Quote Originally Posted by HK1837 View Post
One ordered without stripes. It appears that this wasn't possible in HX. In HQ and HJ you could just ask the dealer not to fit them, but HX came with stripes regardless. People must have complained as no stripes appears to have been a very popular option (this may also explain why there were so many optioned up HX Kingswood utes and vans produced, as a HX Sandman is essentially a Kingswood ute or van minus side strips and with decals and blackouts). With the release of HZ the DL7 stripe option (delete stripes) appeared, probably from customer feedback. This is how I would have ordered a HZ Sandman ute or van if I bought one in 1977-79.

The one I know of is in original paint and trim around 160,000 original kM, although it has been buggered in a few areas as he put a sunroof in it, fitted vacationer roof racks, XB coupe side scoops, Caprice bonnet emblem and tailgate mural. It would be a shame to destroy original paint, but if I bought it I'd have to repaint the roof to remove the sunroof and roof racks, and replace the lower tailgate (hanging the muralled one in the shed!). The bonnet could be fixed by welding up the Caprice emblem holes as I know it has had the nose panel resprayed 20 odd years ago to remove stone chips, and I think the bonnet may have been partly done too. The XB side scoops could be rectified by some black vinyl trim bungs in the screw holes (better than respraying the whole sides). It also needs a replacement headlining to fix the sunroof hole. It has had power steering added in the early days, and now has an Edelbrock Performer as the original manifold rotted out a few years ago. Plus I think it has a Holley on it, but knowing the owner the carb will be around in the Holley box and the aircleaner kept too. If it ever gets offered to me i'll be in a quandry as i've known the car since new, and it is a great one to have. But it is only a van, and I really want a ute. But finding a HQ or HJ ute in the condition this one is will be a real challenge!
By the times you fix all the things you have listed it sounds like it will need a full respray