This clean 1978 Chevy G20 van with the “Bonanza” package is the desirable shorty body style, complete with porthole windows, swivel seats and a rear cabin area ready for your personal camper conversion. Shod with a set of Cragars and said to be running well, this G20 bucks the trend of the typical utility van look and is downright stylish, especially with that porthole window. Find it here on eBay with bidding over $6K and no reserve.
The body appears excellent, with no rot noted at the door edges or common trouble spots like the rear quarters. The seller notes this G20 has resided in pleasant climates since new, likely contributing to its preserved state. The chrome bumpers still show well and are a nice look for a van with the shorter proportions. The single porthole is a matter of personal taste but I prefer it over the acres of glass on other passenger vans, especially on one that’s ripe for a camper conversion.
The front cabin area features the awesome swivel seats, giving you a little bit of that Chevy Laguna feeling in your G20 cargo van. The interior looks quite nice and the door panel pattern is straight out of the 70s – not a bad thing in this instance. The Chevy 350 paired to an automatic transmission should be a reliable combination for the next owner, and while the odometer is below 100K, the seller doesn’t believe that to be accurate. The excellent cosmetics, however, would suggest it can’t be too far off the mark.
The cargo area is a clean slate for the next owner, but the carpeting may indicate a previous installation that’s been removed. A fold-out couch, hot plate and a few storage areas with a hammock strung up somewhere seems like a good recipe to me; given this is 2018, no need for shag carpeting, but if you’re a member of the vanning illuminati, you may wish to keep it as authentic as possible. How would you convert this van to camper or show use?
Love it, I ordered a new one in1978. I spent many a night in the Hotel Chevrolet :) This one should provide it new owner with many more years of service. One gripe was the overall lousy paint job plus the rubber grommets on the rear doors were put over bare metal and painted over. Needless to say rust formed shortly around them. Paint was so bad back then that friend who was a body man immediately re-sprayed his new ’78 Chevy van. Running gear was bullet proof though.
If the van is rocking don’t come knocking
“Chevy Van
Sammy Johns
I gave a girl a ride in my wagon
She crawled in and took control
She was tired as her mind was a-draggin’
I said get some sleep and dream of rock’n’roll
‘Cause like a princess she was laying there
Moonlight dancing off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
She’s gonna love me in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me
Her young face was like that of an angel
Her long legs were tanned and brown
Better keep your eyes on the road, son
Better slow this vehicle down
‘Cause like a princess she was laying there
Moonlight dancing off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
She’s gonna love me in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me
I put her out in a town that was so small
You could throw a rock from end to end
A dirt road main street, she walked off in bare feet
It’s a shame I won’t be passin’ through again
‘Cause like a princess she was laying there
Moonlight dancing off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
We made love in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me
‘Cause like a princess she was laying there
Moonlight dancing off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
We made love my in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me
‘Cause like a princess she was laying there
Moonlight dancing off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
Songwriters: Sammy Johns”
I HATE that song! Reminds me of a girl. Doesn’t it always? Thanks (not) for the reminder. :)
I used to built plastic models of Chevy vans like this one back in my earlier days and to me, the custom touches on this van have been tastefully executed. I like it.
I have such a bad taste in my mouth for these. The farm I used to live on, the guy had a van like this, but equipped the exact opposite, just a plain cargo van, and I can say, without reservation, it was the worst vehicle I had driven in years. Miserable, in fact. After driving it any distance, you feel like punching something. On the other hand, I dated( yeah, you know what that means) a gal once that had a custom van like this, and it was a nice cruiser, so it can be done. Awful to work on ( I never did get that stupid engine cover to sit right on the farm van) and heaven help you in the winter, but for a “shaggin’ wagon”, can’t be beat,, :)
if this van is rockin, don’t come knockin
Those plain sides seem to need a picture in a misty oval. Either a medieval castle or a armored rider and horse holding a huge battle ax.
A friend, back in the day, had a black one with a smoking steam engine and tender rolling toward you at an angle. It was cool looking back then.
If you’re going to buy a van this is the body style to have. GM made them for what, 75 years? The latest ones are so aggressively ugly it’s no wonder the van craze died out.
They may not handle like a Corvette or look as good but I’d take a van over a pickup truck any day. Too many images of trucks hauling sofas down the interstate in the pouring rain, looking like the Beverly Hillbillies.
This is a nice find. It would be a good idea to make whatever furnishings you put in easily removable so you’ll always have room for the dirt bikes.
Nice Van but I never saw the “Bonanza” moniker on a van, only the pick-up…
I wonder if the owner added it or?
No concrete info that I can find quickly, but it looks like it was real based on an image search.
niize shorty
“The Sin Bin”
Be aware of the “lifters that stick”. These were known to have soft cam shafts. I bought a G20 that was featured here with an “exhaust leak”. It was actually a bad cam shaft. I still have and absolutely love my shorty van!
JLBucky, so did you just change out the bad cam shaft on your van? I just bought this van and wondering what to do regarding the lifters that stick…. this is also my first Chevy
mine (short wb) had the engine inside (6 cyl) as it wuz an earlier yr. (Advantages/disadvantages to this. Just a lill different)
In the pic of the brn 1 it shows the upper door hinge outside the door skin, interesting…
and as a Bonanza it;s a long wb…
2 answ the Q you’ve posed – (no ‘show van’) I’d make sure to remove that ‘hump’ or box/step-up in the rear as it’s not easy 2 get stuff in & out the back. I had a bed (dwn the side but @ back) I could pull out easily to convert to haul 4 hire (a home’n business both at once – not bad 4 a 17 y/o – got to see a good bit of country).
I just bought this van off Ebay! I haven’t seen it in person yet. I am located in Phoenix. I hope its as good as it looks
Kinda late to the game but CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Maybe these guys can figure out a way to “do a story” on your purchase, pick up, and future plans with this awesome looking shorty!?
That would be awesome! Are you a member of Vanner Inc on FB?
Dumb question. Are these hard to find??