MTFCA Forum

I don’t think this a Ford factory but maybe a Dodge or Chev factory?
It sure looks like the body men are leading in and shaping the bodies.

I don’t think Ford did body leading in this era did he?

I'd guess Dodge. They were early adopters of all steel bodies. They did bake the paint on, which might have limited use of common lead filler. Perhaps they used an alloy that could stand up to the paint oven heat. Post-1913, Dodge bodies had very little wood in them.

I used to use lead for a filler. It worked very well when we inserted a patch where the body had rusted out. Usually at the bottom of the door panels or body panels when water got inside and rusted from the inside out. The seam would be welded and then lead over the area and smoothed down. Lead is not very good for the health, and it is not usually used anymore. It does stick much better than Bondo however.
Norm

Lead was the filler of choice 'in days gone by' and is still better today than bondo, it takes some practice to perform well though but it gives a better and longer lasting result, it won't crack or chip, it can flex with the body panels. It is also the origin of the term 'lead sled', in postwar years it was general use to lead all body seams on the likes of Ford Mercury's, Oldsmobile 88s and Hudsons to make them more sleek looking with the lowered suspension and chopped top

GM was still using lead in 1987. I watched them leading quarter panel to the C-pillar at the GM plant in Framingham, MA (now long gone).

I remember very well the 49-51 Mercurys with the lowered and chopped look! I remember seeing a 51 Ford done the same way but the Mercurys were the popular ones to do the “lead sled” look to. If you were a tall guy your head would rub the headliner!
We called them that in the 60’s and 70’s.

There was a lot of lead used in Mercury and other speedster bodies as visible in this photo.