Legendary Lead Sleds | 1950's Custom Cars

0:00 - Intro
1:23 - Sam Barris 1950 Buick
4:39 - Sam Barris 1950 Buick Drive
9:05 - Buddy Alcorn 1950 Mercury
12:20 Buddy Alcorn 1950 Mercury Drive
Dennis visits Kurt McCormick in Imperial, MO and goes for a spin in a couple of legendary custom lead sleds.
#customcar #leadsled #classiccars

[@ronfriedman8740]

I've always loved custom Mercury hot rods ever since I was a young boy. We were all in the family car and it passed us by ...slammed & chopped and metalic purple paint with straight pipes that were loud as you know what. Even dad was excited by it. Another favorite is a custom Hudson Hornet and then I've also got a thing for a '65 Riviera. Thanks for the memories!

[@invoxicated]

the Caddy engine ruins the theme of the car. I would replace it with a Mercury MEL engine

[@jeremypruneau7014]

So cool. Kurt is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I had the great pleasure of painting the Sam Barris Buick a few years ago at Manns Restoration in Festus, MO. Out of the thousands of cars I've painted, this is my proudest moment in the booth. Thank you Dennis for sharing with the world!

[@nelsona779]

I love that car and you must be very very good at what you do to have a chance to put your hands on this vehicle. My hat's off to you brother.

[@jeremypruneau7014]

@@nelsona779 thank you very much! You can check out some of our work here on KZbin. Just look up Manns Restorations in Festus, Missouri.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

@@jeremypruneau7014 Awesome man... shout it out! */w\METAL/w\*

[@glennredwine289]

@@jeremypruneau7014 yes, I have seen a 1963. Thunderbird restomod with a 5.0 Ford Coyote V8. Great restoration, that was done by Manns restoration in Festus, MO.

[@jessbailey6718]

I went to Kurt's house when he lived in Webster Groves Mo. he had that 50 Buick at a car show in Kirkwood Mo where I saw it. When I went over to his house it was crammed with vintage parts and custom cars and it was a rather small house. He was very nice in helping me get some parts for my '64 Dodge 880 Custom wagon. I'd give anything to get a ride in that Buick!!!! Kurt is the MAN!!!!

[@randypurtteman1183]

Two classic examples of what is essentially a lost art form. Absolutely stunning renditions.

[@ronsteele5282]

What an amazing story,car and man in Mr.O'Niel .Not hard to tell how much he loved that car and the crew that built it.

[@magicgordo4878]

I grew up in the same neighborhood as Buddy. I went drive in cruising one night in the merc. Buddy was a milkman.. Some stuff: the door locks were pressure operated micro switches and the dash knobs I am fairly certain, were laminated lucite and may have been internally carved in the original interior. Engine work on the merc flathead was done by Walt Richter and Frank Crow. Walt retired and moved back to Seattle and was Chief mechanic on the Guy Lombardo Allison engined hydroplane. Frank Crow was a genius and at one time had 235 aerospace engineers he supervised. Some one asked Buddy if the merc had a chrome dipstick. At the time it didn't and Buddy soon saw to it. The Cad OHV 8s were great engines. I had a 47 slopeback with the cad flathead and the newer V8 bolted right up to the ambulance clutch and three on the tree. Sleepers in those days kept the "gendarmes" away.. Dominguez, now Carson, California from 1942-1957.

[@mikestang679]

Yeah!!! These sleds have windshield wipers, for that cruising in the rain, listening to your favorite tunes, and a cup of mocha java, to top it off, great kustoms, grt vlog..........

[@BennyBsolo]

Thanks Dennis ..... these are way before my time but I love seeing these gems !!

[@vladtheimpala5532]

Two of my favorite cars. A 50 Buick and a 50 Merc. The first car I remember riding in was my Dad’s 49 Merc, almost the same, just a couple subtle differences. I’d be happy with a 49,50 or 51. I wish I knew more about why he’s not a Flathead guy. Maybe because the OHV is more reliable and powerful? Flatties are cool though.

[@ricardocervone73]

Amazing. The customized Mercury is my dream and I have to tell you that this is stunning!!! Congrats from Brazil. If possible, I would like to visit you someday....

[@ukdnbmarsh]

both of those cars simply amazing, gorgeous.

[@rafaelviafranco4962]

Wow.. Dennis id like to be in the driver seat. Complete master road hummers.. Just every car buff dream.. Very, very nice classics. Thanks for sharing...

[@jsmith3143]

Just reminded me that these old guys had swag way before my time..

[@hoagiesherlin7732]

Those cars look good sitting still but they are amazing in motion!!!

