Replica HQ Sandman

[frasermicheal]

Hey Everyone,
This is my first post so I thought I should introduce my van. I'm doing a resto job on a HQ panel van which will end up with HQ Sandman options but HZ seats and stripes. I have 2 panel vans, both HQ, one from '71 and the other the '74 I'm using. So far I have had the black 202 from the '71 reconditioned and rebuilt with modifications for straight gas. Which has now replaced the red 253 in the '74 as I am on my P's and can't drive a V8. I had to get a reconditioned gearbox because the '71 was an auto and the V8 gearbox doesn't fit, it also has a salisbury diff from the V8.

This is the '74.


Here is the '71.


After it was soda blasted.


It is now in a panel beaters shed slowly coming together. Anyway I shall stop writing large slabs of text now.
Thanks for looking.

[adam perth]

what colour you going?

HQ's in Barbados green is the pick for me... same as avatar pic.

[jennie285]

That van looks pretty rust free after it has been soda blasted, there would be a lot of forum members interested in the tags.....good luck with your resto...

[frasermicheal]

@adam: It will be Palais White with DY2 stripes.

@jennie: It's falling apart in the back quarters, I will get photos next time I'm at the panel beaters. I'm having GTS flutes welded in and the back windows welded shut, everything else is repair work.

[samin8r]

Good Luck with the rebuild mate.White is a cool colour!

[frasermicheal]

Hey all,

As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not very good at keeping the post up to date. I tend to just post heaps in one go, as I'm about to do. Anyway, back to the topic.

Do all panel beaters take forever?? Because it's still in a panel beaters shed, almost 12 months later. Here are some photos.

The flutes welded in.



Windows welded shut.



Rims painted, this photo doesn't do them justice.



The drivers side is basically finished.



From windows to windowless, looks far better now. The only things left to do are: Bonnet, top half of the tailgate, nose cone, finish off passenger side windows and door. Then it gets painted and I have to start doing work on it again. As always, thanks for looking.

[HK1837]

I'd reconsider the HX/HZ stripes on a HQ. HQ's look way better with HQ stripes.

[MJM]

Have you any more detail photos of welding the windows up. Did you put a curve in the steel. Did you butt weld or over lap the joins ? How bad wa the distortion. Really very interested in this subject.

Thanks for sharing.

cheers
MM

[Rico]

Yeah ditto that. That a great job on the windowless conversion!

[frasermicheal]

[MENTION=225]HK1837[/MENTION]: If it was actually an original Sandman I would put HQ stripes on it, but as it's just a standard panno I plan on putting all the bits I think look best on/in it. For instance I plan on putting HX/HZ seats in it as I think they look better.

[MENTION=735]MJM[/MENTION]: I think the steel didn't have a curve in it, it was laser cut to fit I believe. It's spot welded all the way round, and thankfully the distortion is minimal. I can ask my panel beater more about it next time I see him if you want. I'm only 20, and have no real welding experience, so I don't have the skill required to do any of this, hence why I payed someone to it.

[MENTION=579]Rico[/MENTION]: Thanks, it was the only way to go really, the other panno I have has so much rust in it that it wasn't a viable option. It would've been heaps more work to get it up to this standard.



That's the only photo I've got of the windows without bog on them.

As always, thanks for looking.