Kansas man with a vision transforms a salvage yard 1947 Ford into a one-of-a-kind rat rod

An automotive content creator from Kansas, US, ‘had a vision’ in mind for his 1947 Ford – but a unique rat rod wasn’t what we had on our bingo card.

In case you’re not familiar, a ‘rat rod’ is essentially a ‘hot rod’ that’s designed to look rough, rusty, and ready for anything.

Nicknamed ‘Old Crow’ this is a classic example.

The results take his followers – and his wife – by surprise.

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The 1947 Ford

Anthony Brawner co-owns Kansas-based custom vehicle builder and metal fabrication shop, HardCore Fab, with his partner in both life and business, Julie.

Known for producing ‘interesting stuff for gearheads’, this transformation is no different.

Old Crow is a mere husk of a 1947 Ford rat rod when it’s recovered as a ‘salvage yard Cinderella’ and taken into the Brawners’ shop.

Its transformation into a rat rod

What follows is a sped-up montage of Brawner soldering and building up the chassis around it until the shape of the rat rod begins to emerge.

Partner, Julie, doesn’t seem entirely thrilled that he’d taken the carburetor from her car and installed it in the project.

However, she seemed as intrigued as the rest of us to see the finished product – although it’s not as weird as this ‘Shopping Chopper’ hot rod.

While things are really starting to take shape, when he starts the engine Julie notices something amiss.

Namely an oil leak from a gasket.

When that situation is seemingly painlessly remedied, the level of detail that’s gone into the project is staggering.

Now comes the real test: seeing whether the rusted 1947 classic will make it to its first show.

Thankfully the transformed Ford passes that test with flying colours before being taken back to the shop for a few tweaks on the interior.