In their day, the Shoebox Fords were both a savior for the company and a hit among hot rodders. By today’s standards, however, their performance would seem downright pedestrian. While it would be easy enough to swap in a more modern V8 and elevate the performance of one of these classics, this ’50s Ford project takes things to another level with a SN-95 chassis paving the way.

“We will be merging the two of these cars to make one bad-to-the-bone burnout machine with modern ride quality and comfort,” Nic Rothlisberger of Wolf Mountain Customs said at the outset of the build.  “Jeff Krekeler and Robert Maize came together and asked me to build them the coolest, rat rod-style burnout machines you can think of.”

Two customers enlisted Nic Rothlisberger of Wolf Mountain Customs to combine a ’50s Ford and ’98 SVT Mustang Cobra into a radical rat rod with modern street manners. (Photo Credit: Wolf Mountain Customs)

To achieve that goal, they formulated a plan to swap the classic Ford body onto a vastly more modern SN-95 chassis. They went for a full-body transplant over a 1998 SVT Mustang Cobra, which happened to already feature a Vortech centrifugal supercharger, which should push its output beyond 400 horsepower at the wheels.

“The build idea and the build theme that we’re going with on this car is like a dirt track racer rat rod,” Rothlisberger said. “We’re cutting the fenders out with the tires you know like it’s just going to be a rat rod ripper like it’s not it’s not supposed to look factory, so they want it to look just wild.”

This was no bolt-on build, however. As you might expect, it required a lot of cutting, welding, and fabrication. Along with a good deal of trial and error, much of that work is documented in the series of videos seen here. The result is a radical rat rod with a distinctly modern demeanor that is surely a lot of fun to drive.

“It’s a 1950 Ford on a 1997 Mustang; supercharged, five-speed,” Rothlisberger added. “It turned out killer.”