Just Another Sandman Question.

[Absinth]

my hq sandman van had the belmont door trims and no armrests..

That's strange Greg... The Barbados Green HQ 202 Sandman van I had back in 82 had armrests and the two pics I have of original HQ Belmont Sandmans also have armrests.

HQ Sandman Belmont van


HQ Sandman Belmont ute

[HK1837]

My best guess is they were an option on HQ Belmont. I don't have the full options listing for 1974 HQ Belmont as yet to look. I'll look at the HQ XX7 production broadcast sheet I have too to see what it has on the armrest box.

[Absinth]

Byron, do you know if HJ were the same?? ie: Holden door trims on Holden Sandman van and ute and Kingswood trims on Kingswood ute. When Kingswood Sandman was dropped were the trims upgraded to Kingswood on all Sandman???

I ask because I have seen pics of what appear to be genuine HJ Sandman vans with Holden (base model) door trims but they do have armrests.

Another query is did HQ Belmont and early HJ Holden Sandmans have chrome door scuff plates?? I remember buying some chrome scuff plates from the wreckers for my van but can't recall whether it was for the HJ Holden van I had or for my early HJ Sandman van.

[HK1837]

Byron, do you know if HJ were the same?? ie: Holden door trims on Holden Sandman van and ute and Kingswood trims on Kingswood ute. When Kingswood Sandman was dropped were the trims upgraded to Kingswood on all Sandman???

I ask because I have seen pics of what appear to be genuine HJ Sandman vans with Holden (base model) door trims but they do have armrests.

Another query is did HQ Belmont and early HJ Holden Sandmans have chrome door scuff plates?? I remember buying some chrome scuff plates from the wreckers for my van but can't recall whether it was for the HJ Holden van I had or for my early HJ Sandman van.

I'll check it out when I get a chance. But from memory HJ all had armrests, there is no mention of it in HJ as optional. Remember HJ had 3 x major trim and trim code changes, so it is hard to generalise.

Kingswood Sandman wasn't dropped until the end of HJ, so yes when it was dropped all Sandman got Kingswood trim (at the start of HX).

As far as I can tell, as I put in an above post HQ and HJ were as per the base vehicles. It wasn't until HX that Sandman got Kingswood features like chrome scuff plates, tail-light surrounds etc. So in essence, HQ and HJ Sandman at the Belmont level were proper "sports utilities". Basically SS utes and panel vans. Kingswood ute is like a GTS ute. And HX-HZ Sandman are a different type of package altogether. Maybe "Sports Kingswood" is a good term - maybe aimed at a softer, less aggressive audience. Maybe we'll call them the "Metrosexual" version, and the HQ-HJ the "Manly version". This is just reflecting US trends of the time I suppose. HQ and HJ are like the GTO's of their day, and the HX and HZ are more like a Transam of the late 70's (all shiny and bright colours, but no balls anymore!).

[HK1837]

Here is an extract from a production broadcast sheet for a 3/74 Acacia Ridge XX7 Belmont van. As can be seen the armrests are not changed from original as indicated by the dash in box 32.

Box 34 is another point of interest ie fixed side windows. Option code A09 (fixed side windows) is also shown at the top of the sheet.

[adam perth]

Here is an extract from a production broadcast sheet for a 3/74 Acacia Ridge XX7 Belmont van. As can be seen the armrests are not changed from original as indicated by the dash in box 32.

Box 34 is another point of interest ie fixed side windows. Option code A09 (fixed side windows) is also shown at the top of the sheet.

interesting. had rubber floor coverings too. pretty basic XX7
these sales brochures seem to be very inaccurate really, the one with the yellow HZ van on the beach has a silver fascia white needle dash and no RTS badge

[Absinth]

I'll check it out when I get a chance. But from memory HJ all had armrests, there is no mention of it in HJ as optional.

As far as I can tell, as I put in an above post HQ and HJ were as per the base vehicles.

HQ Belmont and HJ Holden were pretty much the same interior wise.... no armrests just a chrome lever handle and rubber floor mats....

I had a HQ and 3 HJ Sandmans back in the early 80's and they all had armrests and carpet... my mates HJ Sandmans also had armrests and carpet so either they all got optioned or it was standard fitment in Sandman.

That build sheet is strange.... why type in STD. for the RR lights and then type RUB for floor covering instead of STD as rubber floor mats were standard fitment in Belmont... Why type in anything if the - dash means no change ie: STD???????

HQ Sandman may have been more along the lines of a Belmont but HJ was definately upgraded interior wise over the base model....

[HK1837]

Adam, i'm pretty sure the HZ brochure car is actually a HX.

I think RUB being on the build sheet is if they put STD there may have been confusion as to what was standard. Maybe it was in response to prior stuff ups? The carpet issue is a perplexing one. I haven't 100% figured it out from the ordering procedures and features manuals, and this may explain why ie confusion so RUB was used. Kingswood is the most confusing, especially HJ.

Yes HJ Sandman did have an upgraded interior over HQ. D14 armrests became part of the XX7/XU3 package later on, but there is no mention of them in the release documentation (including the options list), but I do not have the HJ release features manual page I need - this is another thing I need to finalise on HJ. Carpet also became standard with bucket seats (although this is still confusing in Kingswood). So i'd say the HQ you had was optioned but the HJ's were all standard.

[ozbox]

That's strange Greg... The Barbados Green HQ 202 Sandman van I had back in 82 had armrests and the two pics I have of original HQ Belmont Sandmans also have armrests.

its just another part of the mystery of life...

[wbute]

Imagine armrests being an option.

I suppose that was what the top of the door was for when you had your arm out the window.