What is a Bonanza?!

[HotRod73]

Can SOMEONE please tell me what a bonanza is? i have looked everywhere. My truck says bonanza on the fenders and on the dash... what does that mean?!? thank you!!!

[dswancutt]

Basically it was a promotional trim package that ran from about 75 through 80, but don't quote me on that. It looks as if it was offered from Jan through March of each year to bring in sales traffic according to the broucher and was available on the pickup (Fleetside Only, CK10,20,30), van, El Camino and beginging in 1978, the Blazer. It basically is an Scottsdale with the following option groups available.
YG6 - Scottsdale Trim Package
- Bonanza trimplate
- Color-keyed carpeting
- Striped vinyl bench seat
- Deluxe wheel covers (C & K10 only)
- Chromed grille
- Bright body moldings
- Gage-ype instrument cluster
- Clock
- AM radio
YG7 - All items in YG6 plus:
- Automatic transmission
- Power Steering
- Comfortilt Steering wheel
- Inside hood release
YG8 - All items in YG7 plus:
- Soft-Ray tinted glass
- Air Conditioning
- Cargo lamp
YG9 - All items in YG8 plus:
- Operating convenience group
- Cruise control
All these packages offered a cost savings over ordering each of the item seperately. I have a 78 C10 with the YG9 Group. This is probably more info than you needed, but hopefully this helps

[HotRod73]

also can anyone tell me what bolt patterns fit my 5 lug truck

[72freak]

Originally Posted by HotRod73

also can anyone tell me what bolt patterns fit my 5 lug truck

should be 5 on 5

[HotRod73]

i have pretty much all of that except cruise

[RANDY COX]

HHM BANANZA--let's see there was Ben,Adam,Hoss,and of course Little Joe,and hop-sing,this was a popular western show back in the day,I still enjoy watching it today,I know,I know what your all thinking mr. smarty pants,well your right I just could not pass this up.Have a Merry Christmas

[7387chevys]

Avery good tv show.....I always get beat to the wisecracks...........just a trim package cheyenne bonanza cheyenne super silverado scottsdale etc....is this any relation to the GMC wrangler and the armarillo edition? may find some more info there\/
www.73-87.com


Shane

[Texasdeere]

I have a 78 Scottsdale with the Bonanza package and it has all the above mentioned options. Seems like the next best thing would have been a Silverado package.

[KIILew]

Originally Posted by RANDY COX

HHM BANANZA--let's see there was Ben,Adam,Hoss,and of course Little Joe,and hop-sing,this was a popular western show back in the day,I still enjoy watching it today,I know,I know what your all thinking mr. smarty pants,well your right I just could not pass this up.Have a Merry Christmas

Believe it or not...the relevance of the above answer to Chevy pickups may equal that of dswancutt's excellently detailed description of the trim package!

Long before the 1975 model year introduction of the Bonanza "special value" option packages for Chevy pickups, vans and El Caminos, Chevrolet actually implemented a seasonal sales program using radio and TV commercials, customer mailers, brochures and dealership decorations celebrating the then-contemporary TV program in an effort to drum up foot traffic to the dealerships. Visual materials included images of the above mentioned characters, and also were festooned with the legendary "Bonanza!" script stylized to mimic the "title page" of the TV program. Of course the idea was to capture the excitement of the TV show and channel it into public recognition of the "bonanza" available and embodied in all of the new Chevy’s in dealers' inventories.

At the time, specific "Bonanza" - trimmed vehicles did not exist (the program was instead meant to increase visibility of all of Chevy dealers' wares). However, concurrently - and independently - Chevy introduced the limited production "Highlander" option/trim packages for it's light truck line which bundled popular options together at a discounted price for buyers. These WERE specific vehicles that, today, are highly sought after by '67-'72 Chevy truck fans, and they can be identified by the YG-prefixed option codes found on their build sheets and option listings. The Highlander packages carried over into the redesigned '73 and '74 Chevy truck offerings, and were redesignated as "Bonanza" packages for the 1975 and subsequent model years. By that time, it now seems, the association of Chevy's use of the name with the famous TV western was unspoken -- or perhaps completely ignored by Chevrolet.

Incidentally, I have one of the original promotional media packages that Chevrolet distributed to its dealers to announce the Bonanza TV western marketing program.

Hope some of this seems interesting to someone!

