please help hq sandman???

[Big Rob]

That front brings back some memories. I had a mate that loved the early Pontiac Trans-Am. He wanted a Statesman front for his HQ, but liked the big single headlights and he got the idea to cut the centre section out of a Statesman front. That was back in '78. It does look a lot like a '73 Trans-Am. If you don't use it, somebody will want it for sure.

[HK1837]

found some more useless info today regarding the paint code and the long middle tag
wm70rdl266096q
wm-belmont
70-panel van
r-253 high comp
d- 1974
l2- Adelaide
66096 build
q- hq
was looking at old holden colour chart from 1973 and orchid was not available for belmonts
Attachment 10687

That is right, and officially the only way you could normally get metallic on a Belmont in 1974 was with a Sandman optioned Belmont. But CTV (colour trim variation) was a relatively easy thing to do, not only normal colours where they shouldn't be but also totally left field colours as well like a HK colour on a HQ etc. So whilst Orchid says your HQ is more than likely a Sandman, it isn't an iron clad guarantee.

[buickzz]

Metallic coloured vans were common in HQ series and certainly during 1973 and 1974, very few of them were Sandmans. None of the 1973's could have been Sandmans, but they were metallic coloured and I don't believe that you should use metallic paint as one of the basis for determining whether a vehicle is a Sandman. HK has a much better and mnore comprehensive list of ways to sort out what was what.

[HK1837]

It is still a very good indicator on a 1974 Belmont ute or van but not a guarantee. By the cars I have recorded it was mainly Acacia Ridge build so basically Brisbane Zone office allowing the CTV builds, nowhere near as common through other zone offices.

[Vombil]

That is right, and officially the only way you could normally get metallic on a Belmont in 1974 was with a Sandman optioned Belmont. But CTV (colour trim variation) was a relatively easy thing to do, not only normal colours where they shouldn't be but also totally left field colours as well like a HK colour on a HQ etc. So whilst Orchid says your HQ is more than likely a Sandman, it isn't an iron clad guarantee.

I tell you one thing... if you're an HQ Sandman owner holding your hopes of legitimacy on some centre console mounts you'd have to be te type of fella that enjoys a punt as well

[mauser]

I tell you one thing... if you're an HQ Sandman owner holding your hopes of legitimacy on some centre console mounts you'd have to be te type of fella that enjoys a punt as well

As we have discussed previously, I dont know why you would order a HQ Belmont van in '74 and option it to be a 2-seater with bucket seats, CTV order the metallic paint, tack in a V8 with a 4-speed and not tick the box for the Sandman package on the order form. Without the downrated GVM as a discouragement I doubt most people would violently object to the addition of the console, GTS guards and dash. If the van was built on spec for dealer lots, I would imagine it didnt have those options unless it was a Sandman. HQ Kingswood utes on the other hand could of been common with the above options and not be a Sandman.

Mauser

[HK1837]

Insurance was the main reason, also people wanted bench seats.
There were some 308 manual HQ Monaro and also HQ LS's made primarliy because insurance on a GTS was too high. Same reason there were some 5.0L LH SL's made.

[Robbo]

Insurance companies back in the 70's were ruthless. Certain companies were charging higher premium's on two door car's, they deemed them as a sport's car. Any two door car, a Datsun 1200 coupe was a higher risk as it was a two door.

Cheers.

[mauser]

Insurance was the main reason, also people wanted bench seats.
There were some 308 manual HQ Monaro and also HQ LS's made primarliy because insurance on a GTS was too high. Same reason there were some 5.0L LH SL's made.

I get wanting the bench seat... but that makes it a 3-seater.

Mauser

[HK1837]

Which makes it easy to identify as not a Sandman. I've seen enough 1974 B trim, 4spd or column auto Belmont utes and vans that aren't Sandmans to know either people were ordering them or GMH were building them for stock in reasonable numbers. Not just confined to HQ either.