Quote Originally Posted by low75 View Post
Hi.
Legally we now know what makes a factory correct Sandman.
1 - body
2 - chassis
3 - engine block
then add the following
1- body tags
2- chassis number
3- engine number
This is primarily the key components to building a Sandman.
So if we take away the engine or the chassis or both,
it is no longer 100% factory correct,but still a Sandman.
So legally the heart and soul of Sandman is the body and tags.
The key to this is, it is illegal to remove the body tags.
We now understand way this law is in place,
to protect buyers from deceitful sellers.
My opinion, the soul is the tags and the body is the heart.
Just like us, you get the wrong heart and you die,
so will your Sandman.
Sandman still a Sandman
legally, when the factory body is not with the factory fitted tags
Sandman still a Sandman
when the body not correct to the body tags
(I'm not singling out this post, just it is the closest to the bottom).

I think many people get the whole identity/originality arguments mixed up. There is a HUGE difference between originality, identity and legality and most seem to get them all mixed up.

Originality (in its purest form) is basically survivor or concours, ie either the car is as per constructed but used (survivor) or restored to the nth degree using factory original parts (concours). Plus you have factory authentic, which is a restored car but not necessarily the whole original car eg engine is mising but a correct one has been used.

Identity can mean a few different things. The legal identity of the vehicle lies with the chassis and engine numbers, but these may not be the originals to the car. The car's actual identity (ie what it original was) may lie in the numbers on the ID plates. In the case of a Sandman the engine and chassis numbers are irrelevant here, BUT so may be the rest of the numbers as we all know ie some you cannot identify from the ID plates - you need to look at the body. So in the case of a HJ Sandman van its identity lies in the tags and body. If the car is a Pagewood ute or HQ van then the identity also lies in the firewall number.

Legality has a few different meanings too. For registration purposes, the chassis and engine numbers are all that really matter (legal identity). Legality of tag removal has a few different areas too. Removing an ADR tag has always been frowned upon as it contains the ADR info applicable to the car. Removal of the other tags was never an issue, but due to fraudulent cases it has recently been made an offence to tamper with these plates too. Different aspects around rebodying or rebirthing vehicles involve both or individually civil or criminal law. Example, if you want a van and don't care what it is, there really is no problem sticking a great WB van shell on a Hz's rails and making it look like a HZ Sandman. As long as you never advertise to sell it as a Sandman then there is no real problems. But of you buy a rusted out HJ Sandman and fit another HJ body to it, and then restore it then you still may be OK, no-one may know except close inspection will show it is not the original body for the car. This may not ever be an issue, but if for example you die and your kids advertise it for sale as a genuine Sandman then they may end up in court under a civil fraud case. In either case the RTA could conceivably take criminal action against you for removal of the ADR tag, but then again they could also do this tou you if you replaced a rusty cowl.