By signcraft
Posted on Friday, December 1st, 2023
In the late 1940s and early ’50s, American auto makers turned out big, heavy cars powered by hefty V-8 engines. They were the first of the production performance automobiles and as hot rods evolved in the 1950s, car enthusiasts began modifying the bodies, engines and suspension of these vehicles.
Modifying the body required a lot of body work, which meant cutting the sheet metal parts to lower the roof and/or body, adding louvers or recessing headlights—essentially redesigning the car. This was before plastic body filler was available, so hot lead was used to smooth the modifications, hence the term “lead sleds.”
The paint, graphics and striping are a huge part of the look of these vehicles. Scottie Kania, Scottie Design & Lettering, Easton, Pennsylvania, has handled the graphics and striping on several of these behemoths as you can see here.
Graphic stripes, flames and pinstriping are often used to accent the remodeled body lines. Colors range from conservative to garish, and the graphics add to that. The goal is usually to turn heads, and these cars certainly fill the bill.
Unlike the chiseled, angular car designs that are common today, these big cars were rounded—and the modifications exaggerated that look. “It’s like doing the graphics on a big egg,” Scottie says, laughing. “It’s different than working on a vehicle with panels that are more flat, with moldings and creases.”
Today the term is loosely used to describe any vehicle that fits the “big, heavy, fast” description. They have fans from coast to coast and still show up at car shows—though there aren’t as many of these cars around as there used to be. Those who fell in love with them when they were younger are growing old. “That crowd is disappearing,” Scottie says. “Most younger people aren’t too interested in the cars from the ’40s and ’50s.”
This is the second paint scheme for this 1948 Mercury. The car has won several car show awards. Scroll down to see the first version, which used blue flames over the blue paint and was also done by Scottie. The owner later repainted the car with black graphics over blue and had Scottie stripe it again.
Striping on another vintage Mercury.