Ken Lewis

[boatpuller]

i used to like it when hoss used to kick as$.some stranger would try to pick a fight with the big guy from nevada,wrong thing to do.heck i still stop and watch it when i'm running thru the channels. oh yeah,bonaza trucks.there nice too.

[72armyswbtruck]

Kinda like the BIG JIM branded trucks?

[HotRod73]

Thanks for the info, i just sold it... needed little too much work started disassembling the motor to fix the what might have been bad head gasket and was offered the 87 swb with the 305 tbi in it so i quickly let the 78' bonanza go to my neighbor for the HUGE sum of $160 bucks.... yeah i know, dumb to sell it that cheap it even had title and all, ran and drove but not well at all .... im pleased with getting the 87' i had to get rid of one to get it was either the bonanza or my 73 which was my grandpa's and only has 90k original miles so you guessed it, bonanza was outta here!

[7387chevys]

Originally Posted by 72armyswbtruck

Kinda like the BIG JIM branded trucks?

You mean Gentleman Jim ? right???? They also had the Beau James edition
Shane

[swissarmychainsaw]

Big Jim was the toy you played with as a kid. Gentleman Jim was the toy you played with when you grew up:

Here's the Big Jim Camper


More on Big Jim. LOL took me back!
http://www.toysyouhad.com/Bigjim.htm

[tucsonjwt]

GM promoted Bonanza the TV series in ads, but I never saw the Bonanza option pickup in ads. I do like the one with Adam rolling into town in a 65 Vette.

Bonanza Chevy Commercial 2 - Pernell Roberts -...

A 1965 Corvette TV Commercial from...

[truckfan]

Originally Posted by Texasdeere

I have a 78 Scottsdale with the Bonanza package and it has all the above mentioned options. Seems like the next best thing would have been a Silverado package.

my 1977 is a Bonanza. its between a Scottsdale and a Cheyenne.

Love the old Bonanza commercials.

[truckfan]

Buildsheet

[Tx79chevy]

Mine is a Scottsdale with the Bonanza package. I guess before they actually put the BONANZA badges on the trucks.

[suxtobu65]

Holy crap... This is a really old thread..
Posted via Mobile Device

[BigBlocksRule]

Holy back-from-the-dead-thread, Batman!!!
Saw the thread title, first time I've been treed by almost 7 years, Randy Cox!
I watched every episode as a kid, but Bonanza always played second fiddle to Gunsmoke in my younger days.

[Cowboyup]

Originally Posted by KIILew

Believe it or not...the relevance of the above answer to Chevy pickups may equal that of dswancutt's excellently detailed description of the trim package!

Long before the 1975 model year introduction of the Bonanza "special value" option packages for Chevy pickups, vans and El Caminos, Chevrolet actually implemented a seasonal sales program using radio and TV commercials, customer mailers, brochures and dealership decorations celebrating the then-contemporary TV program in an effort to drum up foot traffic to the dealerships. Visual materials included images of the above mentioned characters, and also were festooned with the legendary "Bonanza!" script stylized to mimic the "title page" of the TV program. Of course the idea was to capture the excitement of the TV show and channel it into public recognition of the "bonanza" available and embodied in all of the new Chevy’s in dealers' inventories.

At the time, specific "Bonanza" - trimmed vehicles did not exist (the program was instead meant to increase visibility of all of Chevy dealers' wares). However, concurrently - and independently - Chevy introduced the limited production "Highlander" option/trim packages for it's light truck line which bundled popular options together at a discounted price for buyers. These WERE specific vehicles that, today, are highly sought after by '67-'72 Chevy truck fans, and they can be identified by the YG-prefixed option codes found on their build sheets and option listings. The Highlander packages carried over into the redesigned '73 and '74 Chevy truck offerings, and were redesignated as "Bonanza" packages for the 1975 and subsequent model years. By that time, it now seems, the association of Chevy's use of the name with the famous TV western was unspoken -- or perhaps completely ignored by Chevrolet.

Incidentally, I have one of the original promotional media packages that Chevrolet distributed to its dealers to announce the Bonanza TV western marketing program.

Hope some of this seems interesting to someone!

Ken Lewis

Ken, I'm very interested in the bonanza media package are there any way I can purchase just a copy?
Thank you sir

[Cowboyup]

Johnny Kaylor
johnnykaylor@yahoo.com
980 429 0335
Interested in the bonanza information

[KIILew]

Johnny, you have resurrected me from the dead! Let me find that Bonanza stuff (I have it in storage along with data books, etc).

Ken Lewis