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Bonanza/Royal Sierra


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I have a buddy who has a 78, I think, Chevrolet "Bonanza". It's loaded, but at the same time not. Make sense. Auto, Cruise, Tilt, PW, PD, A/C, Cloth. No fancy trim though. No woodgrain accents, Chrome dash accents on the interior. Did a little research and I think I found the GMC equivelent, "Royal Sierra". It seems that they only appeared one model year and were gone. Were they for collectors? Anniversary? Can a guru give me some insight on these trim levels? His is one of the only two Bonanzas I have ever seen and I have only seen one Royal Sierra and my neighbor bought it new (have not lived next to him for 15 years).

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I found this online - Looks like a special sales package started in 1976

 

Year: 1976 (Item #H2930) - Click for photo! View 1

CHEVROLET, "Special Available Options for Fleetside Pickups, Chevy Vans, Sportvans: Bonanza": 4 page color folder, 11x9. Brown and white cover, with black and white lettering and blue and white Chevrolet emblem, frames photograph showing three-quarter frontal view of red and white Chevrolet Bonanza Fleetside Pickup Truck, with discussion for dealer on how "A successful Bonanza program is a customer-pleasing, traffic-building, dealer-profiting sales event". Folder opens to 11x17 layout with three photographs showing side view of Chevy Bonanza Pickup Truck and three-quarter frontal views of Chevy Van and Sportvan packages, with discussion and prices for packages. Back cover has two photographs showing interior of pickup and bucket seat for vans, with seven photographs showing upholstery selections available. Dated 1175.

 

H2930.jpg

 

Found here http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/sales-l...t/index-2.shtml

 

Hope it sheds some light!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I used to have a 1979 K-20 4x4 with the Bonanza package. It has the chrome goodies on the outside, short of the dual trim peices that go down the side that seperate the two tone paint and the inside is pretty plain. Mine had tilt, intermitant wipers and A/C. that was it. The dash trim was black.

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  • 3 years later...

Royal Sierras are very rare, only 500 were made, one of which my grandfather bought from a small shopping mall and passed along to my father and I. It was not in great condition-as being submersed in water and hit with a small front-end loader is not good for a truck. It is surprising for a 1979, it has power window's and the works. Most of these trucks were painted two-tone with chrome trim around the sides of the truck, if you have any questions just ask and I will do my best to answer them.

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  • 2 months later...

I just got a 79' Bonanza which isn't in bad shape. It is loaded with all power options and chrome trim. I am curious, what makes it a bonanza? Kinda like there are differences between a Silverado and a WT model, or how my gmc with a f44 package has a heavier chassis.... Also, it has a 400ci in it, not sure if it is the original motor the last owner didn't know much of the trucks history.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I have a 1977 Royal Sierra. I know that they are rare, I'm not sure of how many were made, but I do know they were made for several years, not just 1979. Mine is a 3/4 ton 454 with a more hefty transmission than standard Sierra tranny. It's like a luxury version of a "camper special", if you will. It has nice looking carpet on the floor, "chrome" details on the inside, power windows & locks, A/C, cruise control (which no longer works), power steering (which leaks, and is a pain in the butt sometimes), no intermittent wiper setting, though, (which is also a pain in the butt). I have no idea what the original seat looked like, because the bozo I bought it from put in a stupid aftermarket seat that belonged in a much newer truck and blocked half the back window cuz it stuck up so high. The guy I bought the truck from only owned it for a year, and he bought it from the original owner. So, it was in really nice condition, but like I said, the bozo I bought it from made some stupid changes to it which were aggrivating to restore. I found a decent seat in a wrecking yard from a slightly newer chevy truck and replaced the dumb high back seat. The truck was originally two tone painted gun-metal gray and dark red, and the bozo painted it all one color, like a metallic version of primer gray :eek: (stupid!) get this - so it would match his boat. I had it it re-painted a rootbeer brown and sandy tan color similar to many GM trucks of that era. It has chrome trim along the sides with "Royal Sierra 25" logos on the front fenders, and a similar logo inside on the dash, dual gas tanks, dual exhaust. The bozo also put on an aftermarket rear bumper which doesn't match and a tow hitch that's the wrong size, so now the spare tire doesn't fit underneath. I still have yet to fix that because I'm broke... He also put in a sliding back window, which wasn't sealed correctly and allowed water to leak in and get the inside moldy :lol: I sealed the window edges with some rubber caulking for weatherproofing, but it still took several years to get rid of the mold problem.

 

Despite all these stupid issues the prior owner caused, it's still a great truck, I love it. It LOVES to go fast. I put flowmasters on it and it sounds real sweet and noisy!! :rollin: I swear, sitting at a traffic light it sounds like a muscle car, really rumbly as if it's annoying the truck to have to idle and not drive, ha ha. I drove that truck from California to Texas and back, and the only issue it had along the way was a clogged fuel filter. EXCELLENT vehicle, well made. I'd get rid of any of my other vehicles before I got rid of my truck!

 

post-62494-1240535881_thumb.jpg

post-62494-1240535881_thumb.jpg

post-62494-1240535881_thumb.jpg

post-62494-1240535881_thumb.jpg

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I have a 1977 Royal Sierra. I know that they are rare, I'm not sure of how many were made, but I do know they were made for several years, not just 1979. Mine is a 3/4 ton 454 with a more hefty transmission than standard Sierra tranny. It's like a luxury version of a "camper special", if you will. It has nice looking carpet on the floor, "chrome" details on the inside, power windows & locks, A/C, cruise control (which no longer works), power steering (which leaks, and is a pain in the butt sometimes), no intermittent wiper setting, though, (which is also a pain in the butt). I have no idea what the original seat looked like, because the bozo I bought it from put in a stupid aftermarket seat that belonged in a much newer truck and blocked half the back window cuz it stuck up so high. The guy I bought the truck from only owned it for a year, and he bought it from the original owner. So, it was in really nice condition, but like I said, the bozo I bought it from made some stupid changes to it which were aggrivating to restore. I found a decent seat in a wrecking yard from a slightly newer chevy truck and replaced the dumb high back seat. The truck was originally two tone painted gun-metal gray and dark red, and the bozo painted it all one color, like a metallic version of primer gray :D (stupid!) get this - so it would match his boat. I had it it re-painted a rootbeer brown and sandy tan color similar to many GM trucks of that era. It has chrome trim along the sides with "Royal Sierra 25" logos on the front fenders, and a similar logo inside on the dash, dual gas tanks, dual exhaust. The bozo also put on an aftermarket rear bumper which doesn't match and a tow hitch that's the wrong size, so now the spare tire doesn't fit underneath. I still have yet to fix that because I'm broke... He also put in a sliding back window, which wasn't sealed correctly and allowed water to leak in and get the inside moldy :D I sealed the window edges with some rubber caulking for weatherproofing, but it still took several years to get rid of the mold problem.

 

Despite all these stupid issues the prior owner caused, it's still a great truck, I love it. It LOVES to go fast. I put flowmasters on it and it sounds real sweet and noisy!! :lol: I swear, sitting at a traffic light it sounds like a muscle car, really rumbly as if it's annoying the truck to have to idle and not drive, ha ha. I drove that truck from California to Texas and back, and the only issue it had along the way was a clogged fuel filter. EXCELLENT vehicle, well made. I'd get rid of any of my other vehicles before I got rid of my truck!

 

post-62494-1240535881_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Very nice truck.

Glad to see that you are putting it back together RIGHT.

Good luck and many happy miles to you. :D

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  • 8 months later...
Royal Sierras are very rare, only 500 were made, one of which my grandfather bought from a small shopping mall and passed along to my father and I. It was not in great condition-as being submersed in water and hit with a small front-end loader is not good for a truck. It is surprising for a 1979, it has power window's and the works. Most of these trucks were painted two-tone with chrome trim around the sides of the truck, if you have any questions just ask and I will do my best to answer them.

 

 

I have a 78 Bonanza. Does anyone know how many were made or how rare they were?

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  • 4 years later...

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