The Builder's Showcase at the annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals is a great place to see some of the best new street rods from top builders. Jamie Johnson from Hot Rod Haven in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been a regular participant in the Builder's Showcase for several years. He showed up in 2016 with this 1927 Ford phaeton, making a big impression on the crowds in Louisville. Crowds on the West Coast had their first look at the car a few months earlier when it made its debut at the Grand National Roadster Show.

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Unlike most of the cars built at Hot Rod Haven, the phaeton is Jamie's personal ride. It's not his first; that would be the 1933 Ford coupe he's owned since he was 9 years old. "My dad, Jim, built hot rods, so I grew up around them," Jamie explains. "He asked me what my favorite car was. My answer was influenced by ZZ Top's Eliminator coupe. My dad found a body for sale in Nebraska—sitting in a river."

That coupe started Jamie on a hot rodding path that led to many more cars and a career path that led to the opening of Hot Rod Haven in 1999. Running a shop doesn't leave much time for personal projects, but when a friend told him about the Model T phaeton, he couldn't pass it up. It took eight years to get the project started, but a quick seven months to finish it.

The raw material for Jamie's family sized hot rod was found in Albuquerque—on dry land—and included the unmodified body and the original frame. The fenders were included too, but Jamie's plan called for a highboy. He had other changes in mind as well, but they have all been done with what he calls "a balance of simplicity and something extra. If people don't notice them, that's what I wanted." One change people might not notice is the top of the rear body edge, which has been contoured to match the rest of the body. Another is the custom windshield, built using chopped and laidback 1936 roadster posts, and a narrowed 1936 frame, modified to fit the reshaped 1927 cowl. The Deuce hood top and sides have been re-proportioned as well. The more noticeable changes include the 1932 grille shell with a Dale's Manufacturing insert, Guide 682 headlights, and 1937 Ford taillights.

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Jamie and Jim worked together on the body before turning the car over to painter Sean Sena. Jamie chose a '40s-inspired Mandarin Red color that is neither light nor dark and Sena sprayed the R-M paint.

Fabricating the chassis presented some challenges. Jamie used a set of 1932 framerails instead of the Model T frame that came with the car. He altered the wheelbase and narrowed the frame to conform to the long phaeton body. The frame is reinforced with front and rear Model A crossmembers and a 1936 center X-member, located to correctly position the rear tires with the wheelwells. Front framehorns have been lengthened 5 inches and given a severe pinch. The rear 'horns were bobbed behind the axle.

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In keeping with the traditional styling that is a trademark of Hot Rod Haven, the suspension features a 1932 dropped I-beam front axle, polished stainless split wishbones, and 1940 Ford spindles. In the back, a Rodsville V-8 quick-change holds 4.11:1 straight-cut gears, and is located by modified 1936 Ford radius rods. Transverse leaf springs and SO-CAL covered shocks (mounted behind the axles) smooth out the ride. The 1940 Ford front brakes and 1946 rears are fed by a 1967 Mustang master cylinder.

The phaeton was rolling on chromed 1940 Ford wheels for its GNRS debut, but by the Street Rod Nats those had been swapped for spoke wheels. Going back to his idea of a balance of simplicity and something extra, Jamie swapped them for 16-inch 1935 Ford wheels in front and 18-inch 1932 Fords in the rear to add "something else for your brain to work on." The 4.50-16 and 700-18 Firestone pie-crust bias-ply tires from Coker Tire are a perfect match for the wires.

Dual fuel tanks holding 26 gallons are mounted between the X-member and are concealed by a bellypan-style cover. The rear seat is hinged to tilt forward for access to the filler neck. A Y-pipe directs gas to the tanks and a single pump and equalizer move the fuel to the Flathead engine.

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Al Edwards in Albuquerque used classic components to assemble the Flathead, originally built in 1946. The cylinders were bored 0.040-over and loaded with Offenhauser pistons turning a 1952 Merc crank. The cam and valvesprings came from Ed Iskenderian—and the cylinder heads and intake manifold are from Edelbrock. Triple Stromberg 97s are topped with velocity stacks. HPC-coated center-dump headers channel gases to the custom exhaust system and mufflers, built by Jamie. A high-flow radiator, 1946 Ford mechanical fan, and Bob Drake water pump keep the temperature under control. Adapting a Chevy S-10 T5 to a Flathead, as Jamie did, is a popular hot rod modification.

Inside the car, the stock dash was modified for a set of blackface Stewart Warner Wings gauges. Traditional style continues with the Bell four-spoke wheel on a fabricated column, 1932 spoon throttle pedal, 1939 Ford brake and clutch pedals, 1936 Ford interior mirror, and 1939 shifter handle (adapted to the T5 shifter). Hot Rod Haven and Ron Mangus Hot Rod Interiors have been collaborating on hot rod builds for almost 20 years. For Jamie's phaeton, Ron covered the custom bench seats and panels in tan leather, stitching up a simple classy design that suits the whole style of the car. German weave carpet covers the floor in equal elegance.

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The Model T phaeton was finished just before its 2016 unveiling at the Grand National Roadster Show. It was back for the 2017 show, invited to participate in the Suede Palace, the showcase for owner-built traditional rods. Jamie will continue to hit the big shows, but with new cars built for customers—such is the life of a professional builder. Without the obligation to keep the phaeton on the show circuit, he'll have a greater chance to take to the street.