The Journey HQ Boys Built It Their Way

SOME trucks just have that pull, you know, not because of shiny paint or lots of chrome, but because they’re built with real history under the hood. For Chase Calloway and Russell McClendon out of Palestine, Texas, their 1983 GMC C10 named “Old Mac” is that kind of rig. It’s not just another slammed long bed; it’s a truck tied to their roots and hometown and years of backroad stories.

Old Mac rolled off the lot at Chase’s granddad’s dealership way back in the day. Later on, it became the first ride for Russell’s best buddy in high school. After plenty of nights cruising and raising hell, the truck sat for years until an old neighbor, not knowing the story behind it, offered it back up to Chase. Once it hit the floor at Journey HQ, the mission was clear, this wasn’t going to be just a pretty face; it was going to be a runner.

Journey HQ isn’t some fancy shop taking customer work. Chase and Russell started it to build what they wanted, show off their creations, and have a good time doing it. There are no customers and no suits telling them how to build, just two guys wrenching, filming, and raising a little dust online.

At first, they dropped it, slapped on some wheels, and called it a shop truck. That lasted until a burnout cooked the stock motor. After that, Old Mac got serious: a junkyard 5.3 LS, twin VSRacing turbos, Holley intake, Terminator X Max tuning, and side-exit exhaust out the old gas doors. Friends told them not to punch the turbos through the hood, but they did it anyway, and man, it makes the truck. The engine is straight-up junkyard gold. They also cleaned the cylinders with sandpaper, dropped in a cam and springs, buttoned it up, and it’s been hitting hard ever since.

It’s rough around the edges but built to move. They backed it up with a full QA1 suspension, a custom 9-inch rearend from LaFitte Fabrication, Baer brakes, and big JTX wheels, 22s up front and 24s in the back.

Inside, it’s DIY cool with stock seats wrapped in vinyl and cow print from Hobby Lobby and a full Memphis Audio Mojo setup pounding tunes. This truck has been to LS Fest, C10 Nationals, Goodguys, and burnout pits everywhere.

Old Mac isn’t about chasing trophies; it’s about building what you love, beating on it, and having a blast, just the way real truck guys like it.

“Build what makes you happy,” Chase says. “That’s the whole point.”

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TRUCK SPECS

 ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

• 5.3L LS (junkyard special)
• VSRacing twin turbos
• Summit camshaft
• Trick Flow valvetrain
• Holley intake and Terminator X Max
• Custom side-exit exhaust through original fuel doors
• 4L80E automatic transmission

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• QA1 C10 crossmember with double adjustable coilovers
• QA1 truck rear arm setup
• Custom 9-inch by LaFitte Fabrication
• Baer 6P brakes all around

WHEELS & TIRES

• Front 22- and rear 24-inch JTX Forged wheels
• Street performance radials

BODY & PAINT

• Original patina, preserved and cleared
• Turbo hood exits

INTERIOR & AUDIO

• Stock seat frames wrapped in vinyl and Hobby Lobby cow print fabric
• Full Memphis Audio Mojo Pro system (four subs, mids, tweeters)
• Handmade door panels
• Custom-stitched headliner
• Cow print dash cap