1960 Chevy Apache with 4BT Cummins Swap

A 1960 C10 with a bite under the hood!

Let’s get this straight: some builds get attention because they’re loud. Loud paint, loud stance, loud owners. But Francis Bolduc’s 1960 Chevy Apache is a different kind of loud. The kind that hums under the radar until it’s sitting next to you at a red light, and you realize you’ve been staring for way too long.

This thing isn’t a trailer queen. It’s not dipped in seven layers of ceramic and wheeled out on weekends to sparkle in parking lots. It’s orange. Old-school, Factory orange. And Francis didn’t repaint it because that’s not the point.

This Apache is about presence. It’s the culmination of hours in the garage, busted knuckles, and more than a few choice words yelled at stubborn bolts. It’s low, it’s rowdy, and it wears its diesel swap like a scar from a bar fight—earned and unbothered.

Under the hood is a 3.9L 4BT Cummins, crammed into the engine bay with a custom set of motor mounts and zero apology. This isn’t a powertrain you swap in for a flex. It’s for builders who want something a little ridiculous, a little industrial, and a whole lot reliable. The turbo four-cylinder shares blood with its bigger brother, the 6BT, but it’s been built to suit the Apache’s no-frills mission. It’s got a Fluidampr harmonic balancer, King Speed valve covers, an ICT Billet intake, and a custom-fabbed 4-inch side-exit exhaust that basically tells you to step back before you even hear it growl.

Behind the 4BT lives a Dodge NV4500 with a Wilwood hydraulic clutch and a custom trans mount—because if you’re gonna go through the trouble of swapping in a diesel, you might as well row your own gears while you’re at it.

Everything underneath the truck is built to support that same “drive it like you stole it” mentality. Francis cut the rear half of the frame and swapped the front clip with an S10, giving the truck a unique look that’s unmistakable. Four-corner air ride keeps it functional but mean—Fox shocks smooth out the ride, and when it’s aired out, the thing lays rocker like it’s dead serious about not moving. Coy’s C5 wheels (20x15s in the back with 345-width Toyo Proxes) give it that perfect mix of muscle and menace.

It rides better than it should. It turns better than it looks like it should. And it definitely stops better than anything from 1960 has any right to—dual-piston GM front calipers, single-piston rear, all working through a Hydroboost system with drilled and slotted rotors. Not fancy. Just dialed.

Inside, things keep with the “use it, don’t polish it” philosophy. The original bench seat’s been redone in black leather with hand-tooled details. The dash is factory. The steering wheel is OEM. There’s no touchscreen, no climate control, no techno babble. Manual air valves control the suspension, and a custom wood-fabbed trans tunnel adds just enough grit to remind you this truck wasn’t built in a catalog. There’s a pair of 10” Kicker subs, because of course there are, and they’re mounted clean in a custom console that looks like it belongs. It’s not minimalist—it’s intentional.

And that might be the perfect way to describe this whole build. Intentional.

This truck isn’t about shock factor or spec-sheet ego boosts. It’s about execution. About building something because you can’t not build it. About knowing how to weld, cut, and curse your way into something that looks like a shop truck but runs like a fever dream.

Francis didn’t set out to impress anyone, and that’s exactly why this thing turns heads. It’s not for sale. It’s not trying to be better than your truck. It just is. A living, rolling, diesel-burning statement that there’s still room in the scene for grit, welds, and function over fluff.

So yeah—call it a diesel rat rod, a farm truck with attitude, or a Frankenstein on air. Just don’t call it fake. Because in a world full of bolt-on personalities, Francis Bolduc built something real.

1960 Chevy Apache

Owner

Francis Bolduc
Mims, FL

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Engine: 3.9L Cummins 4BT Turbo Diesel
• Custom engine mounts
• Fluidampr harmonic balancer
• ICT Billet intake manifold
• Custom 4” side-exit exhaust
• OEM fuel injection system
• King Speed valve covers
• Transmission: Dodge NV4500 5-speed manual
• Wilwood hydraulic clutch setup
• Custom trans mount
• Rear Axle: GM 10-bolt
• Front Axle: S10 front clip conversion
• Transfer Case: N/A
• GM Hydroboost brake system
• Brakes:

–  Front: Dual-piston GM calipers

–  Rear: Single-piston GM calipers

–  Drilled and slotted rotors

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Front Clip: S10 swap
• Rear: Custom rear half frame
• Suspension: 4-corner air ride
• Shocks: Fox (rear)
• Wheels: Coy’s C5

–  Front: 20×10

–  Rear: 20×15

• Tires: Toyo Proxes 345/25/R20
• Fuel Tank: C10 OEM

EXTERIOR

• Paint: Original factory orange
• Bumpers: OEM
• Wheel Wells: Front removed, rear custom
• Additional Lights: N/A
• Custom Graphics: John Foster hand lettering

INTERIOR 

• Seat: Original bench, reupholstered in black leather
• Custom hand-tooled leather accents
• Fabricated wood trans tunnel
• Manual air ride valves
• Instrument Cluster: OEM
• Steering Wheel: OEM
• Stereo: N/A
• Audio: Custom console w/ two 10” Kicker subs

Photos by Mach1Media