Nice original HX van

[HK1837]

To be worth $40k it'd most likely have to be a HQ. Folloing on from the sentence in the post prior to mine...."I would expect at that price to be a pristine example".....And a HQ!

[Innuendo]

Err, OK, I get what you mean now.
A 253 HQ Sandman with side panel glass in that condition still wouldn't interest me. The factory spec and the cars general quality would still make it a worth about half.

[HK1837]

Agree, no 253 Sandman would excite me much either, except if it was cheap enough then i'd upgrade it to at least an injected 5litre. Windows don't bother me much, if I found a pristine van with windows i'd have it over a rougher one without windows.

[Innuendo]

That's where we differ. I wouldn't inject a real Sandman, today the money is in original. For that I'd chase up a nice plan 6 cyl Belmont poverty pack. Side panel windows are a big deal for me, but I take your point on body condition.

[HK1837]

It doesn't phase me too much doing a conversion on an original car. I've always reckoned it is better to modify (not body wise but unboltables) a valuable car to start with. I'd rather use a Sandman as a slightly modded car than a 6cyl base model as an injected conversion does bugger all to hurt a Sandman. I wouldn't stuff with a totally original Sandman with all original driveline, but if it didn't have its original engine or if it was only a 202 or 253 i'd much rather a Chev or stroked 308 or inected 5litre than another non-original engine. If I wanted a van i'd buy something like the Valencia Orange car Adam had, make it look totally stock and run it with an injected engine rather than just use an old stocker. That's just me though, I like originality but only if the car has it already, to me it is a waste of time and money to build something back to as it was when it is cheaper and easier to improve it!
I know its a lot of work to weld up window if you want a van without them, but it is still shoads easier to do that to a good rust free van than it is to replace cowls, floorpans, lower quarters, drip rails etc.

[SMQQTH]

I know its a lot of work to weld up window if you want a van without them, but it is still shoads easier to do that to a good rust free van than it is to replace cowls, floorpans, lower quarters, drip rails etc.

Thats the funniest thing I have ever heard you say... clearly you are no panel beater.

Only thing harder to get right than filling in side panel windows would be a sun roof.

You could train a monkey to do cowls, floorpans, lower quarters, drip rails etc theres no big flat surfaces and you can't see them from both sides.

Even the best windows I have seen welded up you can still tell in the right conditions they have been filled.

[HK1837]

No i'm not a panel beater, but I do know some very good ones! It is all academic anyway, as side windows don't exist in a ute which is where i'd be spending my $!

[Flamenco_not_Flamingo]

Most of us would like it, but a 253 HX van for $40k? Try half that!

I agree