[@jsnave9524]

Great video. I went for a ride in the R & C Dream Truck with Kurt a few years back. Super nice guy.

[@jwelchon2416]

Those are just spectacular!! What I like most about cars of the era are the dash boards. Laden with chrome and lots of fancy knobs.

[@tomnekuda3818]

When I was in high school we had a couple of "lead sled" old Merc's like the featured. Both were very well done as the town I went to school was a "car town'......known of chopped, channeled, beautiful cars and ugly women. LOL! I had a '51 Ford with hopped flathead(2 deuces, Isky cam, Jahns pistons, Lincoln Zephyr gears, Hurst Mystery shifter, 4:11 gears, mild chop, Navarro intake, Denver heads, ported/relieved/stroked/bored, custom paint, etc.) Great memories. I had 2 or 3 part-time jobs all the time......didn't do much studying. Haha! Lotta work went into those two rigs you show.

[@MyClassicCarTV]

Sounds like you had a pretty cool car too!

[@pinstripingbybear.]

Its about time someone told the truth about Sam Barris being the man with the ideas and George Barris was just a face for the company .. George took all the fame for all of Sam's beautiful work..

[@rayjones3212]

...and no "Blue-dot" tail lights... I was surprised not to see them on either car. Cool looking. Thanks for sharing, Dennis.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

Some areas, they're not legal.

[@vladtheimpala5532]

@@sergeantmasson3669 That’s too bad. They’re cool looking.

[@petergorm]

Damn! I am getting addicted now to custom cars!

[@RichardCWard]

A 50 Mercury and and a Buick with an Olds grill insert, all really nice.

[@dennyreed105]

Stunning cars absolutley!

[@herdfan697278]

What beautiful historical icons of our parents or grand parents! It still moves me amid a pandemic in December 2020! Good taste never goes out of style!👍🤠🇺🇸🙏✝️

[@nealbradleigh5069]

To be privileged to see the finished products of SUCH CREATIVE ARTISTS and yes, these folks were meticulous artists, is truely a gift!. From the reactions of passerbys to the oooohs and aaaaahs from visitors at the car shows, you can't help but swoon at the fluid beauty imbued into these stylings! I frequent the STREET ROD NATIONALS in August, and am amazed at how visitors instantly bond with the owners. WE YAKK THROUGHOUT the entire weekend, swapping build and other relevant stories. These "easels" on wheels are the stars, yes, but it's the re-creators who are the star-makers! I pity the generations who never set eyes on both the original products and the additional artistry brought to them by the modifiers ( another day, another egg or box rolling down the street... sheeesh)!

[@JerseyArtform]

Beautiful cars

[@916wetcustoms]

Yep exceedingly fucking cool. Sam barris was a bad man. Two thumbs way up.

[@user-rh8hc9gy7d]

Aerodynamic & Effective design. Stilish.

[@wotrulke5868]

So much work went into the detailing on the cars 🚗 I love them 👍🏼 if I had to choose it would be the first one I think 💭.

[@gregorymcclure6331]

When I was ten years old, a nickel's worth of bubble gum and the latest copy of Rod & Custom was all I needed for a good time!

[@johnsmith1474]

Good luck on your GED.

[@stanthology]

Pack of Camels...25 cents.

[@johnbehneman1546]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I LOVE THEM BOTH!!! GREAT VIDEO AND THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

[@leetrix2]

How did I not find this channel before ?? I just found it and I can not stop watching ... Congratulations and I will become a fan. Greetings from Brazil

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

How's it going... did you make it through all the episodes? IT's a great show. Do you like Sepultura? Long live MAX and Iggor Cavalera from Sao Paulo!!

[@FloorItDuh]

Gorgeous cars.

[@ubirajarapaesdelira5011]

Cool customs

[@marvincox1712]

Love the cars , especially the front hubcaps on the wifes favorite , back in the day I had one .. of those caps all original w no rust , I never even wiped it w a cloth , there was something about the bullet style center of those that appealed to me . I believe they are from a Pontiac,,.. possibly a Catalina, It's the first time I have seen any rolling lol Thanks for sharing all that style, a real treat to veiw ty.

[@Friedbrain11]

That Buick is my kind of car!!! Love it!!

[@markharrisllb]

I’d be happy if I had a Barris Brother's wheelbarrow, the Buick sounds perfect for its look. As George became famous for cars like the original Batmobile I thought he would have been more hands on in the early days.

