Stumbled across a new "special edition"?

[bigblock73]

I found information on what is called the California Sundancer in an old 1987 Truckin magazine. Anyone heard of it before or have any information on it? This is all it had for info...kind of neat, in a 1987 kind of way.

Kiilew, Joe, Chris...?

[87 STEPPER]

Iv'e never heard of one before look's like they produced a but load of 'em if all the truck's in that pic are a Cali sundancer.

Call me cRazY but iv'e never heard of anyone installing a roll bar on a "Sport truck" and calling it a Sport truck

Roll bars are for 4x4's!

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by 87 STEPPER

Iv'e never heard of one before look's like they produced a but load of 'em if all the truck's in that pic are a Cali sundancer.

Call me cRazY but iv'e never heard of anyone installing a roll bar on a "Sport truck" and calling it a Sport truck

Roll bars are for 4x4's!

Couldn't agree more.

[Stingray42]

Originally Posted by 87 STEPPER

Iv'e never heard of one before look's like they produced a but load of 'em if all the truck's in that pic are a Cali sundancer.

Call me cRazY but iv'e never heard of anyone installing a roll bar on a "Sport truck" and calling it a Sport truck

Roll bars are for 4x4's!

This waaaas 1987....

[ElGracho]

Nope, never heard of that one. I know there are several regional special edition trucks. There was one for texas for sure and I think there was some sort of midwest one too. It's pretty hard to nail down who did the conversions, where exactly they were sold and how many for each of them.

Cool new info though!

[1985K10]

It had an optional sunroof!!! I thought my GMC Royal Sierra was special!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 87 STEPPER

....Call me cRazY but iv'e never heard of anyone installing a roll bar on a "Sport truck" and calling it a Sport truck.....

Like Stingray42 said it was the 80's. Single and double tube roll bars were popular in 2wd's as well as 4wd's. They looked "totally radical" with A/T tires and white spoke wheels....

[79BIG10]

Wonder if it was like the Bonanza? Too many of the trucks and came out with something "new" to bring in the buyers.

[KIILew]

Jeff,

That is a very interesting article to me, and the first actual written commentary I think I have seen on these "California Sundancers"...

Sometime in 1987, I was visiting relatives in Pasadena, California. I remember driving by Thorson Buick Pontiac GMC on Colorado Boulevard when I spotted a number of these "Sundancers" all proudly placed in the front row of their GMC new-truck lineup. My interest piqued, I pulled into the dealership for a closer look. There, I visited with a salesman who didn't know much about the trucks, and later I regretted that I had walked away without requesting any pertinent factory literature he might have had available on this special edition.

The truth is, the "Sundancer" moniker escaped my memory sometime during the next 17 years, but I remember the wheels, roll bar and tubular bumpers as mentioned in your Truckin’ article. I also recall the bright yellow primary color and blue pin striping, and gunmetal gray lower treatment. Although I had forgotten the "Sundancer" body side scripting that seems evident in your article's picture, I seem to remember a reference to "California Special Edition" on the window sticker, and possibly on the tailgate or rear bedsides (in hindsight, my mind probably transposed “Sundancer” into “Special Edition” over time, thus the discrepency). Actually, my memory suggests that there were several of these special trucks in Thorson's inventory, and they were all based on C1500 Sierra Classic Widesides. Interestingly, the presumed-Sundancers I saw that day on Thorson's lot were long wheel-base models, which contrast with the short beds pictured in your Truckin’ piece. Perhaps GMC allowed some variability in the package application. Then again, I may be wrong; my memory, here, is very sketchy.

Frustrated with my own failure to score a brochure or a picture of those "California special edition/Sundancer GMC's" that day in '87, I never thought I would see evidence of them again. Thanks for alleviating some of my pain!

Ken Lewis

[Captkaos]

Originally Posted by bigblock73

I found information on what is called the California Sundancer in an old 1987 Truckin magazine. Anyone heard of it before or have any information on it? This is all it had for info...kind of neat, in a 1987 kind of way.

Kiilew, Joe, Chris...?

Yes, I have heard of it, but have no written documentation of it. From what I know, they were only availible in California area. They are kinda like the SnoChaser ones, which I think were only offered in the Northern states.

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by Captkaos

They are kinda like the SnoChaser ones, which I think were only offered in the Northern states.

Keep goin...tell me more...

[Captkaos]

They were build only in the Twin Cities and all of them have JEFF RULES down the side...

Seriously the ones I have seen have a cab spoiler (think Lund) mounted on the bed behind the cab, and decals on the rear bedsides saying "Sno Chaser". I thought I had a picture of one, but can't find it here, nor on the Net.

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by Captkaos

They were build only in the Twin Cities and all of them have JEFF RULES down the side...

Oh, so it must be like the special edition I heard about called the "hillbilly hauler". These were produced by GM and distributed to Alabama and the surrounding southern states. They came factory equipped with a gun rack in the rear window, a built in "spitoon" for the tobacco users, a confederate flag front plate, and a roll of duct tape in the glovebox in case something breaks.

Seriously, if you find anything Chris, let me know.

[Captkaos]

Originally Posted by bigblock73

......a confederate flag front plate, and a roll of duct tape in the glovebox in case something breaks.

Seriously, if you find anything Chris, let me know.

Actually the flag was painted on the hood, and you forgot about the bailing wire.

If I can find it, I will send it to you. Wonder if KIILew has anything?

[87 STEPPER]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Like Stingray42 said it was the 80's. Single and double tube roll bars were popular in 2wd's as well as 4wd's. They looked "totally radical" with A/T tires and white spoke wheels....

Sorry Stingray42 & Ken,
Im not buying that i owned an '85 new in '85 and my '87 new in '87 and i never had the urge to install a roll bar on either one.

But your right about there popularity back then and the guy's that did install them on a 2wd truck also had them lifted like a 4wd so i don't consider them a sport truck.

[73Super8]

Sorry to revive an old thread but the Sno Chaser has been found.

[special-K]

I bet that cab extender really helps it chase snow better

Pretty cool to see an all intact photo

[J Knight]

Originally Posted by special-K

I bet that cab extender really helps it chase snow better

Pretty cool to see an all intact photo

So, is sno the same as snow? inquiring minds want to kno....w

[KIILew]

Very interesting follow-ups in this thread...just checking out the pictures of the sno-chaser for the first time! Great!
Ken Lewis

[Keith Seymore]

Also interesting in that a California Sundancer turned up yesterday, too.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=659655

Squarebody special edition trifecta in play....

K

[ElGracho]

Here's who did the conversions...

http://www.hedgetm.com/sno-chaser/73499231

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ElGracho

Here's who did the conversions...

http://www.hedgetm.com/sno-chaser/73499231

Thanks for the post; Cars & Concepts was a pretty famous design house here in southeast Michigan and did some of the first sunroof installations for the OE manufacturers (among other things).

K

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by KIILew

Very interesting follow-ups in this thread...just checking out the pictures of the sno-chaser for the first time! Great!
Ken Lewis

Long time no see, glad to see you are still around!

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Also interesting in that a California Sundancer turned up yesterday, too.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=659655

Squarebody special edition trifecta in play....

K

What was the third one?

BTW, while I like the concept of the overhead lights integrated into the cab fairing/wing thingy, that thing looks hideous!

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by 73Super8

Sorry to revive an old thread but the Sno Chaser has been found.

This is exactly the reason to bring a thread back from the dead.

Is this for sale someplace?

[acesound]

Mind if I suggest another special edition, although Mexican edition only, here it is:







1989 Chevrolet Cheyenne Hunter