History Larry Watson's Personal Photo Collection

Larry passed away 2 years ago today. RIP

 

Wow it has been two years already

 

Great snapshot of Jim Warner's 1958 Ford Ranchero in its first version. The car is parked here in front of the old Bill Ortega (deCarr) shop.
This car was identical to Dick "Peep" Jackson's Ranchero, even up to the paint job in pearl white with fine gold panels and candy red fogging. The paint work was done by Dick Jackson. SO at this time I think Larry had nothing to do with this car at all.
This car was pretty wild simply because of its bold paint job, but can you imagine seeing two identical Ranchero's cruising downtime road in the late 1950's. The Ranchero has a nice slight Californian rake and just the right amount of custom touches as the shaving of the trim and door handles. Appleton Spots repeated and flipped side trim and dummy lake pipes. Later Bill deCarr would do some more subtile body work on Jim's Ranchero and Larry Watson would paint it a brilliant mist green pearl.







Two more snapshots from the Larry Watson Personal Photo Collection show Jim Warner's 1958 Ford Ranchero back at the Bill DeCarr shop. THis time at his new shop at Artesia Blvd. Jim had Bill dod some more body work on the car including installing a set of Edsel taillights and molded in headlights. The car is primered and all ready for Larry Watson to do his magic.






This photo from the Larry Watson Personal Collection shows Jim Warner's 1958 Ranchero after Larry had painted it a wonderful soft green pearl paint. When Bill DeCarr added the Edsel taillights he also had to shorten the side trim and gold insert for it as can be seen in this photo. This side view also shows the repeated side trim on Jim's Ranchero really well. It gives the car a nice look that was repeated in some of the early 1960's Fords. An I think it looks a lot better on this second version over the paneled earlier version which put a lot of attention to the side trim shape. The Lancer four bar hubcaps with medium size white wall tires and slight Californian rake looks so good on this car.








This is the the final version we know of Jim Warner's 1958 Ford Ranchero. The photo from Larry Watson Personal Collection shows the car with a set of wire wheels and a new much lower stance. Perhaps Jim had installed hydraulics on his car when this photo was taken. The wire wheels look very good with the lower stance, but I do prefer the earlier Lancer hubcaps. This photo gives us a good view at the Edsel taillights and the smoothed tail gate. What ever happened to Jim's Ranchero, is it still around?

 

That Ranch rules!!

 

My favorite tail lights ever.

 

this was actually built and owned by Javier Mejia of the Royal Jokers C.C. from San Francisco, he also owned the metal flaked candy green '60 Olds known as Space Coke and the Candy Purple '60 Impala known as Angel Dust.

 

Yup... and who could forget Javi's '55 Chevy wagon, "Tweak Bot?"

That final stance and paint on Warner's Ranchero is ruling... but perhaps I'm biased?

 

I'd love to have these scallops on a car! They sure looks awsome. This might be one of my famorites among with Bob Shremps Chevy. I wonder what color was on this 53? It would be fun if anyone could put some colors that Larry might have had on it and post a picture here.
All the others has said it before, great job with all these pictures and thanks for sharing them with us!a

 

Ijust went through the whole thread again, it's to hot for me outside, looks like anotherday on the computer

 

Hey Roger, if you move back to the "Gardens" it's a little closer to the beach. Might be cooler.

 

Hey Rikster any new ones? Im like a crackhead waiting for a fix

 

Me too.

 

There are plenty more... but I don't feel much like posting them here at the moment.
The hamb is pretty much Custom Car dead.
I still post the new photos on my own site... several new once each week. You can check them out there, or on my Facebook if you need a regular fix.

Few more...

Larry Watson saying "hi" sitting in Bill Striker's 1959 Cadillac. Look at the sparkling flakes in the paint on the roof.







Another great photo from the Larry Watson personal Collection is this photo - most likely a transparency taken by Andy Southard from which a colorer print was made and given to Larry - of the Barris Atlantic Blvd shop in July 1958. In the photo we can see Larry Watson (red t-shirt), Dean Jeffries cleaning the paint gun can on the left, Eddie Rhodes just on the right behind Larry and an unknown person behind the freshly painted bike gas tank. This photo gives a nice view of the many activities taking place in the Barris shop. The same building is now being used by Brad Masterson. On the left we can see a work bench on an angle with another bike gas taken taped with some flames getting ready to be painted. In the middle we can see an upholstery section and in the back we can see the roof profile from the Snooky Janich 1941 Ford. I have no idea which 1955 Chevy it is on the right side of the photo. But it looks like its getting striped… possibly by watson.







