Kustoms vs. Lead Sleds - Define

As of late, I've been wondering what the difference (if there is any) between these two terms may be? Can a Kustom be a Lead Sled and/or a Lead Sled be a Kustom? Is it a time period thing, or a specific build type?

I'm not really into the whole labeling thing, but tend to be a stickler for calling things that they are not. I guess in a nutshell I like to be as well informed and accurate when talking about items that I own, such as my car.

Picture examples of each style would be great. I'll start it off with a pic of my own ride and see what others would consider it.

I know I'm really "asking for it" when I say this, but all opinions are welcome; whether they be good, bad, ugly, awesome. Thanks




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In my eyes youre car is a kustom. When hear " leadsled" i think of aggressive chop, extended quarter panels, skirts, really low suspension, shaved everything, and really really slow. just my opinion

 

custom = custom made or custom built. Could be a car, a suit, a piece of furniture that is one of a kind made to order.

Kustom = at one time it was considered clever to change the Cs into Ks. George Barris did this when he named his shop Kustom City. I think the sibilant C in City must have bugged the hell out of him at one time lol. He started the thing of calling custom cars, Kustoms.

Lead sled was a pejorative term applied to customs in the fifties when lead body solder was the only filler available, and some builders (like Barris) used it lavishly on their cars.

Hot rodders liked to call customs "lead sleds" implying that they were too heavy for good performance and therefore stupid. Because hot rodders value performance above looks, while customizers feel the opposite.

 

The term "Leadsled" used to be a derogatory term, coined by another group that didn't like a kustom getting all the attention at car shows and on the streets. It referred to all the lead being laid on a car after the many modifications a kustom went thru-and back in the day, lead was all that was used to smooth the mods. Bondo hadn't been invented yet.

Basically a 'kustom' and a lead sled are one and the same...KKOA perpetrated the name when it called their annual gathering "The Leadlsed Nats." They've since changed it.

R-

 

"Leadsled" started as a mostly derogatory term for a car with a lot of custom work done to it - often badly done - then grew to a term for any customized car. I would personally still reserve the term for a car with a lot of modifications, not minor dechroming - but that is me....

 

Whatever you want to call your car.....I call it way cool !!
However, basically agree that is a mild custom..

 

In my book:
Custom= any personalized car noticeably modified from factory original.
Lead Sled = round-body mid-century car with radically lowered suspension, chopped roof, subtle body mods like dechroming, debadging, frenched headlights, shaved, nosed and decked, sunken antennas. Must have skirts over rear wheels.
Kustom = radical show cars, sometimes futuristic and cartoonish body modifications ala Barris & Roth. Custom bodies, wild modifications, wild paint jobs. Not something for daily driving (if it even drives).

 

Hdonlybob- thanks for the compliment.

I agree that it would most probably fall into the mild custom category. I tend to try and stay away from referring to it as a lead sled, mostly due to the fact that the car doesn't have a single ounce of lead on it and none of the body mods are really over the top. I agree with most that the term lead sled should be reserved for a '50s era car car that has extensive modifications to both the suspension and body, and most importantly actually has lead used as body filler.

All in all, I guess there is no hard-lined definition for each style and each individual opinion will vary in some way or another.


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Yours isn't a mild custom, though! Here the rules are a bit more defined.
Mild is only mild changes, no major metal work. Lowering, nosing, decking, shaving door handles. Shortening trim.
Full customs have the above, plus major changes to the looks, i.e., different headlights, grill, tail lights. Completely changed side trim. As many of these, or as little.
Radical customs have major body surgery, chopped top, sectioning, and/or channeling.
Yours would be considered a radical custom, even though there are not a lot of other changes, the chop pushes it into that cl***.

 

I have never thought that there is any difference between a Custom or a Leadsled.
But now when I read what you guys write,so I may stop calling my Dodge for a Custom.
Its a Leadsled,,,,right?

 

It would have to be a time period thing as most builders don't use lead anymore. No real difference in my eyes, maybe lead sled would be from before low and slow. The early customs had souped mills a lot, where the latter customs are more about the look then the drive.

@40StudeDude got it correct it was a derogatory term at one time. I am not old enough to have used it that way. My generation the term was all show and no go, but it applied to hot rods that were all glitzed out as well.

