Restoration - body on, or body off ??

**Slake47** · 23-07-2017, 08:21 PM

With regard to restoring your sandman ute or van, is there tell tale production markings or signs of an original factory fitted body that cab be destroyed if the bolts and body removed ??

**Valencia** · 23-07-2017, 08:22 PM

None that i know of

**maxsandman** · 24-07-2017, 08:27 PM

From personal experience, I wouldn't do a body off unless absolutely necessary. Will it be a weekend cruiser or a show car/trailer queen/dry weather only? From personal experience, body off rebuilds take far longer than originally planned (unless you are driven like Grunt was in his rebuild on here), and the time taken would be much better spent driving and enjoying your van, and just an occasional week or 2 off the road every so often for a bit more re-hab as things need. A body off rebuild will make you far less likely want to drive your van as it should and where it should be driven. This comes from someone in their 50's who has a few cars and hates seeing some of them not being driven and also has mates that spent 10 or more years rebuilding one car! Also there have been Sandmans (and other great cars) advertised for sale in a million pieces when the owner got disheartened? with the rebuild after pulling them totally apart. In my opinion, do what is necessary to get it one the road and looking good, (obviously with safety and roadworthy in mind) and get it out there. Leave the body off rebuilds to the "rivet counters"

Also I want to say, great original specs on your van, and if you pull it apart and lose interest, give me a yell. I love green Sandys

cheers
Max

**Slake47** · 24-07-2017, 09:32 PM

Thank for the input max , will def take your words into account . Has great specs indeed . Cheers. Sean

**playwme** · 25-07-2017, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by maxsandman

From personal experience, I wouldn't do a body off unless absolutely necessary. Will it be a weekend cruiser or a show car/trailer queen/dry weather only? From personal experience, body off rebuilds take far longer than originally planned (unless you are driven like Grunt was in his rebuild on here), and the time taken would be much better spent driving and enjoying your van, and just an occasional week or 2 off the road every so often for a bit more re-hab as things need. A body off rebuild will make you far less likely want to drive your van as it should and where it should be driven. This comes from someone in their 50's who has a few cars and hates seeing some of them not being driven and also has mates that spent 10 or more years rebuilding one car! Also there have been Sandmans (and other great cars) advertised for sale in a million pieces when the owner got disheartened? with the rebuild after pulling them totally apart. In my opinion, do what is necessary to get it one the road and looking good, (obviously with safety and roadworthy in mind) and get it out there. Leave the body off rebuilds to the "rivet counters"

Also I want to say, great original specs on your van, and if you pull it apart and lose interest, give me a yell. I love green Sandys

cheers
Max

Can't argue with that.

Concours will cost you and it's more for people who enjoy the restoration rather than the driving.

**wbute** · 25-07-2017, 11:33 AM

Body off does not need to be concourse. I will find it 100 times easier to do my ute with the body off. It's not a huge job and you get a better result.
Do it how you want and in the way you enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed pulling every bit of my XR500 apart and fixing it. All the previous owners had done patch up jobs.
The only time I would not recommend pulling things apart is if it's still in great original condition. That will just destroy a piece of history. Or if you know you won't commit to finishing it or you don't really have the ability to do all the mechanical work yourself.

**Innuendo** · 25-07-2017, 03:56 PM

One of the big advantages with HQ-WB is that you can lift the body off the chassis. Be it for simply cleaning and repairing or doing a concours build.
There is no markings or any real tell tale signs from factory that would indicate separation unless you use Nolathane bushings as replacements. There isn't a lot to do to separate them either.
Comes down to about a dozen bolts and a handbrake. So yeah, arguments for and against.

Concours vs Concourse
A concourse is the walkway or promenade around a football/playing field or train station etc.
Concours is a competition or contest.

They are two different words pronounced differently.
Mind you I'd like a dollar for everytime I see or hear it used wrong!
Even by people on TV car shows who should know better by now.

**wbute** · 25-07-2017, 05:28 PM

I am no language expert, but I believe they are actually the same word but one is French and the other is converted to English. The pronunciation of concours is French. They both mean a gathering. Concours was adapted as a gathering of horse and carriage in the 17th century. Concourse is where people gather. It's splitting hairs and neither really are correct for a authenticly restored car. But it's interesting that you brought that up. I had never noticed the two words before. And yes it's annoying when the wrong word is used. I use the wrong words all the time.
However I agree, body off is not a difficult task.