whats the diff

**HK1837** · 10-12-2014, 08:27 AM

Can't explain how they got there in either case, but not by GMH unless it was an error at the assembly plant (eg they drilled the holes accidentally so put badges in). Dealers did funny things, Taily's HJ Sandman ute had a whole front clip change with a HJ Kingswood in the same colour at the dealership.

GMH paperwork of the day common to both sedan/wagon and ute/van/tonner like options or colour/trim charts still use Belmont in the title but in order forms or other such literature specific only for commercials there is no mention of Belmont. The HJ Features manual part A was first published in 11/73 and there is no mention of Belmont in the full page descriptions of each type of vehicle so even that far back they were never to be a Belmont.

It was common for the marketing part of GMH to not know what was going on, not surprised to see mistakes like that i.e. Torana and Statesman included as part of the "Holden range" and to call HJ commercials Belmonts.

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Originally Posted by wbute

Sorry Dr Terry, I didn't go far enough back in your book! True Statesman in HQ was first. Apologies.

It was the lack of Tonneau cover hooks not the lack of cover. The utes have no hooks and no locators for the rib at all. Just seems odd they left them off.

I get them being left off the HX Sandman to show off the hippy stripes and Sandman logo, but the centre rib bit must be because the ute in question was a limited production brochure car, maybe to make it look cleaner in the back?

**wbute** · 10-12-2014, 09:26 AM

The quarters must have been blank. I assumed the holes had been punched out somehow for ute quarters. Just seems more difficult to drill all those holes on every ute quarter.

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Was it possible they used the same ute in those photos?

**HK1837** · 10-12-2014, 10:45 AM

The centre rib bracket is there on the red 6cyl HX Sandman ute in the HX utes brochure (BTW for trivia's sake this ute has chassis number AHX00014A built in 4/76). Just hard to see in the small photo in Dr Terry's book.

I've always understood the holes were drilled in the quarters in the finishing areas of the assembly plants, same place the blackouts and stripes would be added. However it does make sense to have them in the body prior to paint which would mean they were drilled in the body plant.

I'm also wondering if all utes built for stock orders had the tonneau clips fitted, only those as customer ordered Belmont/Holden utes (which as a guess might be 1 in 50, maybe 1 in 100 or higher) where a tonneau was not optioned (option E93) may have not got them. I'd also assume that dealers may have fitted these clips if a car didn't have them but the customer decided they wanted them.

Looking up E93 doesn't give up much info, except that it was also part of the Deluxe (A8J) package in HJ. All the bits for the clips and pins that hold them are in the parts catalogues too, but there is no mention of a kit or anything like that, just the bits.

**wbute** · 10-12-2014, 11:59 AM

It's hard to see(wish you could expand photos in a book lol) but the red ute on page 68 of 60 years of Holden appears to have no tonneau rib clip things.

**Taily** · 10-12-2014, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by wbute

It's hard to see(wish you could expand photos in a book lol) but the red ute on page 68 of 60 years of Holden appears to have no tonneau rib clip things.

I think it is a sign of the times when you try to 'pinch' a picture larger like we do with touch screens. I know I've been guilty of it...

**HK1837** · 10-12-2014, 01:11 PM

I've got the brochure with that photo and it is there.

**Innuendo** · 10-12-2014, 02:12 PM

Even dealers called commercials "Belmont" well after the HQ.

Here is dealer filled delivery.

hx_belmont.jpg

**HK1837** · 10-12-2014, 02:44 PM

Yes I saw that the other day, pretty common too. Must have been a pain for dealers to have Belmont sedans and wagons and they'd had Belmont commercials from around 3/68 through to around 9/74 so no wonder they got confused.

Note this very small dealership must have been a stickler for paperwork, he has recorded the 3spd's serial number. Very few cars in the records have transmission numbers recorded.

Flamenco_not_Flamingo · 10-12-2014, 03:35 PM

Bogan,

Even though your barely coherent you have started a very interesting thread, well done and congratulations!

Hope all of your 6 children have a visit from Santa there at Inala and that the Tarago keeps you safe!