Anyway off on a rabbit trail I don't think that there is any real difference although I think that Kustom and kewl are newstalgia. I probably wouldn't call a modern built custom a lead sled unless I knew that it was leaded but I have been known to call a custom a sled because that is what they were called where I lived when I was young.

 

chopolds- thanks for breaking the terms down further. A grill change is in the future (more than likely some type of floating grill setup) and the car also has full air ride so the suspension has been modified, to an extent.

j hansen- regardless of which category your ride falls into, that's a nice ride you have.


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To further define it:
This is the ISCA cl***es:
Conservative Custom - 0-3 body modifications
Mild Custom - 4-6 body modifications
Semi Custom - 7-10 body modifications
Full Custom - over 10 body modifications
Radical Custom - Any number of body modifications at least one of which is Chopping, Channeling or Sectioning.

Lifted from: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-definitive-mild-custom-photo-thread.575886

R-

 

Great info there 40StudeDude. Backs up what chopolds was saying about the chop pushing it over into the "radical custom" category.


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Rules Rules rules. Just build it and drive it let the rules be damned.

 

I don't mean to brag, but what the hell....!!! My '55 Cadillac Full Kustom:

Nosed, decked, peaks added to hood and trunk, headlight hoods extended 3/4", door handles removed. Side scoops opened up and metal modified. Side trim modified, skirts (hand-built), Lakes Pipes shrouds added. Front bumper (Dagmars) modified. Grille modified and hand-built, park lites modified and hand-built grilles over them.


What you can't see in these pix is a '56 Cadillac dash was added to replace the '55. The front door panel moldings were modified to accommodate the '56 dash. A '66 Buick tilt column was added and a CD player hidden in the dash. The car has a '78 Pontiac Trans Am subframe with disc brakes and sway bar and a '70 Cadillac 500" engine. In case you can't see it , the car is two-toned.

The rear bumper has been modified. Scoops added to rear of roof. Stainless trim around the rear window modified/lengthened. Additional trim added to rear below trunk, Cadillac emblem added to rear in aluminum circle, '94 Cadillac dual exhaust pipe ends.

All of this adds up to overall points on the ISCA show circuit...however, I drive this car (two 5,000 mile trips to Canada (
http://www.rodauthority.com/event-c...rene-nw-tour-1st-western-canada-power-cruise/ and
http://www.rodauthority.com/features/2nd-western-canada-power-cruise-wettest-road-trip-ever/)
and back in the last two years and a total of 31,000 in the last five years) and have only had it in two ISCA shows in the last four years.

Keep at your Ford and you'll eventually get there...

R-

 

porkn******- I'm with you on the whole "rules" deal. Some rules are meant to be broken. The goal for the Shoebox is to build a car that satisfies me, is safe and reliable, and something I can drive the wheels off of. If it can't be categorized when it's complete, well then I guess it'll just be that much more unique. I really do appreciate everyone's input on the topic.

40StudeDude- your '55 is a work of art and I think it's awesome that you put some serious miles on it. After all, if they can't/won't be driven, what's the point?


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Guessing my old truck would be a mild-custom ? i just think it looks bad***, but that's just me

Our 1957 'shop' truck *Stewy's Speed Shop* by RattyChick99 posted Apr 19, 2012 at 1:38 PM

 

always thought lead sled was a radical custom ride that was very low because of so much lead and bondo.

 

Some really good info on Wikipedia under, custom car and lead sled. There is a comprehensive list of terms I find useful as well.

 

For the most part, most people who modify a car think its a custom. Like an LS motor with a set of custom wheels. So I would call it a traditional 50`s style custom to set it apart from the rest. Or you could save the h***el and call it a leadsled . Most people will know what you are talking about. Either term will work fine.

 

LOVE THAT CAR !!!

 

A friend of my posted this picture on FaceBook Today...
This is what I remember back in the 50's as a "Lead Sled"

 

So would cars built in the last few years be called " BONDO SLEDS"

 

Mud Sled mite be appropriate.

 

I've heard of the term "Bondo Boats," but anything can be called something...just make up your own name...!!!

R-

 

I'll figure this posting thing out yet. My 37 Terraplane is chopped and has every body panel modified buy the hood. It's not really a street rod but being a 37, what would it be called ?