[@laben5965]

Very nice car❤❤❤❤

[@dereksaunders4462]

I noticed he also has the dream truck and the 32 coupe from another episode

[@steveespinola7652]

These cars are definitely way before Me and my brother's time, but they still look beautiful.😎 🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@jotka8272]

Curt seems like a nice guy with great cars!

[@MyClassicCarTV]

Both of those things are true!

[@Batman-wv5ng]

What a beautiful car.

[@user-kr1ny4yt4t]

Конечно это целая Эпоха Американских автомобилей .Какое разнообразие,какая фантазия и красота.

[@jp7489]

Beautiful cars!!!👍

[@CarterCountyCruisers]

Kurt is without a doubt one of the nicest people I've met in the car hobby. He has a real love and curiosity about all things kustom. One of my favorite things about going to the Custom car Revival in Indianapolis is getting a chance to chat with him. If only in passing.

[@ronniejaye1]

Those old caddy motors were built to better and tighter specs. And balanced , that's why they ran smoother . My buddy's father was a engine builder at gm back in those days.

[@antonvonneff253]

Yeah your right (now a day's the caddy CTS's just fall a part on the scenes and there a Kings ransom to repair and maintain)

[@brandonobaza8610]

That nailhead sounds perfect

[@oohgee3093]

Beautiful works of art!! I'm glad he saved that Buick!!

[@rockarocky1384]

✨ Wow !!! They are incredibly beautiful.

[@gustavoaldana9408]

Wonderful and beautiful car. Oh my got what Monster .

[@jamesfrank7709]

I think I knew the man who owned that white Cadillac back in the late ‘50s or early ‘60s as he was a friend of my parents. Also, I knew George Barris as we were members of the same organization in Los. Angeles.

[@darrenmorrison4335]

I just love them sleds 😁 thanks for posting.

[@TheLaXandro]

The taillights on that Mercury, holy cow. They work so perfectly.

[@thebentley71]

My name is Bentley Ayala. My fathers cousin Gil Ayala owned the 50 Mercury.

[@MyClassicCarTV]

Incredibly cool car!

[@johngrepo9976]

You're family is famous for building bitchin sleds..Auto Butchers forever!

[@kingjames1586]

Beautiful sled 👍

[@imploud]

Both of them are incredibly beautiful cars!!!!!

[@krishnamurtisaid8665]

Molto bella la Mercury !!!👀💓

[@jessiejames2155]

Really nice !

[@k.p.k.pakistan1904]

Wow Amazing and very beautiful car

[@stevenvasquez3462]

Beautiful cars 🤤

[@jerryvanvelzen9273]

Great Kustoms like they where supposed to be . What great person he is by the way . Thx for uploading .

[@cactusmeadow]

WoW !!! Great's And Thank's Sir.

[@divergent0042]

two beautys

[@nelsona779]

That Buick is just beautiful! And I would love to see it in person or go for a ride in it.🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

[@aleast4434]

Unique. My thanks go to the people who saved these works of art in the "Star Trek" era.

[@tertessa]

Beautiful Cars...

[@rogersaxon7671]

Awesome car!

[@chrislinn4486]

Awesome cars

[@HarrisPilton789]

That car is me. I want it too!

[@user-en8mm5md7p]

Обожаю старинные американские машины,для людей!!!!Удачи Вам,дедуля и здоровья!!!

[@TheEleatic]

Double "WOW!".

[@HeavyChevy]

They look good and sound good 💕

[@estpst]

Very nice

[@BoffinGrusky]

Stunning!!

[@didikprasetyandi6048]

Great.... Amazing....

[@peteykwia2752]

And the color is baasah👍👍👍💜💜💜💜🥂🍷!!

[@aijazshaikh7621]

Amazing,beautifully maintained,looking as new factory condition,driving on road it is floating on road,sound less engine.sparkling enterio,exterior,l also impress your personality smart how active you are,God bless you.

[@marcelodibenedetto276]

😮😮😮 divinoooos ❤

[@mounirmimosa5141]

Wow beautiful

[@andreasmuller8345]

🇺🇲👍This was a great time with excellent design like never before👌🇺🇲I love it💖🗽🦅🇺🇲

[@fernandoromero3724]

PRECIOSOS!!!

[@cjallan13]

Are used to see buddy Alcorn all over the streets of Long Beach

[@cjallan13]

He drove the wheels off that car and yes the interior that thing was to say the least not very good😎😎😎

[@steveespinola7652]

Or as Rick Flair would say: Styling and Profiling on the street. 😎

[@rickyburton4642]

How sweet it is 😎👍👍❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@mauroleopardi3857]

Troppo bella 💯 ? incredibile 🥇 un'autentica ammiraglia 💪 🔥🔥 inimitabile ⭐. Un lungo viaggio senza destinazione 🥇🔥⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Un 🤚 da Roma 👏

[@alessior.messina3250]

I'd be curious to see how any self-driving box could ever become such a masterpiece. They want to take the love for cars away from us.

