If it is OK to use grab it. But if it needs extensive panel and paintwork I reckon you are better off investing those $ in a matching car, as these will always be worth more. If it is cheap enough, it is repairable and you have the space to store it I agree with Sandaro ie grab it and put it aside. A blank (replacement) chassis might even turn up one day. I still wouldn't spend big $ on it though when a really good car can be had for $25k (maybe not a HQ but still a Sandman useable right now).
HAHA, yeah I would not like my chances of finding another one, so I would keep it in storage and eventually do it up, by then not matching chassis ones will be sort after as long as the Sandman pedigree is there.Originally Posted by Alien DNA
Options E & F are now part the thread
Even though the tags have XX7, its probably fair to assume its only 50% a genuine van.....but seeing as there are hardly any to be found, would it be better to at least put another on the road, instead of having it gone altogether? A little HQ Sandman has got to be better than no HQ Sandman. I understand the purist mentality...I really do, I love seeing and appreciating a stock unmolested example.....but if everyone was a diehard purist, there would hardly be any Sandmans around. And that cant be a good thing.
Well Sandaro....im all ears if you find another HQ Sandy for sale
A, because i love the HQ Series and i would love to have a HQ Sandman i do not care about non matching numbers after all it's still a car wheather it's matching or not.
The whole trouble with this, is that in after a HQ Sandman specifically..... yeah the other models are great but dont have the appeal for me like the HQ does. The dash and the front panels are way more stylish in my opinion.....of course thats my opinion and everyone has their own and thats perfectly fine.
Sometimes you cant have your cake and eat it too i guess. Its a never ending search for a matching numbers van. How often do blank chassis come along? I cant say i have seen any
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Thats kinda my thought on the whole debate lately.....bloody hard to find and are always sought after even without matching numbers!! And i think your right too, its not a 100% Hq Sandy but the pedigree is there.
Being a truck driver always on the road, im consistently seeing HJ,X,Z sandmans...but never HQs!!! So even putting a half genuine HQ on the road cant be a bad thing.
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Your HQ mad like me too !!For me, its the best of the lot
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I'm thinking along the lines of a 5 litre injected or a gen3 chev. I'm a fan of retro tech ...keeping the body and interior standard, but having late model running gear.
The sole purpose of the build is not to win trophies or do a concourse resto....its to be neat enough to show at the odd show and do road trips with my wife. We met when i had a wb pano and we both have a soft spot for vans.....even after our wedding, we drove away in a vanAlready planning a Tassy trip away if this van im looking at is going to work out in my favour
Point taken, but in reality you may as well build a replica from a good HQ van as use what used to be a Sandman. If the one you find with a good body happens to have once been a Sandman but now has lost its chassis then build a replica from it. However you'll pay much more for this than you will for a normal body (like 4 x as much), and in the end the final value won't be much different.
I have taken onboard every bit of reasoning you have put forward and i agree for the most part. Very true that i wont be a genuine sandman. But more genuine as a replica than a kingswood into sandman mockup..if that makes sense.
No doubt you have been searching for a genuine hq sandman for much longer than i have ( ive only been searching for 5yrs and only come up with 'replicas') so clearly, theyre like rocking horse poo and feel like i have to take what i can get. Im all ears if you know of a matching numbers van
I've found a few. The first was buickzz's, no engine though. You just have to follow all leads.
Yeah very true. Cant expect it to come to you without putting some hard yards in
Was buickzz's the best or one of the better examples you've found? Without the engine, do you still class it as a Sandman? It just seems that unless ALL the numbers match, its purity is diluted.
The one thing that has me confused is...
-Are the chassis all the same for vans across the whole HQ range? From base model to Sandman?
&
-Are the van shells more varied compared to the chassis? Eg, a base model van might not have the console mount, manual hole cut in the trans tunnel and hole in the dash for air con.
I only ask this, because, is it a fair assumption to say a shell is more closely related to a Sandman than what a chassis would be? If so, to have a Sandman chassis on a base model shell would be further from original than a Sandman shell on a base model chassis. Does that make sense?!
I know it sounds like i'm splitting hairs and at the end of the day, it will be a replica....but whats more desirable? I know it sounds like a 'how much can you polish a turd' kinda argument...but its one of those grey areas thats always confused me and people have different opinions on.
That's a can of worms that has been opened many times without any agreement or solid conclusions.Yeah very true. Cant expect it to come to you without putting some hard yards in
Was buickzz's the best or one of the better examples you've found? Without the engine, do you still class it as a Sandman? It just seems that unless ALL the numbers match, its purity is diluted.
The one thing that has me confused is...
-Are the chassis all the same for vans across the whole HQ range? From base model to Sandman?
&
-Are the van shells more varied compared to the chassis? Eg, a base model van might not have the console mount, manual hole cut in the trans tunnel and hole in the dash for air con.
I only ask this, because, is it a fair assumption to say a shell is more closely related to a Sandman than what a chassis would be? If so, to have a Sandman chassis on a base model shell would be further from original than a Sandman shell on a base model chassis. Does that make sense?!
I know it sounds like i'm splitting hairs and at the end of the day, it will be a replica....but whats more desirable? I know it sounds like a 'how much can you polish a turd' kinda argument...but its one of those grey areas thats always confused me and people have different opinions on.
I do have a solution for you though. Buy a matching numbers HJ van, replace the cowl and dash frame with HQ items and there you have it, a genuine matching numbers Sandman with the HQ lines you love.
Yeah clutching at straws arent I? hahaha!!
If i do that to a gen HJ, the purists will have a field day in telling me why i was wrong to do that!!! Its a no win situation...because at the end of the day the numbers arent HQ!!! And there will be one less HJ Sandy for someone who really wants a HJ!!
I'd actually be happier to have a half genuine HQ Sandman replica than a HJ turned HQ Sandman. It is a hard debate to keep everyone happy as everyone has different views on the matter
Cheers playwme
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