Chevrolet C60 Specs: Before the Silverado

Feb 23, 2021

1959 Chevrolet C60 pickup

A great classic truck is something that truck collectors and car enthusiasts alike strive to possess. The Chevy C60 is one such truck that has captivated a nation for decades. This truck is one that will forever be considered a classic and that will go down in history as one of the best trucks that Chevy ever made.

Notable specs about the Chevy C60:

Amazing power and tow capacity to handle tough jobs like towing, hauling, and more
Huge engine that allows for easy mobility and the power you need to complete even the most strenuous tasks
Superior handling for such a large vehicle with suspension that helps to eliminate road bumps

Though the Chevy C60 is no longer in production, it does not mean that this truck is not still out there waiting for you to scoop it up. We have compiled some statistics and specs for this vehicle so that you can decide what you feel made the Chevy C60 so special.

What is the Chevy C60?

The C60 was part of the C/K line of work trucks released by Chevrolet in the year 1959. This was a work truck that was released to have more power, more pull, and to be more useful for those that were completing a large amount of work every day.

The C60 remained largely unchanged in style and engine for the first few years of production. In 1968, however, the C60 got a total overhaul with a new engine that was more powerful, as well as more rear axle options, to help increase and improve overall tow ratings.

The C60 was in production until the 1980s when it was phased out, as were the rest of the C/K trucks. New models and body styles took over, giving way to the trucks that we all know Chevy to be popular for today.

Engine and Towing Capacity

The C60 was a work truck. This means that is was designed to do a hard day’s work without buckling and without balking. The C60 originally had a 366 V8 gasoline engine or a DH-478 diesel engine depending on which option you chose.

The tandem rear axle construction made it possible to haul anywhere from 30,000 to 34,000 pounds and the brakes were vacuum hydraulic.

In 1968, the engine was upgraded to a 427 cubic inch V8 engine and the 23,000 rear axle options were updated to ratings of 60,000 pounds. The engine offered 300 horse power and this truck was used for heavy-duty work like construction work and road work.

Body Style

The body style for the Chevy C60 was boxy and square, much like the older Chevy pickup trucks that we still see today. These trucks were meant for a work day and were meant to be easy to use, easy to drive, and useful for those that were working every day.

Since these trucks were meant for work, they were not all that comfortable. This means they did not have premium interior options, they did not have a ton of extras, and they did not have a ton of entertainment options either. They did have radios but that was pretty much it.

These trucks were designed to be able to go over the road, to go over nearly any terrain, and to be a truly useful truck for those that needed a work vehicle that was going to be able to handle anything that was thrown at them.

This is also a vehicle that was not super big on safety. It does have basic safety features like seat belts, but things like active braking and any sort of technological safety systems are not going to be present.

Is the C60 Right for You?

C60s are not a truck that is still in production so if you are looking for a new C60 you are out of luck. With the C60 you are going to be looking for trucks that are used, trucks that are on auction sites, or that are being sold by private sellers.

The C60 is a great classic truck. This is a fantastic truck if you are looking for something that is going to get you some attention, that is going to get you some real looks, but that is not going to get great gas mileage. This is certainly not a daily driver and is not something that you would get if you wanted to drive this truck to and from work.

Pros:

Very powerful, designed to handle even the toughest work load
Very big engine and tow capacity, 427 cubic inch V8 engine
Super cool to look at

Cons:

Hard to find, they are no longer in production
Expensive, they cost around $40,000 for this rare truck
Not good on efficiency or on gas, get less than 12 miles per gallon

If you are looking for a C60 as a collector piece it is certainly a great truck to purchase. When it comes to finding a vehicle, it is always best to take the time to look up the specs.

Vehicle History is a great resource that can help you find out more about your potential vehicle so that you can really get the right information to make the right choice.

Owner Reviews

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lance on February 23, 2022

Not an accurate article

Lot of 'hit-and-miss' information in this article. Yes, the C60/65 was a 'medium duty' Chevrolet truck meant to span the gap between 1-ton (C30) Class 3 trucks and the 'heavy duty' Class 8 trucks (aka '80 Series' or known by GMC affectionados as 'The General'), it most-often came with six cylinder 292-cubic inch 6-cylinder engines...or the 366 'Big Block'. It is rare to find a 4V53 Detroit Diesel or 427 cubic inch 'Big Block' in them, and even if you do find one, the 427 placed in the trucks greatly differed from the 427 placed in cars. It was known as 427 'Tall Block', as the piston did not rise flush with the block deck at TDC, thus reducing compression from 10.0:1 to a more-manageable 8.5:1 ratio. In fact, this block with mild prepatory work, can be turned into a 454 engine, quite easily. Also, while still 20-years now out-of-production (on the original C60-design), it is quite-easy to find trucks with less than 100k miles, especially in agricultural areas, as they were used as 'grain' or 'farm trucks', and many are only now being retired as family farms go the way of the 'family milk cow'. You can find a single-rear-axle C60 with less than 100k miles, often, for less than $5,000 during 'spring farm sales'.

JL Mitchell on March 12, 2022

Article Not Quite Hitting Any Mark of Excellence

I've an '87 C60 I use as a daily driver, purchased for $3k from a local farmer. Personally, I don't know anyone who'd want this truck in a "collection" as it's pretty much just a basic truck, albeit large and in charge for what it is. Aside from that laughable notion, the engine specs implied are not the norm. The standard 5.7L 350 can be found more often than not today due to its decades-long support, an engine found in most GM cars / trucks of that era due to its reliability, dependability and myriad of high performance upgrades. Is the C60 right for you? Do you work for a living or do you want a trail boss? Outside these options, no. You don't want a C60 because you're either going to park it most of the time for lack of purpose or sink $ tens of thousands into it to convert it to a far more useful, less fuel-efficient EFI with chopped frame to accommodate an era-specific truck bed for everyday use. The ambiguity of this article demonstrates that author probably has never even seen a C60 up close and personal. It's not, by any means, a collector's prize beyond a very niche market of enthusiasts who appreciate medium duty durability over light duty aesthetics.

Willy McLisham on September 2, 2021

Grizzly708@gmail.com

The author of this article I'm guessing has never seen a c60 in person and has combined stats from c50 to c70 trucks. The original c60 had a six cylinder engine NOT the big block 366.or the 4~53 Detroit diesel which was the original diesel option for these trucks. A tandem axle capable of the weights in the article was never made in in form.

Kalec, Dave on October 20, 2021

An Oserver

What other Truck covered the spectrum of personal to 60K ??? The 427 was thirsty but a Monster. They were there, and many.

Lauren K