i know i read something about a black guy out of D-town that used to build ALOT of fender skirts in the 50s and into the 60 (maybe longer??). his name was James Jones. does anyone know where i read this (what magazine). i'd like to find it cause it turns out a guy (Bobby) i work with is his son-in-law. Mr. Jones has passed on but i think my Bobby and his wife would realy find it a thrill to see pops is still remembered by others. Bobby said he still has a bunch of his old patterns and stuff that they found after James died. that'd be some neat stuff huh? any help or info on article cronicling Mr. Jones and his work would be appreciated. thanks...
I've always heard them referred to as "Jimmy Jones Skirts" or "Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts". I know a friend of mine paid like $750 for a set of originals with all the hardware for his Ford.
Yep, Jimmie Jones skirts.....Dad talks fondly of having them on his '49 Olds. They were the cats meow back in the day. You can kind make them out in this photo
I'm pretty sure that Jimmie Jones built the skirts on this '57 Chevy that the A-Bros back in the late 50's. The workmanship is unbelievable. This has to be one of THE nicest '57s on the planet. I know there was an article on this car in a magazine some years back, and it mentioned that Jimmie Jones built them. I might have the magazine, but I'll have to do some searching. I think it was either in American Rodder or Custom Rodder. Matter of fact, I'm going to go search right now. Meanwhile, here are a few pics of that kar............E
Is there any way to acuratelly identify the Jimmy Jones skirts? I have an old set of steel bubbles that I have possesed for about 30 years. Just curious.-MIKE
I called Dad and he knows of no distingishing features of the skirts, he said he never knew of him signing or stamping any. He discribed them from going from practicly the door to the rear bumper, about three inches from each. He said the ones on the Chevys "were curved toward the door then went to a point". Dad's buddy Bob has them on his '51 Ford right now. I'll call Bob and see if he knows any more and/or if he could send me a few closeup shots. Stay tuned.
I met a guy this summer that used to hang out around his shop and picked up on some of his skills. he makes alot of his own skirts and they look alot like the james jones style. Bryan
I am not positive, but I think that these are my old skirts! I bought them from Jimmy Jones in Inkster in 1956. I had them on my 1956 210 hardtop, jet black. I sold them to someone in 1958 from across town and I think these may be them. They cost me $115. and that was when the average guy was bringing home $75. a week. Jimmy Jones had about a 4 car garage behind his house in Inkster, MI and he would hand form these skirts for many cars and he started with the tops of old sedans. The junk yards were full of old full sedans and Jimmy would go find the exact shape that he needed and bring it home. He used to have a bed of coals that he would slide the skirts over and he would hand hammer the skirts into perfect shape. Put the outside hem on them, add the attaching hardware, and prime them, then out the door for a nice profit. I had Bill Hines paint mine and he charged me $15 to paint them black and rub them out, plus he heated my front springs to lower the car. No One could make skirts like Jimmy Jones and they were perfect. They also fit the car perfectly in that they followed the shape or chrome trim exactly. He was a true craftsman and a gentleman. I personal would be interested in buying the patterns if they would like to sell them. Please let me know.
hotrod1940, it sounds like those could be your old skirts! With what they cost back in those days it seems hard to believe that there were very many pairs made, let alone that have survived the test of time. Definitely something you need to investigate............. I found the article on the '57. It is a feature kar in the May 1997 Custom Rodder. Everything else is just traffic is the title of the article--and it may be the name of the kar. It was written by Jerry Weesner. It talks about Dave Jenkins being the owner of the kar--the original owner! He bought it at the local Chevrolet dealership December 6, 1956, and at the time it was written still owned it. Dave started to modify it almost immediately, and took the kar to Harold Sheets for the first round of body mods which included shaving the door handles, nosing, decking and reworking the gun sights on the hood. The article continues.........."Dave felt there was yet another modification he just had to have if he were to stay ahead in the styling game---needle-nosed bubble skirts! This was at the very beginnings of a fad that would become part and parcel with what could be labeled "the Detroit style"---at least until muscle cars replaced most things custom. At first, bubble skirts were a purely Detroit-area phenomon, and now the legendary Jimmy Jones at the center (if Jimmy didn't actually invent them, he was certainly the first "aftermarket" source). Information on Jimmy Jones is sparce, shrouded in mystery and popular Detroit car culture folklore. What we do know is that he was a black man, extremely proficient in forming metal with the most rudimentary of tools. It's said he used the skins of car tops as the basic shape for his skirts, working the metal over a bed of coals in his backyard. Advertisement was purely by word of mouth---it was common knowledge among custom owners that if you wanted a pair of bubble skirts, Jimmy was the man to see. Of course, when the manufacturers saw there was a lucrative market, they began stamping out near copies of the master's work for mass marketing. What happened to Mr. Jones is a mystery, but he accomplished what few have ever done---he became a legend. Famed car designer Harry Bentley Bradley has said Dave's car (and Jimmy Jones' work), has "the best bubble skirts in America." The article goes on to say how the kar was taken to the A-Bros in 1962 for a make-over with '62 Impala seats and new upholstery in pearl Naugahyde by Ray's Custom Trim in Detroit. Also, lots of parts were chromed. Fast forward to 1990, the '57 was freshened up by Brian Hatton, son of the original artist/painter that did the car in '61! The more I look at the pictures, the better it looks. It is beautiful! Definitely a legendary survivor! If you have a stash of mags, check out the May '97 issue of Custom Rodder, page 58. Also, there are a few pictures with a little history on it in the November '95 issue of Custom Rodder on page '86 in the write up on the 15th Annual KKOA Street Custom Spectacular. Good reading on a cold evening! Thanks for reading this, I didn't expect this to be so long! E
Dave still owns and drives the 57 regularly. Local story has it that Dave drove it of the transport ( don't know if true) and no one has driven it but him since... moose
Send me a pm so I can remember who is looking for information. I have some old 'little pages " that mention Jimmie Jones skirts. If I can put my hands on one of the books I'll send it to you. TP
The best set I ever saw were on the not so famous ,purple Dick Bailey 50 chopped merc built by the Alexander bros. The car was seen in a 1965 issue of Popular Customs with out the skirtswhere it mistakenly reported that it was the Jerry Quesnel Merc redone.
Check out this post from the early Autorama and it has some Jimmy Jones skirts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1017730&posted=1#post1017730
this has been a much better response than i had expected. thanks all so much for the info so far. keep it coming for sure. i can't wait to show Bobby what people are saying about his father-in-law. obviously he was and still is a very highly respected man in our circle of car nuts. Denise. Bobby lives out your way and has seen your Olds at many a cruise night around town. he says he has'nt seen it since it was painted. i told him to introduce himself if he sees you again. Mike
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