Mercury 1950 LEAD SLED

“Lead” referred to the body material used and the extra weight added by the repair material. "Sled” referred to the lowering of the vehicle, giving these vehicles the appearance that they were “slip sliding” down the highway.
In the late '40s and '50s, plastic body filler and fiberglass did not exist. Instead, bar lead was used as a body filler. A true craftsman pulled and pushed out dents with body spoons, hammers and dollies until the sheet metal was as straight as they could get it. Any sheet metal that was still slightly wavy, the body man heated bars of lead and flowed the lead onto the body with an oxygen-acetylene torch similar to work done by a tin smith. The lead bars or strips ranged anywhere from a quarter of an inch to one inch in width and several inches in length. The true craftsman controlled the flow of lead with his torch and most times could produce a satin finish without filing and sanding.
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