Austral HJ - Project

[Sandaro]

Dash pic, fan forced, confirmed 2 centre vents blow air. Looking for original paperwork but Dad has no recollection of ordering that as an option IMG_20201110_213051.jpg

[Innuendo]

Dash pic, fan forced, confirmed 2 centre vents blow air. Looking for original paperwork but Dad has no recollection of ordering that as an option IMG_20201110_213051.jpg

Could have been an optioned up van for somebody else who then cancelled the order. Pushed from one dealer to another.
How did it get the panel side oversized glass? Did he order it that way?

[Sandaro]

Windows aftermarket as you picked up. Was delivered windowless. No regrets there. Back in the day us kids would be in the back for the annual road trip. Would have been pretty bad holed up in there without the view of the roadside scenery!

[Absinth]

Could have been an optioned up van for somebody else who then cancelled the order. Pushed from one dealer to another.
How did it get the panel side oversized glass? Did he order it that way?

you could be onto something there..

Windows aftermarket as you picked up. Was delivered windowless. No regrets there. Back in the day us kids would be in the back for the annual road trip. Would have been pretty bad holed up in there without the view of the roadside scenery!

Why would he wait for a van he special ordered and not order side windows which were a factory option in HJ? Getting the windows fitted aftermarket smacks of..... “ I want a red Sandman with a 308 4sp and side windows”.....

hmm, so and so has one in such and such without windows, we’ll get that trucked over and get windows fitted or tell him they’re aftermarket fitment.... oh, it has wiper dwell and forced air, better try and hit him up for them as an option.

How long did he wait after ordering before delivery? If a week or two it was trucked from another dealer as factory orders were up to 3 months for delivery.

[Sandaro]

6 weeks was delivery time. Who would know if the dealer passed something else off to you?

Like I said earlier, I'm getting Dad to dig out the order form (and build sheet), that'll answer the above questions. I don't know he originally wanted windows, like I said they came later- not long after- but not by factory or dealer. Everyone (me included) loves the look without windows but using the van everyday backing onto building sites etc would have been a bitch without them

[Innuendo]

Windows aftermarket as you picked up. Was delivered windowless. No regrets there. Back in the day us kids would be in the back for the annual road trip. Would have been pretty bad holed up in there without the view of the roadside scenery!

Yeah, I understand the want for windows back in the day.
I was just thinking about scenarios as to how they tried it on the dwell wiper controls etc and the windows got me to thinking because I knew they were one of the common aftermarket styles not Holden.

[Sandaro]

Yep, he paid extra for 'power ventilation' (option C57) $26.24. So he believes that was optioned by him because it was only the dwell wiper that he had the problem with. So that clears the forced air question up.

[Absinth]

6 weeks was delivery time. Who would know if the dealer passed something else off to you?

Everyone (me included) loves the look without windows but using the van everyday backing onto building sites etc would have been a bitch without them

6 weeks would be factory order and build.

My first road registered car as an apprentice carpenter was an ex PMG 3/75 HJ panelvan from the govt auctions in Brissy. It had factory windows and after a few weeks of owning it I decided to deck out the rear and covered over the windows.... less than a few weeks later I removed the 3mm ply panels covering the windows.... couldn’t see anything while driving and was a prick reversing into job sites.

My HJ Sandman has factory windows and they’re staying, I don’t mind the look with dark tint on them.

[Sandaro]

Yes, broadcast sheet confirms time frame and dealership

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I also agree unmolested may not be correct term for his van. Maybe better described as known history. Lots of items replaced/rebuilt over the years. Non standard things like dual exhaust stereo etc

[Austral]

Hi brainstrust, hope everyone is safe and well. Project is progressing although slower than hoped. After some advice, want to get the dash pad, dash fascia cleaned up and repaired (usual radio holes) and the gauges checked over and tested. Advice on where I should go would be great. Cheers dion