The Defiant One | A Long Haul C60 Built For the Highway

Defiance is often looked upon with disdain from those who don’t quite fully understand that it’s just how some people work—no offense intended. Rules are merely suggestions for those who just can’t fall in line, and the conventions of the mainstream are to be avoided at all costs. We think the social media crowd calls this “disrupting,” depending on the context, of course.

When it comes to building trucks that are out of the norm, Defiant Motorsports seems to fit every variation of this description. Shop owner Graham Adams and his mighty crew can build anything under the sun from mild to wild, but it’s the latter that really gets their excitement going, almost as much as the weekly paycheck! You have to have the thirst, the drive, and the attitude that nothing can stop you—as long as you put in the work—to be able to churn out a Defiant ride.

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BORN TO BE BAD

The latest to roll out of the shop is this amazing ’64 C60. Built as a shop hauler, it’s already attracting more attention than many of the rides it’s meant to carry! When aired up, the rig almost looks like it could have always looked this way, but once you get to staring (which can’t be helped), the differences between this and any other C60 before it become more obvious. Getting the truck to this stage has taken 1.5 years to date, with the majority of the work going into the chassis and drivetrain.

The foundation of the truck is the fully reinforced and modified custom frame, which was upgraded with an independent front suspension and air
ride all around.

The foundation of the truck is the fully reinforced and modified custom frame, which was upgraded with an independent front suspension and air ride all around. And as tempting as it would have been to bolt on some shiny aluminum wheels, you just can’t beat the look of the original 22.5-inch wheels. Well, almost, because the custom-adapted 10-lug center caps sure do add the perfect finishing touch to the rolling stock, which also include Toyo M122 commercial duty tires.

NONCOMPLIANT CUMMINS

Power-wise, it just made sense to go with a torque-heavy diesel, so a heavily upgraded 5.9L Cummins was mated to an Allison 6-speed by using a Destroked adapter kit and standalone harness for an easy, plug-n-play solution. And since the C60 was meant to hit some long-distance shows (such as Lone Star Throwdown), it was equipped with a 45-gallon aluminum fuel cell to cut down on extra stops along the way.

And, of course, the most important part of any long-distance hauler—the interior—had to be up to snuff in order to stay safe and comfortable at all times. To that end, a custom leather-wrapped bench seat from Snowden was a logical choice, with a Billet Specialties steering wheel sitting just before the Intellitronix instrumentation and providing full control of the truck. Finally, a custom center console was fabricated to house the A/C controls, shift lever, and air-ride switches.

“…the custom-adapted 10-lug center caps sure do add the perfect finishing touch to the rolling stock, which also include Toyo M122 commercial duty tires.”

With the guys just finishing the truck, it has already seen plenty of duty, both near and far from the shop’s Monroe, Georgia, home base. Whether it’s rolling solo or with the loaded ex-NASCAR sleeper trailer in tow, this thing is bad in all the best ways. So what’s the lesson here? It’s good to be Defiant!

Build Specs

OWNER

Graham Adams/Defiant Motorsports
Monroe, GA
1964 Chevy C60

Chassis & Suspension

Front and rear air ride
IFS conversion
Carbon front and rear shocks
Rear frame section plated with 1/2-inch steel
Custom-built T-bar for taillights
45-gallon aluminum fuel tank

Wheels & Tires

22.5-inch Accuride steel wheels
Custom-built 10-lug center caps
255/70R22.5 Toyo M122 tires

Engine & Drivetrain

1996 5.9L Cummins inline-6 diesel engine
Compound turbos
ARP head studs
4k governor springs
150hp injectors
HC heavy duty pushrods
Marine style bowl pistons
151-pound valve springs
HC large valves
Billet retainers
Hardened valve spring keepers
2007 Allison 6-speed automatic transmission
Destroked Allison adapter kit w/ standalone harness
Randy’s triple disk torque converter
Derale transmission cooler
Lokar shifter