I'm really happy that Larry took some behind the scene and what appears to be random shot of his glory days. This every day photo he took at the 10116 Artesia Boulevard, Bellflower Shop he shared with Bill DeCarr. I believe Larry had the paint booth which we can see clearly in this photo - with the fanned exhaust - and perhaps the extension behind the shop would also become Larry's. But there are a lot of photos with this addition to the building in unfinished form. Bill worked out of the front - "green" - section of this building. And it looks like the Ed Schelhaas name is still on the front as well. Later it would have a Bill DeCarr sign painted on. No famous Custom Cars in front of the show as we know of, but in the back we can spot the David C. Martin roadster Bill was working one, and which Larry would later paint. This great photo of Watson painted Customs was taken in 1957 at Larry's 1016 E Artesia Shop. They where gathering at Larry's shop for a small Car show in the parking lot. We can seen Duane Steck's 1954 Chevy Moonglow, Larry Lorenzo 1950 Mercury Convertible, Larry's Grapevine final version, Saint Vesquez 1951 Chevy Convertible, and the I have not been able to identify the other cars in this great photo...
Here is a Watson trivia question: Who was Pork-Chop? and what did he do for Larry? (Hint he was at Larry's funeral)
He did body-prep and detail work at Larry's Shops. Perhaps also buffing... not sure. According to what I have heard he was VERY good. Here Pork-CHops is working on LaVonne Bremmers Corvette when it was painted Lime Gold.
Thanks Rik!!!!! Some great stuff! Did you get anymore of his personal 61 caddy besides what was in his recent book particularly when it was in the Candy Rootbeer?
You are the man. I keep coming back and trying to soak up as many details as I can. Thanks for taking the time to keep this history alive.
The chevy in the picture was Larrys work car. Pork Chop has a lot of personal but great storys, I need to drive up to LA and hang out with him some more. Roger
finally!!!! i got to see this thread w/ pics for the 1st time and im almost in tears. How cool it is the Firestone shop sign? he speled custom w/ a c and cars w/ a K! Also i never knew that Don Loster did lifts for a livin,i knew his 59 was kifted but didnt kno it was his work. Thanx for the joint effort guys.
Two more photos... Larry Watson "Peanut House" shop had a nice large parking space in front of it. and there are many photos of Watson Customs gathered in front of it. The Peanut House sign is in a lot of those photos... And I always liked it. Here we have two mild 1957 Pontiac Customs posing in front of Larry's Camera. Great low angle shot! Another unidentified Custom at the Larry Watson Bill DeCarr shop. And this time even a rare black and white photo. Larry took most of his photos in color, but apparently he also took a couple of black and white rolls. And I don't think these black and white photos are really any older than the color photos. Most of the cars photographed in black and white also appear in color, or at least the shop situation or back ground cars do. However from this very nicely scalloped 1953 Chevy I do not have any color photos in the material Roger send me. The scallops are very nicely done, and somebody should copy this on their 1953-54 Chevy.
Thanks again for sharing Rik. When i see those behind the scene picture, i just can wait we have the "blade runner" photo analyzer !!!
Don't know what happened there... I guess everyone has their low points. And yes, the front end on that Corvette is really nice. On a up note... Thank you Rik for continuing to post this incredible history that was/is Larry Watson!
Another really great photo from the Larry Watson Collection. A 1957 Pontiac we have seen before. But what a stunning car. The lime gold candy color looks so fantastic on this car. The car is parked besides Larry's Rosecrans Blvd Shop... and in front of it is a very nicely paneled candy green and white 1955 Mercury. I have always loved the stuccoed walls of this shop with the rounded of window openings. This Candy Tangerine and Gold flake 1956 Mercury was owned by Agie Winn. It had a wild sculptured scoop on the sides, which does not show well in this photo, and a set of 1956 Packard taillights at the back. In fact the rear end of this car can also be seen in another photo of the Watson collection I posted some time ago... the car was painted light blue then. I'm not a huge fan of the none chrome bumper, but I guess it was pretty cool back then. The wires are fake hubcaps... Augie later sold this Merc and bought Watson's 1962 Cadillac.
Thanks for scanning and posting these amazing pictures Rik!!! - any chance of posting them in a higher resolution/size?
Rik, These pics are the best and your info really makes them come alive! There is no way i would ever have a peek inside to this stuff. You are a true custom car historian. Thanks for your efforts!
