While classic car fans can recite many popular models that are no longer around, these days some iconic brands are definitely fading into history. Among those is Packard, once a premium car brand, now relegated to a handful of collectors who value them for their obscurity. You won’t find many modified Packards at car shows though, as they are worth more as complete, numbers-matching cars.

But not everybody cares about the value or collectibility of their cars and some prefer to depart from the norm. Brian Thomas of Utah decided that his custom hot rod needed an equally custom engine… so why not rustle up one of the famous Packard inline-eight engines. And while he was at it, Thomas added a supercharger, making one of the most unique, Packard-powered hot rods we’ve ever seen as of late.

Built for 30 years from 1924 to 1954, the Packard inline-eight had up to 359 cubic-inches of displacement (though the engine Thomas used, a ‘48 model, displaced 327 cubic-inches). Never known as big power makers, Thomas decided his engine needed some vintage power adders as well. To that end, he found and installed four Stromberg 97 carburetors and a classic McCullough supercharger.

While there is plenty of other custom work to drool over, from the masterfully done suspension to the rat rod-style bodywork, sometimes one aspect of a hot rod overshadows the others. In this case, it’s a supercharged Packard engine that you just don’t see everyday.

What other odd, weird, or rare engines you’d like to see more of fitted into more unique hot rods to help set them apart from the norm?