HZ Sandman

[Jeza]

Flew from Melbourne to Canberra yesterday and then picked up and drove my new HZ van back to Geelong. It was a good 7 hour drive home which was a good 'christening', well in a driving sense anyway. Needs a bit of work which I'm up for, to bring it back to something like original. However I will be tweaking it non-factory to suit my tastes with some genuine GTS guards which I picked up last weekend, widened GTS rims which should arrive this week and the addition of a dickie seat in the back so my 4 & 7 year old boys can travel safely. I bought a VX berlina black leather dickie seat a couple of weeks backs back which will match in well with the slate black trim.

It's into my mates whos a panel beater/painter on Wednesday. I have to decide at that point whether I do a quick tidy up of the rust or get a little more carried away and put the GTS guards, fill the side windows and spray he whole thing... Money will govern what I do, but history will tell me that I'll want to go the hog... I don't want a show car though, I want something I can take out on the weekends and down the beach and enjoy.

Van is an original 253 4spd, but has a 308/auto on gas which I'll also keep. It's Qld built and XX7 plated. I'll post some pics soon once the project is underway.

This is my fourth Sandman. I sold my last about 3 years ago to pay for the paint on my HK Brougham. It's amazing how badly I crave for Sandman ownership when I'm without it. My first car was a HJ Pano, stocky 253/auto but fat and low. I guess this was the start and being an old 'Bogan Surfer' from Rockingham WA these were he ultimate cars to chuck the boards in the back, travel down the coast and wake up in either the Settlers tavern or 3 Bears bar car parks and then head for a surf. Love to pass a bit of this culture down to my boys - maybe thats a bit wrong but it's a piece of me I'd like to share with them.

Cheers, Jez

[xagtsedan]

Sounds like a great start, any piccies? cheers Pat

[Robbo]

Well done Jeza, a 7 hour drive is a good test of a vehicle. It's good if your children can experience some form of the surf culture that you enjoyed. Looking forward to seeing pic's of your van.
Cheers.

[Valencia]

Good news jeza glad you got your self a hz sandman (best model i believe ) coz i got one hope you get the mods done then put up some pics when done
go the hz sandys
cheers gene
ps what colour is it jeza

[RAEME]

G'day jezza.
Quick question how do you legally fit the seat in the back for the kids?
Cheers

[playwme]

Good work Jeza. I was wondering if it was someone off here who'd bought it. I was chatting to the owner the other day and he said someone from Geelong was coming up to get it.

[jaft]

Congratulations Jeza on your new HZ Sandman panelvan.. (4th)

Nothing like taking it for its first long journey home..

All the best in the rebuild, looking forward in see some pics when you get a chance..


JAFT

[Jeza]

G'day jezza.
Quick question how do you legally fit the seat in the back for the kids?
Cheers

Not sure about the 'legal' part... However, I've been advised by the local authorities that in Vic you can still be inside a vehicle without seat belts, as long as all seating is occupied with beats on. Apparantly its changed elsewhere but yet to be enforced here. So for me putting the dickie seat in is more about a little safety opposed to the legality. There are some other posts about rear seating on here somewhere. I seem to recall the legal bit has something to do with access to the rear as there are no doors (obviously), and I reckon the legal bit could be achieved by not havng a centre console between the buckets? - this is a vague recollection? Cheers, Jez

[playwme]

I'd check and make sure. Sounds to me that little rule may apply to a legally fitted and engineered seat rather than something bolted down in the cargo area of a commercial vehicle.

I had a couple of rear facing seats in the back of mine about 14 years ago. They were bolted down with oversized plates under the floor and fitted with seatbelts and everything. Inspection time came around and because there was no engineering certificate it failed inspection and I had to remove them.

[rallyvan]

One of the blokes I use to service for in the rally scene had an old F150 ambulance that had been fitted with 2 x additional seats (early Gemini)similar to what you described above. The vehicle had a Queensland Mod plate for the work so I believe what you propose would be achievable. The F150 had relavitvely good access to the rear seats as it was a column shift auto and the front seats where 2 Gemini bucket seats. I think what would be a killer would be the access issue. You would need to speak to a Vic Roads accredited engineer and see what they think. I'd call round a few van seat conversion places arround Melbourne and see who they use to sign off on there mods and then speak to the engineer they use as they would be up to speed on this type of modification and be able to tell you quite quickly wether the mod would be approved or not. The engineer may want standard front seats to swing forward which may mean you have to fit a HQ 2 Monaro style seat.