Larry Watson painted a number of 1958 T-Birds with similar panel/fade paint jobs as his own 1958 T-Bird. THis car which was owned by George Texeria was done in gold white and greens. Mild customized body, a tube grille, extremely low on white walls chrome reverse wheels and Watson's wild panel paint job where all you really needed back then. I actually really like the panel paint job on this car. The colors the lines, they all work very well on this car. And some 60's cars... Larry Watson painted this 1963 Pontiac in pearl light blue and fogged in some wonderful faded in candy blue The top was done using the same colors only there the dark blue was used for cob webbing. The body was shaved of all its handles and emblem and lowered for the ultra long and smooth look. I guess the wheels would now not be the first choice, but back then they most likely where the right choice. Another 60's Larry Watson Pontiac.. and I really like how this old photo has come apart... Looks like the top layer is separating from the carrier. Candy blue with a silver top on this (I think) 1964 Pontiac. There are not to many photos of the Watson 7040 Van Nuys blvd. Shop...
Rik the way you present the pictures of cars that Larry painted, with what you either know, or find out is just great. Roger
X2 ^^ Roger I couldn't agree more. Rik, on the Augie Winn Merc we have to remember that Larry was the cutting edge and a leader in paint trends and that painted bumper is about 20 years ahead of it's time and still better done then when the monochromatic trend of the 80s was at it's peak, some chrome was left for balance. Oh and I think those wire hubcaps are T-Bird and were fairly popular until Tru Spokes and Star Wire wheels came along.
Larry told me that whenever he went to buy clothes he always went with Porkchop because he knew where to get the coolest clothes
Another unidentified Custom car from the Larry Watson Photo Collection. This time a very nice 1957 Ford Sedan. Mildly customized with its handles and emblems removed. The paint job is once again a very creative and wild panel-fog paint-job. This time the base coat consist of a light pearl blue, with panels in bright candy blue and turquoise, both with fogged darker edges, and outlined with a heavy white pinstripe. The car is on a slight forward rake, has double fake lake pipes, and color coordinated four bar lancer hubcaps. Who owned it.. and where did it go? Here is the 1962 Cadillac of Larry Waton in its all black version sitting in a local Car dealer ship. Larry had painted the car its first Black Platinum Pearl before that, and tried to sell it without any luck. So Larry painted it black with a Salt & Pepper silver flake top. The car was lowered and ran the Buick wire wheels - which he also used on his Brougham - and tripple thread white wall tires of which he blackened the centre stripe. Bill DeCar had shaved the body for Larry before he repainted the car.
Man I love these old photos Rik you have got to have the largest collection of early custom car photos out there.
It looks like the chopped 56 Merc is in the background on the left hand side of that 57 Ford pic. In the pics I have seen of it it's always after Larry layed on it's crazy panel paint. Thanks again Rik for keeping this thread going.
Some Hot Rods painted by Larry... Great photo of the Bill DeCarr/Watson 10116 Artesia Blvd. when it had still the Ed Schelhaas sign on the front. In this around 1960 photo we can see a nice but unknown '29 Model A Roadster Hot Rod outside, a 1959 Ford inside the shop that just had a nice Larry Watson silver and candy blue paint job, and Terry Holloway's 1957 Plymouth in the back. Very nice Model T coupe with a wonderful Larry Watson paint job. The stance the wheels the tires, the white interior and top they are a part of making this one very stylish Hot Rod. The rear bumper was not installed, most likely still at the home of this very happy Hot Rodder. And back to Customs again... Larry took this snapshot of his 1961 Ford Econoline in 1965. The body work - new tubular grille, quad headlights, and a general shave of all emblems - on this pickup was done by Bill DeCarr. The pick up was lowered and put on 13 inch Corvaire accessory wire wheels with narrow white walls. Larry painted this truck in his first Salt & Pepper Metalflake paintjob. The accents are done in Metalflake silver. Joe Perez did the multi color metalflake plastic seat upholstery. Where did this Watson Custom go? Larry Watson had just painted his 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Special in his brightest pearl white paint when he took this photo of it. It does make me wonder how he drove this car out of the paint booth with all the windows taped up... ??? Larry just bought this car brand new a couple of days before this photo was taken. The same day he bought it he already had it lowered, and the next day he would have Bill DeCarr shave the body of its emblems and handles. As can be seen in this photo the whole top has been taped of since that was already done in silver with chrome tape buried in clear. Next up - but not showing in this photo - was one of his best ever subtile scallop, outlines paint jobs in candy ruby red. The thin outline panel paint made the car look even longer than it already was.
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