History Larry Watson Discussion

I will have to dig but I swear I have it in an obscure little pages magazine.

 

Watson had an uncanny "feel" for "visual weight." You can always tell work done in his "style" that isn't actually his because the visual weight just isn't right. Too thick, too thin, too much, too little...the imitators just can't seem to get it right. Watson also understood "color weight" and did his scallops and two-tones with that in mind. Not that it was always perfect, it wasn't, but it was always doggon close. The only total failure that comes to mind of the hundreds of cars he painted is the '56 Mercury with tiger stripe scallops. I've always wondered about that one, and have come to the conclusion that Watson was probably pressured by the owner to do it that way. Never know, I guess, but all the rest of 'em were spot on.

 

Sweet little truck! How can you not like a '56 F-100, but then to add Watson's magic to it...exceptional.
Let's hope it's sitting stashed away in this configuration just waiting to come out of slumber.

 

Not much compared to standard Watson custom work but such a classy car!

 

My second car in high school was a yellow and white BelAir 2 door hardtop so of course I was pretty stuck on 57's for a long time, the 56 models never clicked with me.....................
Until I saw Watsons.
I'd sure like to see more shots of this car, I don't recall seeing photos from other angles.
Anyone?

 

Found these on a truck with similar style

 

You can’t go wrong with a 53-56 F100.

 

The 1950s I think was were wild paint tech took a giant leap. At least that's when I took big note of what seemed extra amazing things,new Pearl,Candy, Flake etcetera ,Studebaker was doing super cool two tone*s unlike any other Factory cars.
Watson was showing up in all the hot rod n custom books.
Every big town an some small ones,at least most had a paint shop that did eye candy type work**.
Two paint n body,in Miami Fla that did things kind of like Watson,was Village Paint n Body ,and Jeff Stevens Paint n Body { did a lot of MC}doing wild custom stuff. There were a few others as well around south Fla.
But us low $ guys had to learn how to do our own in the back yard!
Even repainted a buddys car 3 times in one month,learning stuff each time.
Beside the norm tools most of us collected,as teens in the 1950s,my first two,big** to me buys in mid50s was a Oxygen an Acetylene set,then air compressor an spray gun. Killed a lot of backyard grass with both

 

They are bringing stupid money these days. I have been wanting one for a daily. Problem is, I don’t want someone else’s build. I’ll just end up redoing it anyway. I would do better finding an original unmolested truck.

 

I bought my 53 back in 1997 for $500 and my wife thought I got took……

I sold it to a guy in NJ for $11,500 (after a total rebuild) and he drove it home. I should have kept it.

 

Yeah when he was talking about the different cars an talked about the Pat Patterson car I wanted to cry as we don't have any pictures because of my oldest brother. A total hater and the whole family loves cars except him, oh well

 

My dad was going to buy me a 53 F100 for my first car. I thought it was dorky with the straight six, and I wanted to hold out for a 56. Of course now, I would take a 53, but still think the 56 is light years ahead in style. I’m a big fan of Watson. I’ve seen a bunch of pictures in his collection. I bet there’s still a lot out there yet to be posted.

 

Whew, I'm real glad I'm not learning that Watson was a nutty lousy painting troubled drug and alcohol abusing Nazi sympathyzing racist. I must admit that I opened this thread with caution (because I've always loved Watson's sense of style).

 

My stupid self didn’t buy a 53 my uncle had for years. 239 y block would crank. Floors were perfect. fenders a little rough. Stored inside for decades. $2500
but, I don’t need any more projects so I passed.
It sold a month later quickly for twice that.
But I wasn’t gonna do my uncle that way. So another relative did.

 

Belongs to a member. Maybe he won’t get mad.
The cleanest 56 I’d ever seen.
A brake rebuild and axle stretch and zoom zoom.

I believe he has since upgraded to an early Hemi

 

She’s a beauty

 

You been following AD trucks? They are over priced now as well. My $300 GMC would probably fetch 5-8k now straight outta the field

 

There's no coincidence that that formula still works today. Something about a car needs to be the focal point. Maybe wild paint. Maybe huge engine. Maybe extreme body mods. But something needs to take the lead. When there is too much going on with wild body mods, and crazy custom paint, it can lead to sensory overload. Which is not to say that that can't be cool, too. Sometimes the subtle-as-a-sledgehammer-to-the-head approach is cool, but it is almost always a more polarizing style and won't ring the bell for people who don't like gaudy or flashy stuff. Watson's paint took the reigns on many a car. A couple basic body mods like nosing, decking or shaving the handles or an odd emblem, lower it, killer paint job.... done.

 

There's an orange one with white scallops, running around SoCal, I really like. I have a photo at home. Maybe someone has one on here. Also the one Gambino did is awesome....

 

I recently bought a 1956 f100. I plan on either scallops or flames. I'm also going to install a box from a 1999 ranger step side. I will post pictures of it when I get to the painting stag. Right now I'm stripping the paint and some panel repair

 

Love it