Buying a HJ panel van and need some ADVICE!

Hi Lozzie, i have a wb with a 202, 3 on the tree. All original but have put it on gas. Does go well (when it ain't pinging) - had some dud mechanic work on it and stuffed it... anyways, that's by the by. My suggestion: keep your money for your eight. That's what I'm doing too, some time this year mine will become an 8 with 4 or 5 on the floor. Been driving him with a 6 for the last couple of years and waiting patiently. I could spend more money on my 6, but like u, my heart is set on an 8. I like the rythmic sound of the 8 as well, that's why I'm being patient. Re colour coding - suggest you have a look at pics on this forum of what others have done to give u ideas, another option is the mags etc. Another option is go to google images, type in panel vans and you'll get a heap too. In all honesty, how u paint and decorate the exterior and interior of YOUR van is entirely YOUR choice, if you like the purple with colour coded bumpers, then do that. If you want heaps of black on the inside, then do that too. How we do our vans or street machines is really an expression of you, what you like. Get your ideas from others, then assemble (and later disassemble ) to suit yourself. You can always change later what you don't end up liking. Mine is going a grey on the interior which gives me a plain canvas to add colour to, like lighting and curtains and other bitsnpieces. Hope my 2 cents worth helps. Good luck and we look forward to seeing the van at the Easter Van Nationals in Philip Island this year? Entry forms are also on this forum. If you want more info let us know. thanks Maz

This is the one i was talking about.
It's name is Dominate.

i know the white van beside it

Well you'd have some great pics then??

you just can see the dump pipes out the back

lozzie wrote:Sweet thanks guys for all your input. its just a little hard for me because im so overwhelmed with the fact i am getting a custom painted van with the little extras i want its rad as...Its all new too me as I have never owned an older car, I have only ever had the VS statesman..6 yrs it did me well and i will be so sad to see her go, but i have something bigger and better waiting for me to give some TLC...

Yes i would LOVE to see this shadow chrome and also if you have any photos of bumpers painted same as car with a colour insert please post here as I have to let my mate know soon so he knows what to do when it comes to painting it.

I like the idea of the gts guards but at the moment i will wait i just want to get the basic body for my girl that i am after and all your ideas and input is helping alot...

The purple is a deep purple with alot of sparkle to it, it has shimmers of red and blue in it in the sun as we sprayed samples to see what i liked...I know you guys prob not into that but i am a chick and purple is my fav colour lol and i reckon it will suit me and my personality.

I hope to get some more feedback as im really enjoying it

I want to make the right choice

cheeers

Ahah yeh I dont know any chicks that drive a panel van, not girlie enough for them i suppose ahha

this is close to the colour but i think mine is a little deeper with more shine through it x

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Hi Lozzie., There are a few of us about (girl vanners) and my favourite colour is purple as well.......Cant wait to see the finished paint...Keep at it

Agro do you have any front photos of this van?? Its very very nice....I want to see the work from the front

Is a bench seat upholstered in black leather and black satin paint on dash too much with black carpet..

Dude im going mental trying to figure out what I wanna do...I know its an expression of my personallity and shes my van but hey the guys that were doing it in the first place to sell it had already organised the full black interior... ?

I dont mind black but what can i DO to break it up!?

Hey nice to see another chick with a van, pitty your in brissy ... As I would LOVE to come to the van nats at phillip island, the place is only 45 mins drive from me ))) HANDY!

There is plenty of Van chick's in Melbourne, your not alone......

If your on Facebook check:
Panelvan Chicks Downunder.

Ah sweet thanks bud, not many members but not too worry

Im just really loving all the ideas and input, ive never really personalised my own car except for the rims and the sticker and exhust on my statesman at the moment !! Im sooo effing excited about the whole deal...

So what do you guys think about the black interior thing? Also agro got a pic of the front of that van?

Also I know im set on a 308 but I would like to do something to my 202 now though, im eager!!!!

I get my panno in about 3 months or so I think, but i HAVE to get my statesman on the market asap and I just need to fix two things on her other than that my statesman is in great condition with always full services, rebuild of transmission, new motor v6 only done 160,000 ks by me etc ... ill stop going on but yeh

Some ideasss im such a fkn hassler now but hey im pretty excited about it

Here you go Lozzie.
Pic's courtesy of Flash Harry's site.

http://panelvansofoz1.multiply.com/photos/album/238/Dominator#

So this is my van in the shop...But I swear its a HJ .... this may be dumb but I have only seen her in this state and its covered cuz of being blasted and going to the oven soon once the guards have been painted with this rubber protectant so they dont rust..

Try and sneak a peek at the compliance plates.

Yep I will do that!!

So...Just some MORE questions ..

I have checked this car with the bf and we think its a FANTASTIC buy, I wont find one this straight with the work its had to rebuild it for this price. Plus getting a $9k paint job on her.

Its my dream.

Ok, so its my mates boss whos selling it to me, he needs to buy a new spray booth for his business. (good guy to know i suppose lol) He said its had one owner before him and he had it for 7 yrs, it sat for a little bit until he decided to re build and sell up. He has just bought himself a HQ station wagon so no longer needs the van and because he needs the booth.

