Guys

I’ve been penning some changes to my Sandman identification page, with respect to HX Sandmans. I’ve recently come across a copy of the HX features manual which states that the XX7 and XU3 Sandman options were available only on the M level vehicle (ie HOLDEN, ostensibly ‘Belmont’). However it also states that the XU4 option (ie derated GVW non-Sandman) was available in Victoria only. After studying the HX parts manual and conversing with Ben Stewart I have come to the following conclusions, and I just wanted to put them past those of you in the know:

1. Officially, HX Sandmans were all HOLDEN based vehicles unlike the HQ and HJ where you could have a Kingswood ute Sandman.
2. The HX Kingswood van ‘Sandmans’ I have recorded are either:

a) Kingswood vans with B06 option, ie Ambulance pack; or
b) Dealer mock ups.


The reasons for believing that item a) is true are:

Firstly I have five supposed HX Kingswood Sandman vans recorded. Two of them are from people who saw them in their early days (one of those was me). I have no supposed HX Kingswood Sandman utes, and co-incidentally the B06 option was only available on 1-tonners and panel vans.

Secondly, there is not much difference between a HX 4-speed B06 and an 4-speed XU3. In the absence of a spelled out list as to what comprises both I believe the major differences are (and based upon the B06 vehicles I have known):
Stripes.
Mirrors.
Premier front and door trims/arm rests on B06.

In the auto versions, all of the B06 vehicles I have seen or owned have been column shift, however all of those were HZ.

The reasons for item b) are similar to a) as I think it would be much easier for a dealer to mock up a B06 to a Sandman, than it would to do it to a plain Kingswood as the B06 already has GTS dash, wheel etc.
There are a few flies in the above ointment however. One of them is a HX 8WN70 I have recorded that is an L31, M21 and has a 1950kg GVW. The problem with this is that it is an Elizabeth (Adelaide) build, Elizabeth VIN and chassis, ordered and sold in NSW, and ordered directly from Elizabeth, not through the NSW office as was the norm. The features manual says that XU4 was only for/in Victoria so this van is an orphan. Either it is a special order that ‘breaks’ the rules, either being manufactured as a HX Kingswood WN70 XX7 (breaks the HOLDEN only Sandman rule) OR as a HX Kingswood WN70 XU4 (breaks the XU4 for Victoria only rule). Or it is a B06 special order, hinted by the way it was ordered. The other fly is the fact that a few NSW dealers had a lot of sway with Holden in the 70’s. Possibly they simply told Holden that they wanted a Kingswood Sandman van, and they got it. The other more likely scenario is that a dealer couldn’t get a Sandman quickly for a willing customer, so he/she would simply grab an Ambulance pack and add the stripes. I have been told by people who bought both HQ and HZ Sandmans new that they had wait up to five months (this was also the case when I ordered a VY SS ute). The customer was probably happy as they got a twin headlight front and better arm rests, and to this day they would swear they bought a new HX Kingswood Sandman panel van – even those with a column shift TH400!