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| 1978 Chevrolet C10 |
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Price: $19,900 |
Last Updated 5 hours ago
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| Year: |
1978 |
| Make: |
Chevrolet |
| Model: |
C10 |
| Trim: |
N\A |
| Engine: |
V8
V8 5.7L |
| Fuel: |
Gasoline |
| Color: |
Red |
| Miles: |
63170 |
| Stock #: |
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| Body Style: |
Pickup Truck |
| Condition: |
Used |
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Vehicle Description
1978 Chevrolet C10 Scottsdale Bonanza Edition
One-Family California Survivor, 63K Miles, Ice Cold A/C
One-family-owned 1978 Chevrolet C10 Scottsdale Bonanza Edition for sale. This remarkably preserved survivor shows just 63,170 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 and white two-tone paint over a completely original red interior and equipped with its original 350 cubic-inch V8, automatic transmission, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, Camper Loading package, and Scottsdale Bonanza trim. Accompanied by an exceptional collection of original documentation, original California-issued blue-and-gold license plates, and the benefit of a five-year mechanical recommissioning, this Chevrolet is ready to be driven and enjoyed by its next caretaker.
Henry Andresen purchased this C10 new from Gault Chevrolet in Endicott, New York, where it still proudly wears its original dealer emblem on the tailgate. For reasons now lost to history, he appears to have driven the truck more than 3,000 miles back to the family's farm in Petaluma, California, where it remained registered and spent the rest of its life. Why Henry traveled to New York to purchase the truck remains one of its few unanswered questions. Perhaps he had a friend at the dealership, perhaps he was searching for a very specific truck, or perhaps there was another reason entirely. Whatever the answer, it adds another fascinating chapter to the story of this survivor.
The original GM certification label identifies the truck 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 then-new camper shell. The conversion ultimately qualified the truck for California's House Car (HSCR) registration classification rather than standard commercial pickup registration, allowing it to be assigned California-issued blue-and-gold passenger license plates instead of commercial plates.
Henry used the truck regularly around the family farm and for errands throughout Petaluma. Documentation includes a propane fill receipt dated July 11, 2001, showing 62,423 miles on the odometer. Based on the accompanying paperwork and the truck itself, it appears the truck was parked inside the family's barn shortly thereafter, where it remained for nearly two decades.
When I pulled it 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. Even more remarkable, the propane tank still contained fuel when it was removed during the recommissioning.
In many ways, this truck wasn't simply stored—it was preserved.
Documentation
Accompanying the truck is an outstanding collection of original documentation, including:
Original California-issued blue-and-gold license plates
Multiple California registrations spanning decades of family ownership
Clear, California title issued to owners daughter, Aileen Andresen
Original owner's manual
Original maintenance booklet
1979 propane conversion documentation
Propane fill receipts
Extensive documentation of the five-year mechanical recommissioning
Together, these documents paint an unusually complete picture of the truck's nearly five decades of ownership and preservation.
Mechanical Recommissioning
Rather than simply getting the truck running and offering it for sale, I chose to methodically recommission it over the course of five years, addressing virtually every mechanical system while preserving its originality. The majority of the work was completed during 2025 with one goal in mind—to create a truck that could be driven anywhere with confidence rather than one that merely looked good in photographs.
Fuel System
Returned to the correct gasoline configuration
New fuel tank
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