[@alessior.messina3250]

@h3nry6556 you see my friend, i am one of those who thinks "driving pleasure first". A self-driving car is a blasphemy to me so, i am sorry, it would be a non-sense to ride passively such beauties..like they was trains (please, don't take me bad, no offense intended). Furthermore, as i wrote in another post here, i can't stand the "reboot" frenzy we are seeing these years: why to steal from the past? These two beauties (that i'd buy as they are just now!) had sense in 40's and 50's as expression of design styles and rules of those times. Now, 21st century, a reboot would look just as proof of the lack of any new idea and the inability to create new classics. Thx for reading and, again, just my opinion, no offense intended. :)

[@dariusowens1060]

GrayMan silent car 🤢

[@SeamusFries]

@GrayMan I agree with your idea, there's a company converting old vw beetles and vans electric, because they're iconic "hippie" vehicles so it's better for the environment, not to mention performance is unmatched

[@mukhumor]

I used to drive a Hearse. It would scrape every time I drove over a speed hump.

[@jrobpat0154]

It's interesting that these cars were only a couple of years old when they were modified. Would anyone today take a 2017 car and heavily customize it, I doubt it.

[@noanoxan]

Uh, there are a surprising number of turbo BRZs that weren't like that stock, and they're not old cars. Hell, people modify $100k GTRs right off the showroom floor lol. Have you seen the all-carbon fiber GTR? It's nuts what we do with cars nowadays.

[@slicksnewonenow]

Yeah, but today the craftsmanship and ingenuity with parts from other makes and models just ain't there... No kits back in 1952.

[@vladtheimpala5532]

It’s not a lead sled or anything but there’s a series of videos about a V8 swapped Tesla. This will get you started if you’re interested. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZXUanhvZ6l0gM0 I’ve always loved the older cars, even when they were new. I’ve always loved the lead sleds even though I wasn’t born yet when some of them were new. The first car I remember riding in was my Dad’s 49 Merc. It was not modified at all but I loved it. I’ve always wanted a 49 Merc lead sled. That 54 Cadillac is nice too. That’s one of my favorite years of Cadillac. The cars of today are reliable and practical. They’re safer and get better mileage but they just don’t have the appeal of the cars from the fifties and sixties. I consider that the Golden Age. We used to get excited about the new cars coming out in September. It’s just not the same anymore.

[@leonardespinal2172]

Me gustan ese tipo de carro, desde pequeño

[@laijuantony4383]

Wow, it looks like a ghost

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

I can't pick a favorite of these 2 cars... or 2 dudes!!

[@vermontjeff2535]

What a great life you live . Enjoy you're golden years

[@MOTOFLIXGARAGE]

how can someone dislike the video or the cars!!

[@kennethbredow3098]

The Buick was so cool, looked like it had a touch of Tucker looking from the rear.

[@mistervacation23]

Stuart drives a comfortable car, there is usually somebody in the trunk.

[@mistervacation23]

I can't imagine having a car like that, and just letting it sit unused collecting dust.

[@qwas7702]

8

[@user-qt5eh9wb7g]

Dig the sound of that nailhead...Lost me at 'not a fleathead guy' though. Hey, nobody's perfect....

[@damianbuzon8119]

Looks like 🌠 👍🏻

[@person-ey2ct]

Chrome is expensive and looks spectacular...it adds class Now that's a real motor!!! Not plastic crap

[@willmt9728]

Back when cars looked their best

[@user-ye9gv5ey6i]

Крутая тачка :-)

[@heidimarchant5438]

He took the flathead out so he could run the speed limit lol, smart choice if you want it for more than just a show car.🖒

[@sergeantmasson3669]

That's not why he removed the flathead Ford engine from the Merc. He doesn't like them, that why. His car, his choice. At least he didn't put a POS Chevy in it

[@heidimarchant5438]

@@sergeantmasson3669 I think we're both making the same point, just from different angles and I agree with you on the Chevy thing. I remember my drive shaft hit the dirt on my Chrysler and digging thru my grandpa's stash of used ones. I found one that looked like it fit and did. His junkyard consisted mostly of Chevy's. I wish parts were more interchangeable these days as they were then. I'm sure some more adept than me can make certain parts work tho. Wheels used to be that way too.