HZ Sandman Ute flamenco red

[Starkeywin]

I have ordered from the RTA the original issue plates NSW JYF-399 (which were available) as a nod to when it was fresh from the dealer. The Holden Dealer when it was new was Wilson's of Warilla, which are still around but now at Albion Park. I dropped in last Saturday morning to Wilson's with the Sandman's original owners books, and they gave me NOS "Wilson Holden" number plate surrounds (dealers are now going to dealer details issued on the actual plates) and a handful of "Wilson Holden" stickers for the rear window (thank you Wilson's). If any NSW members in Sydney could recommend a paint shop that is familiar with the blackouts around the windows and frames and for the sills, it's on my list of items for moving towards originality. Geoff
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[Alien DNA]

Really cool ute.....will be wonderful when its back to original

Keep us up to date with its progress

[Simza]

Great find mate! Glad you are going for an original type build, also glad that you are planning on driving her. As I like to say "Driven Not Hidden" Keen for more updates. Great job.

[stickthis]

That is awesome mate! Nice! Great that Wilsons still had some gear for you! Very kind of them!

[Starkeywin]

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Holden Historical Services - Production Report for my ute, bought up the fact that my vehicle is a "Repeat Chassis Number". Unsure what this exactly meant I asked Ben from Holden Historical Services what this meant, he responded with:
Hi Geoff,
You have a Holden with a rather rare fluff in the details.

The allocated identification details that involved human input allowed for errors and stuff-ups. Stamped engine numbers catered for a doubling up of a serial number, as did the chassis numbers stamped in the assembly plants. Because the numbers as appearing on the Body ID plate and VIN plate were computer generated, no human error as such entered the frame here.

Your Sandman ute has a chassis number that was corrected by adding the letter 'R' for repeat following the plant identifier (B). Another HZ Holden produced at the Acacia Ridge plant on the same day as yours has the chassis number BHZ17670B. For whatever reason, your vehicle was also stamped with this same number initially, before the error was detected and corrected by way of an additional 'R' following the 'BHZ17670B'. If there was a further error and a third vehicle was stamped with 'BHZ17670B', then the character '2' was placed after the 'BHZ17670R' to make 'BHZ17670R2'.

Workers often played jokes on each other, and some of the consequences had serious implications as far as the life of the vehicle was concerned after it left the assembly plant. There may have been a lunchtime birthday celebration at the Acacia Ridge pub (a stone's throw from the plant), and some half-plastered workers created havoc during the afternoon shift. Who knows? Double ups of engine numbers and chassis numbers had to be prevented so that no dramas were experienced when the vehicles were registered. You can imagine the concern when two HZ Holdens were registered with the same identification numbers!

Whilst not at all isolated, cases like yours where a repeat number was issued are quite rare in the scheme of things. The ADR Safety Compliance plate should show the repeat, as will the stamped number in the frame rail.

Makes for a great talking point.

Thank you Holden Historical Services I thought I had all known info on my ute including all books and first Rego slip, but what great above and beyond service for the personal note supplied from them on my ute.

PS: Anyone got a HZ with chassis number BHZ17670B I would like to "have the set"

[davegmh]

Wow! That's one of the better stories I've heard, and it's official. Who would have thunk that factory workers would have partaken in a few beers at lunchtime. With workplace health and safety the unions would never had allowed that..................would they.

[hxbunny]

Wow! That's one of the better stories I've heard, and it's official. Who would have thunk that factory workers would have partaken in a few beers at lunchtime. With workplace health and safety the unions would never had allowed that..................would they.

The unions are there to help you have fun at work, it's the bosses that take the fun out

That is a cool story though, has anyone else on here ever seen an R on a chassis number?

Makes it a pretty rare Sandman hey.

Cheers

[Big Rob]

I pulled a door trim off a mates HR sedan back when we were teenagers and it had "Happy Birthday Gino" and the date (which I can't remember) written in a chinagraph marker on the back. Obviously someone in the assembly plant was sending a secret message.
My mate wasn't impressed as he then thought his car had been owned by a "Wog"! (wogs drove Valiants in Sydney).
I bagged him about it for years, all in good fun though.

[Starkeywin]

I found details on the other Brisbane built HZ with the same chassis number BHZ17670B, that my "Repeat" Sandman was initially stamped with the same chassis number.
BHZ17670B
HZ Station Wagon
Grey
Engine number: QR997699
**Written Off: Collision NSW 25 September 1997, Statutory Write-off
No chance for me to have a set now........................
Anyone in Sydney (I'm in Ryde) with a HZ Sandman I would love to check some details especially the "black outs" as I wish to reinstate on the Ute
Geoff 0414557159

[Starkeywin]

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Update After nearly 20 years it's back on the road on full registration with it's original plates (except now black and white). I am enjoying the drive and have plenty of ongoing jobs to do. Next will be the sticker kit that came with the car, but a small question please > on the tailgate is there any better way to remove Tonneau clips than to drill them out? - super worried about a drill that may slip in my office hands......