1949 Mercury Eight

he English language is a wonderfully malleable thing. For instance, words that start out with one meaning but that, over time, come to mean something very much the opposite. For instance, Sick has always meant something or someone who was ill or something that was not in proper condition. Today, however, Sick is, among some, a compliment of the highest order, something akin to Cool of earlier age.

The same holds true in the language of cars. In the early days of customizing, cars that had their bodies heavily reshaped with lots of lead filler were derisively called Lead Sleds. It wasnt meant to be a compliment> certainly few wanted a Lead Sled. My, how times have changed...
certainly few wanted a Lead Sled. My, how times have changed...

Today, if you wanted to define an era, a movement, a piece of real Americana, youd have a hard time finding a better term than Lead Sled. Benchmark Classics, Americas Hot Rod, Custom, Specialty and Muscle Car Playground in Middleton, Wisconsin has an absolutely CLASSIC Lead Sled: a 1949 Mercury Eight. If ever there was a car that was meant to become a Crusin Hot Rod, its a 49 Merc.

Picture this: The outside is black, with a flame job from Crash Customs that provides a real clinic on how to design the correct flame job. The hood has six rows of louvers and is framed by frenched headlights and 2/5ths of a 52 Chrysler grill! The 49 Caddy hubcaps set off the new wide whitewalls, while racing all the way down the sides are the original stainless Mercury rub strips. Surprisingly, THE ROOF HAS NOT BEEN CHOPPED, so cruising (which is where this beauty excels) can be done in comfort for any height. Just like the originals, theres no air, but those pop out rear quarter windows have stood the test of time.

Out back, there are frenched tail lights (original Merc units) and dual exhausts fitted with Cherry Bomb Mufflers that dont do much to muffle, but make your arrival on the scene very obvious. And if you want to really give em a blast, theres a perfect set of dramatic side pipes installed but not yet attached. As a final touch, the right rear fender holds a perfectly frenched antenna. On the fender right below it, theres a curb feeler, something that defines 50s cars as well as anything else!

Inside youll find an interior just as well thought out as the exterior. It features bright white tuck and roll upholstery with black piping and a matching headliner, one that has been beautifully installed. By the way, when you pop the trunk (where the new battery lives) youll find that it has been fully upholstered to match the interior!

At first glance, the dash looks original. However, it has had a Haneline single gauge instrument cluster mounted directly in front of the driver and it looks perfect, with custom dash trim that looks factory. The electric clock not only works, it keeps good time!

This wonderful 49 Merc Lead Sled has two dash-mounted accessories that just cry to be pointed out. 1) On the passenger side, mounted to the bottom of the dash, below the glove box, is a swing out, chrome, tissue dispenser, the ultimate in 1949 Detroit luxury. 2) Mounted on a chromed, jointed swing arm on the drivers side A pillar is a Mercury Viewfinder. This is a piece of cast, fluted glass, a kind of prism that allows drivers to pull up directly beneath the overhead mounted stoplights of the day, (usually referred to then as Stop and Go Lights.) The driver is able to look straight ahead at the Viewfinder and see the stoplight above, without craning his or her neck. Cool, huh? Or, perhaps, Sick!

So, what happens when you pop the hood on this 49 Bad Boy? Truthfully, lots! Lets take a tour: Remember that wonderful flame job on the outside? Well, the first thing that catches your eye when you open the loooong, louvered hood, is an aerodynamic air-cleaner cover with a flame job that matches the exterior of the car. And there, mounted right to the top of the chromed radiator surround is a big, chrome, Lead Sled logo. Look left and youll see, there on the firewall, the signature of Customizer icon, George Barris who, assisting his brother Sam, did the first 1949 Mercury custom, starting back in...49!

Well, I suppose no tour of the engine compartment is complete without some discussion of the engine, eh? The original 49 Merc flat-heads (more powerful than a 49 Ford flattie) were often replaced with GMs free-breathing, overhead valve (OHV) V-8 engines introduced by first Cadillac and then Olds. Appropriately, our Lead Sled has an Oldsmobile Rocket V-8, but of a slightly later era. This is a 74 350 Rocket V-8, a real Olds Rocket, not the badge-engineered Chevy of the same era that GM tried (unsuccessfully) to foist on the Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 faithful.

This mill comes beautifully dressed, including Aeroquip hoses, a polished 80 amp alternator and, importantly, an electric fan, which will make slow rollin, draggin the gut a cool experience for both you AND the motor! It has both power steering (a wonderful addition) and front disc brakes (an almost mandatory addition!)

The history of this car is known for more than 40 years, since it first came out of South Dakota to feel the customizers hand. There have only been three owners since, all known to each other and all dedicated to making this post-war beauty such a wonderful ride. It is there in the little details: Rounded door and hood corners, total rewiring, turn signal flashers mounted IN the headlights. Great little details that that add up to one impressive ride.

Benchmark Classics 1949 Mercury Eight Lead Sled perfectly charts where customizing came from and, for the lucky new owner, where it goes from here. Youll find it behind the big doors at Benchmark Classics, just off the Beltline on Highway 14, University Avenue, in Middleton, Wisconsin. So Cool its Sick, Man!