Hi-Boy Ford street rods were legends because these fenderless classics were fast and the bodies sat on the frame—instead of being channeled for a lower ride.
They were typically built using late 20s to mid 1930s Fords, but old school street rodders liked to use whatever was available, so this 1927 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster/Pickup was born from a Model T.
Jerry Sutherland
Dave Arsenault is the proud creator of this unique Hi-Boy version. He started with a rusty 1927 Model T he found at a swap meet. Dave wasn’t intimidated by the reality that his project was more rust than metal on the bottom half because this wasn’t his first run at a build.
Dave built cars in the past, but he said, “Life got in the way” so he didn’t get back into the hobby until 1985. He found the Model T in May 1999 and had it on the road by late September 2000. In other words, Dave didn’t forget how to build a classic street rod.
This was a well mapped-out project because Dave relied on his past experience to build a car he could comfortably drive for hours. He went all-Ford because Dave wanted the car to be a Blue Oval build from start to finish, so he used a 351 Windsor from a 1977 Ford Econoline van.
The transmission is a 3-speed HD donated by a 1972 Ford pickup. The shortened driveshaft came from a 1968 Falcon and the 2:79:1 rear end was sourced from a 1974 Maverick.
Dave put the front and rear suspension together from a variety of aftermarket and donor parts because he wanted a driver that could handle the open road. The disc/drum brakes came from a ’76 Pinto and the discs were updated from an aftermarket source.
Dave built a custom trailer to haul stuff like the top because this little street rod didn’t come with a lot of extra space. He’s had several celebrities sign the trailer, but the most important one was signed by a kid named Adam Cripps. Adam was a huge car guy and so the local car community included him in a Make-a-Wish event because he was a hardcore car guy.
Unfortunately, Adam passed away in 2014 at the age of fifteen. He left a huge legacy behind with the car guys, so Dave said that’s the only signature he’d hate to lose—even though the other signatures are from well-known celebrities. Dave said Adam asked, “Why do you want my autograph?” at the time, but to Dave, the answer was obvious.
This ’27 T is no trailer queen and it’s seen some real-world problems like the time Dave saw a major storm hit a big car show. He put the top on and hit the road to try and beat the storm. He didn’t quite make it because the Hi-Boy cab had a foot of water in it by the time he got home.
Dave said he did some quick vacuuming and drying to save his car from another date with Mr. Rust. It worked because that was 15 years ago, and the Hi-boy Roadster/pickup still looks mint.
This car sees the open road every year, so Dave has put thousands of trouble-free miles on his ’27 T. Dave said he doesn’t hate trailer queens, but he doesn’t understand them either.
That’s why he came back to the hobby in 1985—this street rod has the cool factor you’d expect from an old-school car guy.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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