John Mata Jr. November 15, 2023 Diesel World
Macy Buchanan will be the first to admit that trucks never used to be her thing—especially big, bad diesel trucks. Of course, she’d always take notice of nice, new pickups on the road, but never did she ever imagine herself sitting behind the wheel of a customized Ford F250. Hey, things change and tastes hardly ever stay the same. Macy found that the world of performance diesel was heavily appealing, so much so that she didn’t even put up a fight against becoming fully entangled in the coal rolling lifestyle.
“I started dating Tyson Underwood, the owner of Pointblank Performance, back in 2019 when I was 24 years old,” Macy reports. “I had just quit my job as a dental assistant, and he was looking for someone to run the office. I agreed to help out, but little did I know what I was really getting myself into.”
Every day at Pointblank HQ was full of excitement for Macy. She quickly familiarized herself with all the diesel-powered make and model trucks that were coming into the shop for quick upgrades and in-depth builds. Each pickup that pulled in and left seemed to be different than the last, and rarely were two jobs exactly the same. It was this ever-changing flow that kept her intrigued and on her toes.
“It was all so fascinating to me. This wasn’t just an ordinary repair shop. Tyson had a standard and a vision for the company that I had not seen anywhere else. I soon realized I was getting to be a part of something really special here, and for that, I still am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Even though Macy was in an environment she wouldn’t have thought she’d be in, she once again found herself in yet another unthinkable spot in January of 2021. “It all happened so fast, but before I knew it I was standing in a Ford dealership in Texas picking up a new 2021 F250 Platinum for myself,” she exclaims. “I did not grow up around trucks, but after working for Pointblank for a bit, I guess you could say that I was inspired by all the ones that come through the shop.”
During the drive back home, Macy had already begun daydreaming of all the things she’d want to do with her new F250. Obviously, she wasn’t interested in keeping it stock. “I did want to customize it my own way, and Tyson was a big help with that,” she shares.
“The first upgrade we did was to install a PMF 2.5-inch leveling kit that included an adjustable track bar and 2.5-inch Icon springs. This gave the truck a bigger look without going too overboard. Then we began the process of shopping for the right set of wheels and tires to complete the upgraded suspension package.”
With what felt like an endless amount of wheel options to choose from, Macy finally landed on a set that she thought would look great on her truck. She had enough room under the truck now thanks to the front end level, so she opted for 24×14 Specialty Forged Elite Concave Series C703 units at each corner. The wheels came with a polished finish, and while they looked great as-is, she had a different look for them in mind. Black Label Coatings in Chuckey, TN was utilized to powdercoat the wheels in a black copper finish, which added a much more unique overall look to the truck. In terms of rubber, Macy chose a set of rugged 33-inch Venom Power Terra Hunter R/T tires to create the exact look she was hoping for. “I think the front lift and the wheel/tire combination makes the truck look sportier, and the powdercoating on the wheels is my favorite part since the polished look just wasn’t my style.”
Macy ran into a similar situation while dialing in the look of her F250’s exterior. Since the truck is a Platinum package, it came loaded with all the chrome accessories one could ask for, but none of those were going to stick around for the long haul. To address this issue, all of the chrome and plastic parts were pulled off and sent to Retro Shop Custom Lighting in St. Charles, MO to be painted to match the truck’s factory Rapid Red metallic color. The headlight housings were sent to be painted on the inside, as were the mirrors and grille, bed caps, rear bumper step, lower valance, and all the door handles, too. “Once we received all the freshly painted parts back, we installed them and called it a wrap on the outer portion of the project. Next, it was time to move onto the engine bay—the last upgrade on the truck for now.”
Macy and Tyson both wanted to test the limits on the factory 6.7L turbo, so they had a piping kit fabricated to bolt on directly to the turbocharger utilizing Pointblank’s own billet HD clamps. While they were at it, Pointblank’s other billet accessory offerings in the way of battery brackets and power steering and coolant caps were thrown into the mix, for good measure. To increase the visual appeal of the engine bay, all these parts were sent off to Black Label Coatings for powdercoating to match up with the same black copper used on the wheels. There was a little downtime for the truck while waiting for the parts to come back, but it was well worth the wait for Macy.
“For now, the build is done”, she says. “I am sure there will be some minor upgrades in the future, but nothing too wild, I’m sure. I can say that I am genuinely happy with how everything came out so far. None of it would have been possible without Tyson’s keen eye and attention to detail. He has helped me from start to finish and I have learned so much along the way. I am excited to see what the future holds for Pointblank Performance, as well as my truck and my expanding experience within the diesel truck community.”
Owner: Macy Buchanan
Jonesboro, AR
Engine/Drivetrain
Chassis/Suspension
Wheels, Tires & Brakes
Body/Paint
Warwick, New York
Camden, Arkansas
Rocklin, California
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