Can anyone advise how many HZ Sandman panelvans in Tuxedo Black were either made or recorded down on a database somewhere ? Thank you

Okay, I am particularly interested in HZ Sandman panelvan (1977) iof you have any info, if not or its too hard to get info no worries.
I tried the Sandman forum and no-one knew and they directed me to this site.

Morning HK1837 thank you for the information.

I guess you can add this one to your books now (if not already recorded, I just purchased it)

It has a full rear bumper and GTS guards, is this normal or perhaps it has been changed over the years ?


model-hz8wm70
body-398731-A
trim-2214-18v
paint-568-15991
Eng L32 Trans M20 R/R axle gv7

holden hz panel van
11/77
gvm 1950kg seat cap 2

Yes I am pretty sure that is the correct Chassis number.
Vehicle has been with the family for 20yrs and was one day parked up (for no reason) and never driven again.
Okay, well it looks like the fluted guards and full bumper will be coming off then, the ol' girl is currently painted metallic Maroon (not a bad looking colour) but is very faded as car has been left out in the open for many many years.
The LHS upper drip rail and surrounds has been eaten away, but otherwise the car is straight as a dye.
LPG tank has been fitted sometime ago, which will also be disconnected.
Motor is 253 (not original VR prefix) and is 4 speed.
Vehicle will need a tidy up inside but overall I'm happy with it and like many others it will be a work in progress.

Can you advise what the stripe code would be for that vehicle and would you have a photo of it ?

Thank you

Best bet is to just find a manual pattern 308 block and run it rather than have the wrong 253, but you'll also want to get rid of the 3.55 rear axle. I may have the original engine number recorded for your car, will have to check. GMH changed the 253 manual's rear axle from 3.08 in HQ and HJ to 3.55 at the start of HX as the pollution 253 was so awful and needed 3.55 to give it any performance. They fixed the engine somewhat at the start of HZ and pretty soon into HZ revised the 253 manual rear axle to 3.36. 308 manual remained 3.36 as the standard rear axle for HQ through to the end of HZ. If you do fit a 308 just rebuild the M20 as an M21, easy to do as normally the input shaft and cluster are stuffed anyway and the only difference between V8 M20 and M21 is input shaft, cluster and 3rd gear. If you don't want to change 3rd gear buy a new XU1 cluster and use the M21 V8 input shaft as the XU1 uses an M20 3rd gear.

Stripe wise there would be two common options for 2214 on an early HZ: DX5 and DL7. DX5 is from memory Bright Blue / Blue Green / Dark Blue (there is two DX5's that I think change with HZ colours changing along with VB Commodore). DL7 is delete stripes and is probably more common than DX5. I've seen a HX Sandman in 2214 with DX5 and they don't look all that great, but then again without the black paint highlights a HZ Sandman especially with a lot of the typically bright bits painted black might also look a bit odd. Plus you also have black trim to boot so it'll look even darker with the totally black interior. Maybe it'll look good as a total black/black/black thing with just the bright bars, tail-lights, grille surround, red Lion grille badge, mirror bases, little edges of the quad-light surrounds and the HOLDEN badge on the tailgate? (I can't remember if the HOLDEN badge was deleted on a DL7 Sandman - it was on all the other stripe combos, but not sure about DL7). The 4.2L or 5.0L badge has a little bit of chrome on its edges too.

I think I still have some DX5 NOS decals at home, will check. I can scan the SANDMAN logo for you maybe, ill just have to make sure it is early DX5, or it could also be DY6 (blue and purple).

Edited by user Wednesday, 30 May 2018 1:02:01 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Your black one originally had engine number QR907459, it is an easy one as I have all Dandenong HZ production electronically (spreadsheet). It is a standard HZ Sandman for that timeframe (ie L32 M20 GV7) except it originally had an LSD. It was an internal GMH car but not sure which dept (code 273) which also probably explains its wierdo TRIM line!

As the later one is only about 6 weeks from the end of original GMH records (these finish mid June 1978) not many cars in that period had their full data come back from the dealers before the database was dumped and the new warranty system started. Your car has no engine number recorded, but it will be QT94xxxx give or take. All the cars around it are completed a two weeks or earlier so yours was delayed and not completed until 8/5/78. As you have it complianced 5/78 I'd say it wasn't pushed aside, but assembly didn't start until late for some reason. If it was built earlier with the cars around it, it should be 4/78 complianced. The only thing about it different to any other 308 powered HZ is it had LSD too. The credited selling dealer is 161 and sold through zone office code 5, which I think is a WA dealer, maybe Shacks Motors in Cockburn.

If you don't have the original engine, there is no point putting another old 253 in, just make it more useable with a 308 or at least a better 253 with Quadrajet and 308 manifold. A 3.55 is an awful diff to have with a 1:1 top gear, only any good if you have an overdrive or really tall tyres. I'd keep the 3.55 aside and fit a 3.36 or 3.08.

Dealers had 3 digit codes used in the original mainframe (when memory was expensive), and so did internal departments. 273 was a Fisherman's bend internal department code. If you go through AOMC with that engine number you'll find the car and probably a rego number. Then go to VicRoads to get the original rego papers to see who registered it first.

For a WA car no chance, I was just told that the selling dealer was Metro Motors in Morley WA at that time and WA rego records are not traceable easily. Yes 3.36 (GV4) is standard for L31 M21 but yours had LSD (G80) as well. Only L31 M21 GV4 will appear on the body plate.

I don't have much in the way of stripe images, you are best researching that one yourself. I have the descriptions and what went with which colour. I'll have a look at the ones I have and see what they are.

Thank you, I will check that Forum out.

On another note, can anyone tell me if Holden HZ sedan headlining bows are the same size and will fit a Holden HZ Panelvan (in rear) ?

According to the parts books there may be only one or two wires that are used on sedan. The others are different part numbers. Jason at stickthis is worth contacting.