LOW & SLOW

here’s something about the look of a lead sled built right that just oozes cool. Whether it’s a Mercury, a Hudson, or something similar, a well-proportioned lead sled is hard to beat as a street cruiser. That cool look doesn’t come easily though; builders have to have some serious-sized kahunas to slice and dice the bodywork of their chosen vehicle to get the lines bang on. The cars conjure up a vision of tattooed, leather-jacket-wearing greasers, but this 1949 Mercury sedan came from someone a touch different. Current owner Richard Spencer let slip that it actually belonged to an 80-year-old by the name of Bill Dean, who lived in Sacramento, California, when Richard took ownership. Part of the appeal of the car was that, despite all its body modifications — and