted. It sounds like you've found enough evidence, so as long as you document paint you found etc with photos provenance should be easy to demonstrate.

I'd be a little worried if the firewall number matches any of the other tags as I've never seen one that matches any other numbers as it has nothing to do with the other numbers. I suppose by sheer fluke it could happen that the firewall number matches the chassis number but I've never seen it. As far as Sandmans are concerned you'll only find these numbers on Pagewood utes up to about Commodore production and Pagewood vans for the first few months of 1974.

The new Sandman package with passenger tyres was a long way after this one too Fred, these didn't appear until 10/75, somewhere around PSN H868000 for Pagewood. Prior to that time all Sandman got the same tyres as other utes and vans. After that time the original Sandman continued as XU3 with XX7 getting its GVW de-rated by use of passenger tyres.

The original engine number will be QT65127X, but finding it will be near impossible.

[HJsandman75]

Thanks Byron, I believe it to be geniune. It is a Pagewood car and you are spot on with the original engine number, I managed to track the original number from NSW registartion records. I dont think I will ever find the original motor either. The stamped number on the firewall is definately 26200-S and with the large heavy stamping it is clearly legable. The glove box tyre placard is 9930173, if that means anything?

[HK1837]

Very rare for the firewall and chassis number to align. Bingo! Just pure luck. Shouldn't have the - in it though.
Tyre placard is common to all similar cars as tyres were the same.

[HJsandman75]

There is no dash in the firewall number just a space between the last number and the letter S.
Thanks for your assitance Byron, much appreciated.
Fred

[Valencia]

Great paint and trim combo also driveline thats worth giving it some TLC

[HJsandman75]

Yes I think the colour combo is great. The ute is getting a full resto and the body is all prepped ready for undercoat and paint. The car had bogged up join lines in the bottom sils?? and I expected the worst. But after removing all the old paint and bog, the body was remarkably good with only minimal rust in the RHS inner guard. Cowell panels were perfect and so is the floor wells. The car hasd carry racks bolted in the ute floor and have been removed and holes welded up. inner wheel arches and floor were relatively dent free. It will be fully restored back to original apart from probably a twin exhaust. I will post some pictures soon.

[Robbo]

That's a great ute, worth all the hard work. Look forward to the photo's.