So many of these were scrapped in the 80's and 90's, and HQ racing used up a lot too. Just my small local Holden wrecker in Newcastle used to strip a few HQ sedans every week, nobody wanted them. I'm talking driving cars that simply failed rego due to something simple like steering/balljoints or minor rust and the repair was more than the car was worth. Plus HQ-HZ sedans were most of the Newcastle Taxi fleet until the mid 90's, so the wreckers used to buy as many HQ-HZ sedan, wagon and Statesman as they could for Taxi companies to buy parts off. I remember less than 10 year old Statesmans coming in that cost $1000 or less, they were trade ins at local car yards. Perfect rust free cars with a smoky 5.0L or buggered ball joints, the front doors were worth the $1000. I bought a HJ Deville shell once it was stripped for $100, it was mint in body and paint. Cut it up for rust sections for other cars. But the HQ's were less valued, and so many of them got any good HQ bits removed, filled with scrap steel or cast iron (like blocks) and dragged off the the scrap metal yard. These were sometimes GTS sedans too, as I used to grab the tags off anything decent spec. I wish I'd grabbed all the Belmont and Kingswood and Monaro tags too now, I only grabbed the V8 Premier, Statesman, GTS, Sandman etc tags.

I wouldn't bother with Marketplace, just about every car there someone has dragged out of a property or shed and selling at 4 x what they paid for them.

If I was you I'd buy a complete running and driving car, change it mechanically but leave the paint and body alone. That is where all the $ is.

Edited by user Friday, 18 September 2026 9:00:25 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified