1978 Chevrolet C10 Scottsdale Bonanza Edition
One-Family California Survivor • 63K Original Miles • Ice Cold A/C
One-family-owned 1978 Chevrolet C10 Scottsdale Bonanza Edition for sale. This remarkably preserved survivor shows just 63,170 believed-original miles and has remained with the same Sonoma County, California family since new. Originally sold by Gault Chevrolet in Endicott, New York, it is finished in its original red & white two-tone paint over a completely original red interior & equipped with its original 350 V8, automatic transmission, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, Camper Loading package & Scottsdale Bonanza trim. Accompanied by an exceptional collection of original documentation, original California-issued blue & gold license plates & the benefit of a five-year mechanical recommissioning, this Chevrolet is ready to be driven & enjoyed.
My connection to this truck began several years ago when two close friends of Aileen Andresen contacted me about helping her sell the 1957 Ford Thunderbird she had owned since 1960. After carefully recommissioning the Thunderbird & finding it a wonderful new owner, they asked if I would be interested in purchasing her father's pickup, which had been sitting untouched inside the family's barn for many years.
When I first saw the truck in 2020, it was covered in dust, sitting on flat tires, still configured to run on propane & showing just 62,480 miles. My goal was to carefully return it to reliable roadworthy condition & eventually invite Aileen back for one final ride in her father's truck. Sadly, before the project was completed, I learned she had passed away in 2024.
Henry Andresen purchased the C10 new from Gault Chevrolet in Endicott, New York, where it still proudly wears its original dealer emblem on the tailgate. Why he traveled to New York to buy it remains one of its few unanswered questions. The truck's original GM certification label identifies it as being equipped with the Camper Loading package. In 1979 it was professionally converted to propane using an IMPCO system, with a permanently mounted propane tank installed beneath a camper shell. That conversion qualified it for California's House Car (HSCR) registration classification, allowing it to retain its original California-issued blue & gold passenger license plates rather than commercial registration.
Documentation includes a propane fill receipt dated July 11, 2001, showing 62,423 miles. When I pulled the truck out of the barn on August 18, 2020, the odometer read just 62,480 miles—an increase of only 57 miles in nearly nineteen years. The propane tank still contained fuel when it was removed during the recommissioning.
Accompanying the sale are the original California-issued blue & gold license plates, multiple California registrations spanning decades of family ownership, the California title issued to Aileen Andresen, original owner's manual, maintenance booklet, propane conversion documentation, propane fill receipts & records documenting the five-year recommissioning.
Rather than simply getting the truck running, I spent five years methodically recommissioning virtually every mechanical system while preserving its originality. Work includes returning the truck to its proper gasoline configuration with a USA-rebuilt Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, new fuel tank, sending unit, pump, lines & correct California emissions equipment. The cooling system received a brand-new aluminum radiator, water pump, thermostat & hoses. The transmission was professionally rebuilt. The brake system received a new master cylinder, front calipers, rear wheel cylinders, flexible hoses & complete service. A new alternator, battery, instrument bulbs & quartz clock were installed. The heating & air conditioning system received a new A/C compressor, evaporator & heater blower motor. The truck starts instantly, runs beautifully, passes California smog inspection & the air conditioning blows ice cold.
One of its greatest assets is the original 350 V8. Because it spent nearly its entire working life operating on propane, the engine remains exceptionally clean internally. A borescope inspection confirmed remarkably little carbon buildup. The original steel wheels were refreshed & repainted before being fitted with the correct Chevrolet trim rings, hubcaps & a matching set of Kumho radial tires. It also appears to retain its original factory exhaust system, including the distinctive factory tailpipe.
Perhaps most importantly, I intentionally drove the truck approximately 1,000 miles during the final stages of the recommissioning to identify & eliminate the small issues that naturally arise when returning a vehicle to service after decades of storage. Today it starts easily, runs cool, shifts beautifully, brakes confidently & is ready to be enjoyed immediately.
The completely original red interior has survived remarkably well. Aside from a couple of splits in the original bench seat & the typical dash cracks common to these trucks, it presents beautifully. The original carpeting & cardboard panel behind the seat remain intact, as does the original factory-painted roof. Everything works, including the gauges, lights, wipers, washers, heater controls, original radio & clock. The truck also retains its original windshield with the integrated radio antenna.
The exterior presents honestly. The front clip was repainted years ago after weather exposure while parked beneath a lean-to, & the passenger-side bedside has an older repair with body filler beneath an older repaint. Beyond those areas, the body, floors, cab, frame & undercarriage remain exceptionally solid with no structural rust or rot. Rather than cosmetically restore the truck, I chose to preserve its history while making it mechanically dependable.
This isn't simply a restored Squarebody—it's an honest, extensively documented survivor with one-family ownership, outstanding provenance & a story that cannot be recreated.
Be sure to check out all 330+ photos and the video at www.leftcoastclassics.com.
Call or text Donn with questions, shipping, and financing options or for a link to the hi-resolution photos at 707-332-8331.
