1949 -1951 Mercury Lead SledsMyHotRodTVWithin its era and beyond, the Mercury was popular with customizers. In 1949, Sam Barris built the first lead sled from a 1949 Mercury, became the definitive “lead sled”, much as the Ford V-8 (as the “deuce”) was becoming the definitive hot rod. The Mercurys were among the first models to receive an aftermarket OHV engine swap, since Oldsmobile and Cadillac developed the first high-compression OHV V8 engines in 1949, whereas Ford was still using a sidevalve engine.Sam and George Barris also used the 1949 body style to build “the most famous custom car ever” the...