They say a brother's love lasts a lifetime. In the case of Ed Stuart and his half brother Howard Phetteplace, love has continued into eternity. Howard Phetteplace once owned Howard's Metal Craft in Stanton, California, a well-known master street rod builder in Southern California. Howard's customers were his priority; their vehicles always came first. He and his wife, Irma, purchased a '55 Ford F-100 15 years ago, with intentions of building a wild Pro Street Effie. But with Howard's kind of work ethic, his own ride was neglected. After the '55 project seemed to proceed at a snail's pace, Howard finished the extensive body modifications that showed off his expertise. However, shortly after completing the body mods, Howard passed away.
That's when Ed and his two brothers, Richard and Jimmy, decided to fulfill their loving brother's dream and complete the custom project Howard had started some 15 years earlier. Ed's nephew Eddie, Jimmy's son, noticed the love and appreciation for his uncle Howard and wanted to become part of the family contribution. For further direction and guidance, Ed's street-rod buddies Donny McGowen and Juan Navado contributed their expertise. It was these individuals who made a brother's dream become a reality.
After Howard's passing, Ed drove out to Anaheim, California, to retrieve his brother's Effie. After loading the '55 into his race trailer, Ed reversed his tracks home to Pensacola, Florida. Fortunately Ed's "at home race shop" would also become Phat 55's new residence. Once the truck was unloaded, Ed and his crew disassembled the entire truck.
The stock '55 frame was replaced with an Art Morrison 2x4-inch box tube, 111-inch wheelbase chassis. Ed installed an independent front suspension, rack-and-pinion power steering, and front power disc brakes, all out of a '91 C4 Corvette. The front suspension is assisted by an Air Ride Technologies' Shock Wave pneumatic system. Out back, Ed installed a Chris Alston Big Brute four-link chromed rear suspension with an Air Ride Technologies Shock Wave system. A Chris Alston Ford 9-inch rearend housing spins a pair of beefy 35 splined Moser axles. The rearend is stuffed with a set of Richmond 3.89:1 gears and aluminum carrier with a Detroit Locker. That spinning inertia is stopped by a pair of Wilwood disc brakes. Phat '55 rolls on a set of Billet Specialties aluminum spools, measuring 15x7 inches up front and 15x14 inches in the rear, all wrapped in Hoosier Pro Street rubber: 26x7.50 in the front and 29x18.50 in the rear.
Phat '55's grunt comes from an '00 GM 454ci Vortec engine with electronic fuel injection. Ed fabricated a custom intake to house the K&N air filter. A set of Taylor ignition wires deliver the electronic impulses to each spark plug. To eliminate any possible electrical arcing, a set of Zoops billet wire separators were installed. A set of Zoops billet aluminum engine pulleys enhance the Bow Tie's internal and external spinning components. A pair of Dynatek 2-inch-diameter headers with Jet-Hot coating captures the exhaust gases from each combustion chamber's exhaust port, and then directs them into the dual 2-inch-diameter, three-chamber Flowmaster mufflers. The exhausted gases continue out through the oval exhaust pipes. To make sure all the power kept cool, Ed installed a Griffin 1-inch core, polished aluminum radiator with custom Cool-Flex radiator hoses. A GM 4L80-E automatic transmission with a Lokar billet shifter and indicator was bolted up behind the Chevrolet powerplant. The grunt is linked to the Ford 9-inch rearend by a lighter PST polished aluminum driveshaft.
The body mods were all performed by Howard, before his passing. He chopped the top 4 inches and fitted the cab with a much flatter '56 top, which incorporated the big wrap-around rear window. The entire body was sectioned and channeled 3 inches. The 3-inch sectioning was taken from between the door hinges and continued around the cab. The 3-inch section was carried through the front and rear fenders to keep it all in proportion. In order to get its profile down, the hood was pie-cut 1-1/2 inches from rear to front. To allow the hood to tilt forward, Ed installed a No Limit forward-tilt hood assembly. The door handles were removed, the holes filled and then welded, ground smooth, and painted. A pair of Bear Claw door latches from Southern Rods were aligned and bolted in. To achieve a sportier look, one-piece door glass from Vintage Glass was installed. To eliminate cranking, a pair of Ball electric windows were installed and wired. The radio antenna and headlights were frenched using a Hagen kit with Halogen lights; '50 Ford taillights were frenched into the rear fenders. A third brake light was frenched into the cab under the rear window. A new Dan Carpenter bed was widened 5-inches and shortened 5-inches. Ed installed a pair of Pro Street-style wheeltubs to house those massive Hoosiers in the rear. The stock front and rear bumpers were replaced by a custom set of aluminum alloy bumpers, fabricated by Briz.
The running boards were smoothed and raised to match the bottom edge of the fenders. A notch was also cut into the running boards to allow the oval exhaust to exit. All the sheetmetal was coated with PPG Deltron 2000, then block-sanded smooth. A three-stage special mix of PPG Sun Kiss Yellow was sprayed on and then misted with PPG Gold Pearl before being topped with PPG Concept 2021 clearcoat. Brian Crawford at Brian's Garage in Pensacola, Florida handled all of the paint needs.
The immaculate interior features ivory-leather Honda Accord bucket seats and a center console and door panels that were cut, constructed, stitched, and covered by Wayne and Pam McGriff at M&M Custom Interiors in Holly Pond, Alabama. Above is a flawless ivory suede headliner, underneath a plush ivory wool carpet also laid by Wayne and Pam. The polished stainless steel Flaming River tilt steering column is capped with a Billet Specialties ivory-leather-wrapped steering wheel. The dash was lowered 2 inches before a Dakota Digital instrument panel was installed. Billet aluminum accessories are sprinkled throughout the interior: oval door handles, A/C vents, rearview mirror, interior lights, and brake and accelerator pedals.
The audio entertainment system was wired and installed by Ed. A Sony M-630 receiver with AM/FM/CD directs and controls the tunes; the bass comes from a pair of Rockford Fosgate 10-inch subwoofers located under the bed. The Rockford Fosgate 200M amplifiers, located behind the seats, power the subs and four mid-range 5x7 Polk Audio speakers separately. A remote power antenna receives all those cool radio waves and translates them into music for Ed's listening pleasure.
The completion of this gorgeous '55 Ford F-100 Phat '55 was to celebrate one life and let everyone enjoy and appreciate a brother's dream.
Phat '55 was built through dedication, determination, appreciation, and love for one lost son, brother, husband, and father. Wherever Phat '55 rolls, Howard's riddin' shotgun and grinnin' from ear to ear.
Howard Phetteplace was born May 29, 1940, passed away in January of 2000, and is survived by his wife, Irma, and two daughters by a previous marriage, Tammy and Rhonda. His career with cars and trucks began as a body and paint specialist. His real passion was fabrication. He opened his own custom shop, Howard's Metal Craft, in 1982. During his 18 years of building custom early model, cars, and trucks, he developed a large customer base and was looked up to by his colleagues as a skilled craftsman and builder. He was just coming into his prime when the angels called Howard home.