2016 CKOS Lead Sled Award

 

2016 CKOS LEAD SLED AWARD

 

Every year in the early summer the Customs Of Sweden (CKOS) organizes the Lead Parking show. At this event the best Swedish Custom is awarded with the prestigious Lead Sled of the year award.






The 2016 LeadParking event was held on July 9 in Skultuna, Sweden. The weather was great soon the event location was filled with beautiful custom Cars from all over Scandinavia. The event is well known in Scandinavia and the main award given at the event, the CKOS (Custom Kemps of Sweden) Lead  Sled of the year award is one of the most desirable Custom Car awards of Scandinavia. The awards consist of  a beautiful casted and polished to a high luster sculptured 1940 Ford coupe tail-dragging custom.



CKOS Lead Sled of the Year award.
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Johan Törnqvist arriving at the CKOS LeadParking show in Skultuna, Sweden.
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The 2016 CKOS Lead Sled Award went to Johan Törnqvist just finished beautiful Candy Red late 1940’s styled 1940 Mercury coupe. Inspired by the famous Barris built Nick Matranga, Johnny Zarro/Al Andril Mercury’s combined with the more recently created Kirkegaard 1939 Mercury by Sledge Kustoms.
Congratulations to John for winning the 2016 award.

Johan created his own version based on a decently restored 1940 Mercury coupe. that was chopped perfectly with a wonderful flow of the rear of the top into the turret panels with a sharp edge. Most of the ’39-40 Merc coupes have a molded in and smoothed top to turret shape, so the sharp edge on Johans’s Merc was nice and refreshing. The B-pillars were angled forward and the center section thinned down. The whole side window channels were reshaped and smoothed to fit the new side window opening perfectly. The windshield was chopped less than the rest of the top and the top of the windshield raised up into the top. The gave the car a perfectly balanced top after the chop, plus it creates a much better forward vision when you drive the car. And Johan sure plans to drive his Merc a lot.



Johan Törnqvist receiving the Custom Keps of Sweden Lead Sled of the year award with his just finished candy apple red 1940 Mercury coupe.
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When the top was chopped the windshield was raised up into the top, to prevent the windshield becoming to narrow. Notice the perfect fitting trim and Appleton Spotlights.
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The complete body was restored, bubble teardrop fender skirts created. At the back a separate hand shaped splash pan was created for the 1946 Ford rear bumper. The rear bumper uses Lincoln Zephyr over riders. At the front a complete 1941 Lincoln Zephyr bumper was used. To give the car a more 1940’s custom look most of the trim and door handles were kept on the car, but the trunk lid was shaved of the handle with a cleaner look. The stock headlights and taillights were used on the car.




Rear 3/4 view shows the beautiful flow of the chopped top with the sharp edge between the top and the turret panel. Stock Mercury taillights and Lincoln over-riders on 1946 Ford rear bumper. The non molded in splash pan was hand made.
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Beautiful period perfect interior in white and black naugahyde. The rolls are done very nicely with am typical late 1940’s round shape The dash was beautifully restored and painted candy red with white plastic accents and a Lincoln Steering wheel.
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The headliner was done in a matching white with black piping. Just as the seats. All window garnish moldings were smoothed and chrome pated. The B0Pillar was thinned down and slanted forward.
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1940 Lincoln bumper was used up front. Notice how nicely balanced the windshield size is compared to the side window opening.
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In Progress…

Johan built his 1940 Mercury over a period of several years. And everything was done till perfection. The whole body was brought back to bare metal and completely metal finished before the fine gold base could be added. Johan had decided to paint his Mercury a deep Candy Red color. Perhaps not totally period perfect with the style of the car, but the end result is absolutely stunning. And for sure if Candy Apple would have been available in the in the late 1940’s the famous Custom Shops sure would have used it.



The Mercury all put together before final body prep and an amazing Candy Red over gold paint-job
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With all the body work and fit and finished handled, the body was painted fine metallic gold.
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Followed by many layers of dark Candy Red.
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Johan’s 1940 Merc is not only beautiful on the outside. The completely restored and rebuilt frame and Oldmobile ohv engine are just as beautiful.
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(This article is made possible by)



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