Chevy Bonanza
 

Hey guys. Dad and I were talking about his old trucks recently, and he was talking about a Chevy Bonanza he had. He doesn't have any pictures of it. All he remembers is that it was blue. What the heck is a Bonanza? I'm just kind of curious, so if anyone has pics/info, it'd be cool if you could let me know. Thanks!

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

Bonanza is a trim level just like Silverado. They are Custom Deluxe, Scottsdale, Bonanza, Cheyenne, and finally Silverado. Bonanza gave you side moulding but no cab back moulding. The interior would have carpet and chrome trim on the door panels. It was a middle of the road trim package . They did use the same wheel covers as the Impalas . They do look a little funny on trucks . Of course you could order them with almost any option but I have had 3 or 4 Bonanzas and all have had a clock in the dash and tilt steering .My black 78 is a Bonanza and I just sold my 77 longbed Bonanza. It was Blue so I will try to find pics of it .
Frank

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

Frank,

Thats some good info, but my 79 didn't come with the door trim. Neither did my 77 SWB.

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

They should have had the chrome trim around the interior door handle and the thin chrome trim around the outer portion of the door panel. Hard to describe but they had chrome trim in the same places as the silverado and cheyenne but it was smaller . I will find a pic of Bonanza door panels .
Frank

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

Hey thanks Frank. You rock! I had never heard of it, so I was just wondering what the package entailed.

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

Mine came with the door trim, but vinyl floor.

These trucks are so unique when it comes to options.

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

my 79 bonanza has the back cab trim, also f.monroe- where did you find the NOS panel?

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

I recently found and saved some parts from an original spirit of 76 special edition 76 Chevy. Blue n white two tone white steel mirrors white sunvisors and headliner white door panels with special spirit of 76 badge and a special red white and blue woven vinyl seat cover. Reason I mention it... bonanza fender badges. BTW it also had a clock In the instrument cluster also wood floor lwb
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Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

And it did have really ugly odd wheel covers too
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Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

The Bonanza is not a trim level like the Custom, Custom Deluxe, Scottsdale, Cheyenne and Silverado. It was a marketing package that was a combination of options applied to the Scottsdale package.

There are several other similar sales packages (Sequoia Special, Royal Sierra) that were the same or almost the same on GMCs and in the later years on the Chevys.

Read this:

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/7387trimlev.htm

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

Another difference was yellow/gold paint inside the trim instead of black. Mine had the same door panels as shown above, carpet, ac, etc. I've got the original hub caps somewhere. They were oddly grandma ish for a truck.

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

I thought the yellow trim was a 77 only option, not just the bonanza
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Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

You are probably right. All that I have seen have had the yellow trim, but they may have all been 77's. I'm not going to pretend to be as knowledgeable as you guys.

Re: Chevy Bonanza
 

your pickup also came with the goofy hubcaps, because i still have them....my dad bought that pickup new in 79. it was a factory/dealer demo of some sort and had some internal engine components that were not typical. the drivers door was never right on it from the beginning, paint was a little different and it never lined up right.

the chrome on the back of the cab was pulled from a pickup in a salvage yard up in chadron. it originally had a blue top.