Vehicle Description
The ultimate lead sled, the archetype, the one that everyone wants,
this 1949 Mercury coupe defines the breed. Frenched, lowered,
smoothed, fender skirts, it has all the traditional custom styling
cues, all wrapped in a gorgeous two-tone paint job that ideally
suits the long, low custom. Paired with the bulletproof reliability
of a fuel-injected LS2 and a totally custom interior, this is a
lead sled that's very easy to love.
This car could have been the prototype for every Mercury lead sled
built, incorporating some of the most traditional modifications and
a few tasteful touches that make it unique. The list of body mods
is extensive, ranging from a nosed and decked hood to the frenched
headlights to the shaved door handles to the custom grille, which
appears to be from a Desoto, a popular modification back in the
day. A custom pearl white and pink paint job grabs all the
attention, although the point of a custom is to blur the lines so
you can't find the mods. The paint glows from within and has a
sugary look that makes this car insanely appealing. Big chrome
bumpers offset all that luscious paint with a big of flash, plus
the stainless lakes pipes that make this car look long and low.
Fender skirts are part of the recipe, and there are a few
neatly-done pinstripes just for accent.
Bright pink and white bucket seats are the perfect complement to
the high-visibility exterior, and the overstuffed seats mean this
is a fantastic road trip car. With a lightly modified Mercury
dashboard full of VDO gauges, it doesn't seem to be trying too
hard. Most of the original knobs and switches were maintained, with
some being repurposed for other functions like the A/C, which has a
custom valence below the dash for a clean look. A tilt steering
column carries a leather-wrapped wheel, there's a custom center
console with an armrest from a '60s Thunderbird, power window
switches, and the air suspension controls. The in-dash A/C uses
modern components and R134a refrigerant to deliver contemporary
performance and there's a AM/FM/CD stereo in the upper console,
right below a clock mounted in the center. Under-dash lighting
gives it a cool glow at night, and the trunk is neatly finished
without losing functionality, as it carries a full-sized spare
tire.
For motivation, this one uses a 6.0 liter LS2 V8 with factory fuel
injection and engine management. This might be the best-running
lead sled we've ever featured, and the highest praise we can offer
is that it runs and drives like it was factory built. Turn the key
and it fires, it idles smoothly no matter how hot it is, and the
integration is seamless. There's a big aluminum radiator to keep it
cool, new accessories tucked in close to the block, and even the
firewall and inner fenders were finished to show standards with
custom pinstripes. Custom long-tube headers feed a nicely
fabricated dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers, so it
sounds like performance when you're cruising the fairground. The
transmission is a 4L70E 4-speed automatic, so it's an effortless
cruiser even with somewhat punchy 4.10 gears in the Ford 9-inch
rear end. Air Ride makes it smooth, the 4-link rear end keeps it
planted, and disc brakes keep it safe. 15-inch steelies with
Oldsmobile hubcaps are the ideal period custom choice and they
carry modern wide whitewall radials, as you'd expect.
A lot of customs look great but don't drive very well, but this
Mercury truly runs as good as it looks. Call today!