HQ Sandman Ute restro

[HQSandmanute]

I'll start this thread to show my ute during restoration.
This has been a long process. Started about 2004.
Was 8 years waiting for paint and panel work to be done. But it was a pretty full on job, done by Hudsons Paint & Panel at Pittsworth Qld.
Everything was stripped out of it, right down to wiring, brake lines. Body off chassis. 2 pack chassis & underbody.
Byron and maybe a few others would remember me talking about it on FastLane site years ago.

Along the way, I guess people will say whats not right for a Sandman etc. Fact is, it was an original Sandman.
I'm building it how I would like it, and how I think GM should have built them(lol) While the plan is to keep it pretty std appearing, there are many small changes. Pearl paint, leather interior, but still using original colors and HQ seats, 400sbc, TH400, 9" diff, 15x8 alloy wheels, but HQ GTS copies.

Original Sandman ute




Start stripping back



Chassis




Body on chassis

[Alien DNA]

Looking the goods thats for sure...thats a rare bird you have there. Will be something special when done

Looking forward to your updates

[HQSandmanute]

Roll onto 2012/2013.

It was finally finished painting just before xmas 2012.
Got picked up in Jan2013 to start re-assembley of everything else.

I haven't decided what to do with the flutes in the guards. Mine were silver before, but don't know whether to black them out or not. We'll leave them for the time being, and when everything is back together, have another look and think.

Finished paint
The paint was mixed to Safforon code, except instead of silver metallic, we tied a bunch of different pearls, painted them onto some samples and picked what I liked best.
While it's a bit hard to see in the pics, it looks great. Depending whether it's in the shade, sun or artificial light it changes.

[HQSandmanute]

Wheels.



These are 15x8 alloy. Copy of GTS wheel, not a pontiac wheel. I've still got to get the loins head centres for them yet.

[Paddy_77HZ_Ute]

Very Nice.

[Alien DNA]

Interesting you went for a prem front and painted the rad support the body colour. Geez that colour is going to require people to wear sunglasses just to look at it....superb

[Innuendo]

So was it a factory 6 Cyl?

Don't like the prem nose as it's meant to be a Sandman.

Should look pretty when it's all back together

[HQSandmanute]

Engine.

400sbc
Dart lilM block, billet steel 4 bolt mains.
4340 crank, 6" H beam rods, SRP forged pistons, 11.7-1CR
Hydralic roller cam, moly pushrods, 1.6 roller rockers, titanium retainers,
AFR heads, ported,
VicJnr manifold, 950 HP Holley
Jet Hot coated 1 3/4" extractors.
Crank trigger with MSD Programable Digital 7 ignition.

I was originally building this engine for the panelvan(in the other post), but when I put the blown engine in the panelvan, I decided this one would be good for the ute.
I was aiming for 600+HP for the panelvan, but have tamed things down a little, smaller cam and intake. It should still go around 550HP and be reasonably streetable.


This pic is pretty much whats going into my ute. I built this one for my brothers ute. All the same specs as mine, except smaller cam and less CR. It's in a WB ute and goes like a missile.



Or should I use this one????



Nah, just kidding. This ones a spare, and for sale if anyones interested. 468BBC, with best of everything. Was building for SCO rail, but not going to use it now.

[Alien DNA]

Thats a stout SB .....the rear tyres are going to hate you

[HQSandmanute]

So was it a factory 6 Cyl?

Don't like the prem nose as it's meant to be a Sandman.

Should look pretty when it's all back together

As I said at the start, I'm building it , how I want it.
But if you check through enough old books/magazines, the 1st Sandman ute was built for Sydney Motor Show. It had a premier front and sbc. I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I like the prem fronts as they look wider and lower. Plus you can put good high beam light in the inners.

From the factory, this one was 308, 4 speed. But it's had a sbc in since about 1985 when my mate owned it(and Sandmans weren't anything special back then) I built a 383 for it back then. The original 308, 4speed went into another HQ ute I had that I used for a tow car for my race car. Sold that ute to someone in brisbane in 89.