Holden HZ panel van - todays tempter 1
Sandman replica in WA
Scrolling through our online ads, we got this sudden urge to jump on a plane, make the owner of this car an offer they couldn't understand, and then spend a lazy week or so driving it back across the Nullabor.
Listed as a Sandman replica, this 1978 HZ panel van has a fair few mods under the skin, including a 336 (5.5lt) stroker V8 and five-speed manual gearbox, with a 9-inch diff. It's also running dual fuel.
HZs were the last of the line of the full-size series that began with the HQ and production ran from 1978 to 1980. They were assembled in all four Holden plants in Australia: Acacia Ridge Qld, Paigewood NSW, Dandenong Vic and Elizabeth SA. There were also screwed together in Trentham, New Zealand.
Sedans, wagons, vans and utilities were made, with a choice of the 202ci (3.3lt) straight six red motor, 253ci (4.2lt) V8 and 308ci (5.0lt) V8. You had a choice of three or four-speed manuals or a three-speed auto.
The final Sandman model came with a choice of V8s only and quad headlamps in the nosecone. Around the time this car was made, a basic panel van would have set you back $6100 and a Sandman around $7800.
You can see the car here, listed at $24,500.
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