The Official "Jesse Padgett" blog

Dick Dean

The REAL "Mr. Merc"

So when I created this blog space it was to keep people informed about the business I was starting called Mr. Mercs Custom Car Studio.  Mr. Mercs was formed on July 7th, 2007 and was given to a very talented young builder named Ted Talmey on July the 7th, 2008.  I have moved out of the shop and am working on cars "just for fun" at home ... basically tying up some loose ends for friends/clients and finishing my own stuff.  

Shortly after I named my business I discovered that "Mr. Merc" was the nick name of a very famous car builder named Dick Dean.  Dick Dean became famous for the way he would customize Mercury cars in the 40's and 50's.  So, I am going to dedicate this blog space to the history and future of Kustom cars and the projects that I build. 

Obviously, I write about more than cars so I am starting the official Jesse Padgett blog located at www.jessepadgett.blogspot.com where I will continue you talk about the other things that fascinate me about life.  If you come to my blog often then you might want to add www.jessepadgett.blogspot.com to your blog list.

Either way I will see you here or there.

So heres a little history on Dick Dean:  

Born Richard Sawitskas, Dean was at the forefront of the custom movement when it was born in the late '40s and early '50s, often working alongside other pioneers of the hobby including Dean Jeffries, George Barris, and Bill Hines.

In fact it was Bill Hines who was employed by Dean's father in the early '50s at the family's Nash dealership in Michigan who taught Dick how to weld and do lead work. After a stint as a pilot in the Korean War, he went to the famed Art Center in SoCal and, in the mid '50s, opened his first custom shop called South End Customs.

At the Detroit Autorama in 1959 Dean met George Barris, who offered Dean a job doing bodywork, and Dick ended up working for Barris for three years. Dean also worked with Dean Jeffries in the '60s on the Monkeemobile, the Green Hornet car, and many other iconic TV and movie vehicles.

Over the years Dean had stated he "must have chopped more than 1,000 cars," (300 or more being of the '49-51 Merc bodies), and his status of the Sultan of Chop will probably never be equaled. An easy-going, fun-loving sort of individual, Dick always had a smile for you.