Dick Bailey's 1950 Mercury

Dick Bailey's 1950 Mercury. Dick was a member of the Huron Valley Road Runners and good a friend of Dave. Known as The Dream Boat, Dick's Mercury was restyled by The Alexander Brothers over a two-year period. The build was started in 1959 and completed in 1961, featuring a pair of popular Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts and a scallop paint job by "Crazy Painter" Paul Hatton. Photo from The Dave Jenkins Photo Collection.

Dick's Mercury wearing a set of Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts. Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

In the 1980s, Ron, a friend of Ray Soff spotted the Dream Boat cruising down a street in Ohio. Ron followed the car home, where he found it was owned by a man who had a few quirky details about his ride. The Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts were taken off the car, but were hanging in the garage. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

When Ron shot the car, the trunk had fur coming out, and the lock had been removed because the solenoid no longer worked. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

Ron recalled that the owner drove around with the window up during the summer, as the handle had fallen off. Interestingly, he offered to trade the Mercury for Ron's chopped '70s Lincoln. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

In 2002, Ray Soff received these photos from a man in Michigan who had visited the Mercury’s owner in Ohio. After seeing the car, he took these shots and sent them to Ray. The car’s condition was visibly deteriorating, and it was clear that time had taken its toll. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

Sadly, the condition of the iconic Mercury was getting worse over time. This photo shows that the left headlight is rusted. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

After the roof of the garage where the Mercury was stored collapsed, the car was kept outside for some time. Covered with tarps to protect it from the elements, this photo captures a moment of the car’s long decline. Photo courtesy of The Ray Soff Collection.

1950 Mercury owned by Dick Bailey of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Dick was a member of the Huron Valley Road Runners. He bought the Mercury in 1958. Known as "The Dream Boat," Dick's Mercury was restyled by The Alexander Brothers over a two-year period. The build was started in 1959 and completed in 1961. Dick had Jimmy Jones fabricate a pair of his famous Inkster Skirts for the Merc. The scallops were painted by "Crazy Painter" Paul Hatton.

Ohio

In the 1980s, Ray Soff's friend, Ron, saw the Mercury driving down a street in Ohio. Ron followed the car to its home and discovered that the owner had performed some unique modifications. The Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts were taken off the car, but were hanging in the garage. He also noticed that for some reason, fur was coming out of the trunk, and the lock had been removed because the solenoid no longer worked. The car was driven with the window up in the summer since the handle had fallen off. The owner offered to trade the Mercury for Ron's chopped '70s Lincoln.

In 2002, Ray Soff received some recent photos of the old custom from a man in Michigan who had visited the Mercury’s owner in Ohio. The car’s condition was visibly deteriorating, and it was clear that time had taken its toll. Sadly, the condition of the iconic Mercury was getting worse over time.

Before he passed away, Dave Jenkins shared some recent photos of Bailey's Mercury with Fred Thomas. In 2018 Fred told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that it was in a good condition, but had no bulbous Jimmy Jones skirts; "It was parked under a tarpaulin, and appeared to be licensed for the road. At that time, a friend of Dave tried to buy the car for restoration, but it was not able to be bought."

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