Another photo from the Watson Collection showing the famous Rosecrans blvd shop wall and parking lot gathering iis this lower angle shot. Some of the cars in the photo we can identify, others unfortunalty remain unknown so far. parked Customs. From let to right Dave Kyte 1955 Mercury, Terry Holloway’s 1957 Plymouth, then an unidentified 1958
T-Bird with similar panels as Larrys own car, candy dark blue 1957 Ford Ranchero, the root beer Mercedes of Jack Laird and another 1958 T-Bird halfway into the paint booth.







There are a lot of really great photos in the Larry Watson Personal Photo Collection. But I think that my favorites are the gathering of Watson painted Custom cars in the parking lot at Larry's Rosecrans Blvd shop in late 1959, or early 1960.

 

I know one thing....you have kept it alive for me.
Your sharing these pics means so much to many of us.....I'll be requesting your friendship on FB so I don't miss anything! Thanks, Rik.

 

The custom car will never be dead on the HAMB as long as this post is alive. I like earl schieb come to this thread to get my fix for customs. I continually read back through it for fun. Please keep posting Rik.

 

Agree wholeheartedly! Please keep these posts coming, Rik!

 

x2

Plus, if you're looking for another forum who would eat these pics up, we'd love for you to share them over at the lbcc mb if you like


Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Thanks Rik,

Dont be discouraged, there are alot of us who appriciate this thread even if we dont post all the time. I will agree customs arent the main focus on the Hamb, but killing this thread isnt going to help that. Keep the pics coming.

 

Thank you Rik!
Here or there.......APPRECIATE all that you do for us ....Custom...ers
Great Job!

 

I'm here for the kustoms....and this thread.

Thanks Rik.

 

I believe that the custom interest on here is pretty reflective of the way the hot rod/custom relationship has always been. Building a custom is way more complex of an undertaking, so there just seems to be more rods, therefore, more rod guys. That said, I think there a lot of us here that really enjoy seeing these pics. All of whom very much appreciate your efforts Rik. Plus I for one, don't facebook. I know, that's no excuse, I'll just have to visit your site.

 

BTT because Customs are a part of this place. And who needs another thread about 'why modern part'z store sux" right? A big thank-you for the Rikster for posting a true legends body of work. These are priceless gems.......

 

I completely agree. I have re-read this thread several times. I usually just don’t have anything worth adding to it. Just the other night I spent a couple hours looking a pictures and trying to decide if I should get a set of ‘57 Lancer caps for my car.

 

The custom threads, and anything posted by Rik, are the main reasons I continue to come back to this site.

 

Rik, I hope you never stop posting on this thread! I have gone through this thread dozens of times. I find a lot of great inspiration here. I greatly appreciate your commitment to custom's and your vast knowledge of the subject. Thanks for your hard work. Todd

 

Rik....For every posted encouragement you get here on the HAMB, I'm sure you get 5 PM's.....As a human being, I can clearly proclaim that there is nothing more discouraging than sharing your passion or convictions with an audience that either doesn't care, or doesn't appreciate it. having said that, you must eventually fins a venue where your passion is truly appreciated, like your own Website (HINT) or be willing to spread the wealth between available outlets...ie the HAMB AND Facebook. I don't know how this will work itself out, but I can say that for many of us, You are the Custom Guy who represents the reality of the Past better than any of your younger contemporaries. You have taken on a noble task, and though not the Authority to Whom all must bow, you clearly have a handle on what actually was, rather than the caricatures of what many perceive as Custom Car history. I wish you the best, hope that you establish your own Domain, and keep fighting the good fight. You have connections with the best of the best....I have every confidence that Customs will live on, whether it be Pre-1950's stuff, or the Glory of Mild Custoims and the Watson Legacy. Don't allow yourself to be ignored OR pidgeonholed into a simple decade of Customs. It all matters, and you of all people should understand that. Primer, Spiderwebs, Tats, Red rims, and cars with NO suspensions all have their place...but it's a VERY small place. Good luck to you Sir.....Centurion9

 

Rik,
I'm a new guy on here and love these customs. If I see a thread by you ,I know its gonna be great. Thanks for keeping Larry's work and the work of all Custom / Kustoms alive.

 

Rik after your last pm about posting here, I did a post onthis thread to bring it to the top and got a little reaction. Bur you post is getting the response I had hoped for. Me I go to your web site and look at a lot of the other people. As well as Larrys pictures. I suscribe to Kustoms Ill, but I stay away from Facebook and that type of site. I know the hamb has changed a lot over the years, but I still visit it regulary. When I gave you the photos I had scanned from Larry's collection, I did it so the World would remember him.I would hope to see this thread constantly updated by you, as well as you contributeing to the magazines, face book, adding to Los Boulevardos, and any other media. Larry was more than a friend to me so the more the better. I have asked some of Larrys friends to write letters for a future book II, Larry wanted three. And between you and others It will happen. Roger

 

Rik, I'm here for the customs as well. This thread needs to stay alive!

THANK YOU!!!!!