Anyway to the point....

So far I have been told and shown whats been done, I have been told re-build of the 202 motor, brand new head gaskets, extractors, drum breaks on rear and discs/pads on front, brand new stainless steal gas tank, replaced windscreen on front, guards and doors inside have been coated with some sort of rubber paint that apparently gives longativity to the body due to keeping any rust from apearing for years to come, new metal plates on the floor of the van, soda blastered and minimal rust removed, all gutters and seals sanded and have some special silicon stuff to stop ANY water entering the van body...Um thats all i can think of at the moment, mind you im not a car expert and this is the first time to own an older classic car! So I just wanted your opinions yet AGAIN.... hope you dont mind

Im sourcing photos of other vans to get ideas on what i EXACTLY want but i AM also a TEENY WEENY bit worried about the specifications of the car and how they work and so on....but one thing, I will be SO happy to own my dream car, customised and WITHOUT a COMPUTER in it lol

Looking forward to hearing from you allllllll

LOZZZZZA soon to be a proud van owner !

Rest Assured Lozza, the van is a fantastic buy!!! If the van landed on here at that price, we'd be running with wads of cash in hand!!!
You have a perfect, windowless, resprayed. rust proofed shell even without the rest it was worth the money.
Can't wait to see this van on the road...

Keep us updated mate.

Shagginwagon, thanks bud yeh I know its a good buy hey, nice looking van I think, its getting the primer done as we speak and going into the uphostry ppls on the 13 jan i really excited. Im going to see her today at the factory and I have decided that the front bumper is going purple to match the car with a black insert and so is the back small bumps but the window trims and door handles key holes are staying chrome and being polished so I hope she looks nice!!!

I will be getting a mural on the back tail gate wait to you guys see it!! My mate who works for the dude whos selling me the panno does air brushing and stuff so he is doing it for me its a wicked idea and the personality fits me to a T

Agh its so fun having her done up the way I want her I just have all these other ideas flowing through my head that I want to do but as some of you say, you have the ace paint job the re built motor new parts a road worthy and rego and have her on the road and THEN i should think about doing her up slowly which is what I am planning to do...

She is going to be my daily drive but Id love to show her but Id be WAYYYY behind some of your pannos and she is pretty stock standard but going to look unreal, the motor and heads are all being repainted in that red/orange so under the hood she will look smick as!!!

)) I have some names for her too but very hard to decide hey!!!

xo lozzzzaaaa peace out

This is the guy doing my Murals........

http://www.jabairbrushing.com/index.html

Some more photos...interesting to me not sure about you guys lol xx









Progress...Getting engine bay painted new few days, paint job sometime next week and brand new leather interior and carpeted, full black

i hope there going to take the plenum grill , door strikers and things like that off before they paint it for you
if you have a look at
https://vanners.forumotion.com/your-ride-f5/my-van-has-some-colour-t300.htm
you will see i had a lot of things zinc plated like factory, cheaper then chrome and looks good
steve

Ok so this is my first time having a customised rebuild of a car, and its my dream panel van.

The chrome has already been sanded back ready for painting...I asked for the door handles, mirrors, window trims and grill to be black...was this a bad idea? So whats the cost of plating then? Please let me know what you think?

i mean the grill in front of the windscreen should be removed the latches inside the doors etc as if not clean or masked properly you will get dust and shit in paint
the stuff you have said is right about sanding crome of to paint
i just mean the door catches, bonnet hinges and things like that you could get plated as i got every nut bolt,door catches, bonnet hinges, bonnet catch
all the tailgate mech and rods done for $130
steve

I hope she looks alright when she is done with the paint job *my van im speaking of* you dont think satin 2 pac black paint is a bad idea do you?

Argh yeh sweet sounds alright and have you got any photos of your finished product at all?

Do you think my panno is alright? Im pretty excited to be getting her!!!

This is my stato I am selling love her and going to miss her!! But bigger and better is on the way =)

i like the satin back outs
i had a white windowless hx sandman it had white bars, door handles and black outs around the windows and windscreen
i have not fineshed mine yet will get some recent pics up soon
the only person that matters if your van will look good is you
you have to like it dont worry if other people like it or not
were abouts are you

Im in Victoria

Yeh I really hope she looks good, I have the picture in my head I just hope she turns out the way I can see it Im sure it will hey

Well looking forward to seeing some photos then!

My van is going metallic purple but has a fair bit of metallic in it its like a deep purple with blues and red through it, fully customised for me )

I have plenty of ideas but as most ppl on this site said, get her up and running, clean, painted and on the road first then I will start

Sometimes by not making the wrong decision is making the right one, owning a classic car is a continuum. Watch Eric Bana's "Love the beast". Same car same dream, different paint and themes. It took me years and years to work out what my Panelvans had been, and where i want them to go. Now its clear...being true to the history of it and restoring it and honouring the model it is. The HJ was a great car, you'll love the piece of Aussie history you'll feel when you pull up at the lights. Its only my opinion which you asked for, but avoiding modern low profile wheels is my only "please no" mercy call. My main point here is to get to know the van scene first before you go down the design road of something new, which it seems your certainly doing by being on here. I take my hat off to you.
All the best.