HX Holden Sandman Panel Van Archives - Australia's Home of Classic Cars, Muscle Cars & Automotive Events

Matt’s HX Holden Sandman Panel Van – A True Aussie Icon

Phil — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:31:12 +0000

When you think of classic Australian motoring, one name always comes to mind – the Holden Sandman Panel Van. Synonymous with the 1970s car culture, the Sandman became an icon for freedom, fun, and cruising down the coast. Today, we had the pleasure of catching up with Matt and his stunning HX Holden Sandman Panel Van – a vehicle that perfectly blends nostalgia with modern performance.

A Rare Find in Papaya

Matt has owned the Sandman for around 18 months, and while he’s already done plenty to make it his own, he’s got even bigger plans for the future. The standout feature is its colour – Papaya, a rare shade that was only ever released on the HX Sandman and the LX Torana. The paint remains from the previous owner and is still in great condition, though Matt is keen to give it a fresh respray down the track.

Modern Muscle Under the Bonnet

While the Sandman was known for its classic Holden engines, this one packs a modern punch. Under the bonnet sits a 6L LS2 paired with a 6-speed gearbox, sending power through a 9-inch diff – all fitted by the previous owner. Matt has since tidied up the engine bay, making it look just as good as it drives. One clever touch is the shifter – Matt managed to graft the original T-bar onto the modern setup, a subtle but stylish nod to the Sandman’s heritage.

Blending Old-School with Subtle Upgrades

Inside, the van keeps much of its original charm with the classic GTS dash, though Matt has fitted upgraded gauges for better functionality. The rear has been neatly paneled out and carpeted, giving it a clean, finished look without losing its vintage appeal.

The wheels are a modern twist too – billet knock-offs designed to resemble GTS rims. Matt has blacked out sections of the rims to really emphasize the GTS styling, tying the whole look together perfectly.

Built to Cruise

Matt has built plenty of cars over the years, but with the Sandman, you get the sense he’s ready to slow things down and just enjoy the ride. And honestly, there’s no better car for cruising than a Holden Sandman.

We had a fantastic day hanging out with Matt, talking cars, and hitting the road in this Aussie classic. It’s always special to bring cars like this to our audience – vehicles that aren’t just machines, but rolling pieces of Australian history.

Thanks for cruising with us, and stay tuned for more incredible builds from the Aussie car scene.

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Ultimate Collector’s Dream: Garage Tour At Cleveland Spares – Part 2.

Phil — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:13:35 +0000

On todays episode we do the full Cleveland Spares shed collection tour, and then we have a look at what’s out in the yard. This is Part 2 of the Aussie Garage Interview with Cleveland Spares in Melbourne. This place is a feast for the sensors, you find yourself surrounded by Aussie muscle cars, advertising signs, old petrol bowsers, 80’s BMX bikes, and so much more. But its the cars that are the stars of the show. First we look at Rob’s XW Ford Falcon GT, its a factory Windsor engine and Top loader car and is in great original condition. But as we know Rob loves to get a bit more go in his cars so it has a hottie motor and auto in it at the moment.

Then we have a look at Cass’s XC Ford Falcon GXL or “a hamburger with the lot” as Rob called it. It has a factory sunroof 351 engine, its a factory 9 inch tramp rod car and it was there family car back in the day. This is when we entered the GM section, Rob has an interest in all cars not just Fords so he shows us his 57 Chevy, HX Holden Sandman tribute and a 1967 Chevy Camaro SS . There is also a Holden Monaro there but we will talk to Cass about that later. After that, its the Hot Rod collection.

We start with an Model A Roadster that he bought with his dad, it has a really nice old school rod feel to it. There is also a 41 Willies that is being done to be a nostalgic drag car with a 454 big block. then there’s a 1940 Ford Truck that he has put on a late 70’s Hilux chassis, its been set up for a small block Chev and turbo 400. And the last thing inside is his F100 shop truck that is way to nice to use as a shop truck. Then we hit the yard. there is some interesting things out there. Like a XY with flared guards, grafted Mustang rear end Mustang cut outs in the sides, XB dash graft and heaps of other mods. Just a stripped shell now it used to be a show car in the 70’s or 80’s.

There is also a genuine XW Ford Falcon GT with its tags. It was filled end for end back in the day and then was stripped. But Rob is thinking about weather it can be brought back to life. There is also various cars for sale. This really was an awesome collection of cars and memorabilia.

We ended up spending all day there. We hope you enjoy this instalment of Cleveland Spares. There is one more to go where we check out a couple of coups. Thanks for watching.

Part 2 – Cleveland Spares Interview With Aussie Garage in Melbourne at their Store.

Check out Cleveland Spares on:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Cleveland-Spares-100051977000902/

eBay at https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Cleveland-Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories/6030/bn_2199904?srsltid=AfmBOopiYlN8Pt_rlHeYhUSaVtXNfVRuWk6W6jmcrKrXqWMa8Mb7eL0F

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