What is important in a Sandman

[ambientgoat]

If I was to buy a HX ute in Mint Julip, Tuxedo Black or Durham Beige it'd get resprayed in probably Chamois, Mandarin or Aquarius.

Firstly, I believe there is a law against repainting a Mint Julip car anything but mint julip. If this isn't currently the case my local member will be getting a letter from me shortly.

Back on topic, my personal feeling with 'hero' cars, like sandmans, monaros, muscle cars. Value goes as follows.
Factory original and un-restored
Restored to factory original
Modified (excluding show cars with a massive following like checkmate)

I did have the chance at buying a somewhat rusty metallic brown sandman about two years back for around 1500 and I walked away because there was no way I could have a brown car and I didn't want to have a sandman in not the original colour.

I'm slowly (I should put a sign above my shed that says 'snails pace garage') building my HZ ute (factory 202 auto, bench seat, white, brown interior) as the HZ sandman ute I wish I owned (308, 4speed, windsor blue, black interior). As in my mind, if it's not going to be all original, why start with a sandman.

But this is just my 2 cents on value, and I know others don't like repli-cars.

[HK1837]

Firstly, I believe there is a law against repainting a Mint Julip car anything but mint julip. If this isn't currently the case my local member will be getting a letter from me shortly.

I'm slowly (I should put a sign above my shed that says 'snails pace garage') building my HZ ute (factory 202 auto, bench seat, white, brown interior) as the HZ sandman ute I wish I owned (308, 4speed, windsor blue, black interior). As in my mind, if it's not going to be all original, why start with a sandman.

But this is just my 2 cents on value, and I know others don't like repli-cars.

Hehe. I reckon there should have been a law against painting them bright green in the first place! I like dark metallic greens but not bright green. I've got ID plates off a HJ XX7 van that was Jamaica lime, it got cut up and crushed because no-one wanted it. Any other colour and it would probably be still around as it was a good body. It was a very basic old van though: 202, M20 and drum brakes.

I don't want a replica, I'd rather leave a HJ-HZ ute as a Kingswood than make it look like a Sandman. I've always preached that the smart move is to modify a collectable, as it has intrinsic value because of what it is, eg flare and modify an SL/R as it is always worth something, Sunbirds are scrap metal or body section donors! The exceptions are probably coupes and 2 doors, as these hold value due to their valuable parts.

[wbute]

Build it how you want Byron, if its done right it will be more valuable than a badly/unsympathetically restored 100% original one anyway and it will be more user friendly.

[HK1837]

I intend to, I just wanted to get a feeling from current Sandman enthusiasts re driveline and A/C mods and how you view them wrt to value.

[HZSandman]

I would as a buyer be looking for the most original Sandman as possible.

On my hit list would be:
a good colour (for me the bright 70's colours are the go)
308
m21
original engine, chasis, painted colour, interior, etc.
original documentation/history

Then try and stay as original as possible.

I have added power steering and want to add air con to ours in the future. As I do not have the original sales documentation thee "could" have been added from factory anyway.

Would never recomend painting in a different colour. Way to expensive to change later. Interior ok to change as this can be returned to stock pretty easily and cheaply. (we should have buckskin but went for black instead)

With more and more Sandmans coming on to the market nowdays it is not too hard to wait for the right one that will tick all the boxes.

I agree. Buy and build with the intention of selling even if it is not on the radar at the miniute. Therefore buy the car you want from the outset even if you have to wait to do it.

[hj308]

What if you found a van/ute that had all the things you were looking for but the motor was not original? you could keep a look out for a date correct motor to add to that vehicle down the track although I realise is easier said that done but not impossible.

[HK1837]

What if you found a van/ute that had all the things you were looking for but the motor was not original? you could keep a look out for a date correct motor to add to that vehicle down the track although I realise is easier said that done but not impossible.

You could, but that is really folly as it makes no difference to vehicle value what the engine is if it isn't THE original, with one exception: a Nasco/GMP&A replacement engine of the same displacement. It might be nice to fit a QR or a QT where the original was one, but if your original was QR921345, QT921346 is as original as QR921344.

[Vombil]

i just picked up an HX Sandman Van over here in WA..

my criteria were very very simple (mostly because they are SOOO hard to get here)

windowless and minimal rust. i looked for well over a year to find the one ive got now.

what i ended up with exceeded my expectations. Factory 308 M21 and Mandarin Red. Needs paint and interior. Everything else is fine.

Ive bought and sold an absolute boot load of cars. In my opinion when i look for a keeper, one that im prepared to pay big $$ for it MUST be original and unmodified. If its a shit colour that dosnt matter as much as that it has a good body and little rust.

I dont like looking at cars that have been butchered. It kills me.

If you need to cut holes for A/C etc id just wind down the windows instead. You cant chase the big bikks on re-sale if its not the complete picture (unless your lucky and get a muppet buyer!)

thats my opinion HK. i'm extremely anal and ridiculously fussy tho

[Absinth]

If I found an all original matching numbers documented Sandman I would restore it exactly as per original..... that is what a restored car should be and to me is worth the most money.

As far as I am concerned those who say it is about the car not the money are talking crap. No one likes to lose money and at a minimum want to break even if they have to sell the car. There is something wrong with you if you spend 60K restoring a car and think nothing of it if you only get 40K for it when and if you have to sell it.......

If you don't have documented evidence of an original engine fitted I don't think it devalues the car too much if you fit an L31 M21 combo to an original L20/L32 M20 car as long as it is period correct.

For me.... non factory original colour and trim devalues the car by at least the cost of returning it to original factory colours.... just rubbing back the car and repainting it the factory colour would not be good enough for me as a restored car should be painted as per original and not one or two different layers of colour.... the car would have to be stripped, taken back to bare metal and sprayed it's correct colour so definately no change out of $10,000.

An incorrect trim colour is also not cheap to change back.... the interior and complete dash has to be removed and re-installed..... if the original colour was Buckskin and had been re-done in black the crashpad has to be re-skinned... $450.... new door trims.. $900... seats and console pad recovered... $1000... new carpet.. $250... new headlining and visors.. $300 ... strip all the dash and console back to bare plastic and have it all repainted... $400??? door armrests re-skinned.. $300 .... so at least $3600 to restore the interior trim back to original.

Your $40,000 Sandman with non-factory paint and trim to me is now only worth $25,000 or less.

Personal choice of the potential purchaser also plays a big part in value particularly with colours. I much prefer the bright 70's solid colours over metallics and particularly dark metallics...... I would pay more for a Jamacia lime HJ than I would for exactly the same car in Jade green. I would pay less for one with a Tan or Chestnut interior.

I don't think fitting optional extra's like power steering and factory air would de-value a car but I don't think it necessarily increases the value either as many people know these were rarly optioned on Sandman or GTS for that matter as they were very expensive options in their day...