Every classic car has some kind of story behind it, whether it is fact or fiction it doesn't seem to matter these days. These myths are what turn ordinary cars into legends. Here we will sort out the legend from myth, the truth from fiction about the Holden Sandman.
Many of these myths that surround the Sandman come from a lack of knowledge of the model and the passing on of this misinformation over the years. Some of these myths have been around so long that it can take some convincing that they are not true.
Here is a list of some common myths surrounding the GM Holden Sandman;
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Sandman only came in V8 - Wrong
From HQ to HX the standard engine was a 6cyl, but most people optioned up to a V8 for very little cost in comparison to the overall cost of the vehicle . The HZ Sandman when released came with a V8 253 as the base engine and you could option up to a 308.
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Sandman's were only panel vans - Wrong
The Sandman at concept stage was a ute, a sports ute in fact. The panel van was merely an after thought however the Sandman ute was arguably just as popular as the panel van.
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All Sandman's had GTS guards - Wrong
Holden stopped GTS guards for the Sandman at the end of the HJ series. However GTS guards were very popular and many HX and HZ owners fitted the HJ GTS guards because they just looked so damn good!
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You could order a bench seat Sandman - Wrong
No. The Holden Sandman was a 2 seat sports package with bucket seats and floor shift, so that means no column shift for a Sandman too.
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All Sandman's had XX7 stamped on the ID plates - Yes and No
The XX7 and XU3 is a Holden code for the Sandman. The Acacia Ridge plant in Brisbane were the only manufacturing plant that stamped XX7 or XU3 for Sandman's. However Holden paperwork clearly identifies Sandman's from other plants but without the XX7 or XU3 stamps. This is probably the most common myth!
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They only came in 4 speed manual - Wrong
The base option for all Sandman's was a 4 speed manual floor shift. You could opt for a few dollars more an auto transmission, and once again it would have been floor shift not column.
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If it's got GTS gear and a V8 it is a Sandman - Wrong
The Sandman was not just a ute or van equipped with GTS parts, there are a few other technicalities which made a Sandman unique to a standard ute or panel van. With 30 plus years having past I have seen more standard utes and vans with GTS equipment fitted by previous owners than genuine Sandman's.