History Larry Watson's Personal Photo Collection

I agree. The paint is truly amazing. It changes the entire look of the truck. Can't say I like the beach chair look inside however

 

Donna Allen's boobs are amazing.

 

That Econoline is the tits.

 

thanks Rikster!

 

The Econoline is very cool but Donna is just too cute for words!

 

Gotta say thanks again Rik! Larry's stuff (Bill's too!) continues to inspire!
...Not too sure about his taste in female companions 'tho... Yeowsah!

-Dave

 

It's interesting to note that with all of the modifications on the Econoline, Larry kept the door handles. Most of his personal cars and many of his clients' cars had shaved doors.

 

Jesus Rik ,this thread is just a continuos lesson of style...each post is a wonder!!!!
please ,keep posting ...cant get enuff!!!!!

 

I'm in love with that Econoline.

 

Larry's Econoline is of the hook

 

Thanks for posting this pic. This will be the natural evolution of our Olds when we paint it next.

 

the last time I did an update on the thread I showed a series of photos of Larry's 1961 Ford Econoline. Here is one more showing the car at the 1965 Tridents Car Show. It shows the Econoline sitting on the show floor surrounded by many very colorful Custom Cars wearing Larry Watson Paint jobs. What an amazing experience it must have been to be able to walk thru this are and see all these vibrant color painted custom cars. The insert shows an portion of an Ad Larry ran in the Custom Car Show program.








Unfortunately there are not to many photos left of Phil Kaelin's 1932 Ford 5-window coupe painted by Larry Watson. Phil was from Louisville, Kentucky and brought his chopped 1932 Ford 5-window car all the way to California to have it painted by the famous Larry Watson. And it sure was worth the trip.
One of the best looking custom paint jobs on a 32 Ford… at least thats how I see it. Larry painted the whole body in fine silver, and then taped of the character lines and around the windows. Not that Larry taped off a little outside the body moldings making them look a bit heavier. Then he shot the rest in a very vibrant candy purple. Unfortunately this photo - part of Larry's personal Collection - is a black and white copy… I have added an small color photo (inset) from an older Watson published article to show how great the colors looked on this car.

I have always wondered why nobody has really replicated this paint job on a 32 Ford in the recent years. I know that there were several "rest rods" in the 1970's that used the same paint idea, but none of those came close to this Watson paint job. I can see a recreation based on Phil's paint job, but then with nice tall road white walls, some good looking hubcaps and a well dressed up engine.










Another photo of Phil Kaelin's 1932 Ford from the Larry Watson Collection. (The color inset photo comes from the writhes Custom Auto Collection and was only used to show the colors of the car). This front 3/4 photos gives us a better look at the channeling of the body over the frame. The dropped rille and the Engine. Note the double sided white wall tires up front.







A great close up of Larry Watson laying down some pin striping on Pinky Richards's 1957 Corvette.

 

Thanks for sharing these shots of that '32, Rik.

I've never seen it from the front before—what Larry did around the windshield is really nice and the fogged grill is pretty cool—wonder if the darker outer part was the same candy purple as the rest of the car, with the bars in silver.

 

What a shot.

Thanks Rikster

 

Amazing Rik...truly a back in time trip..and those colors!!!! ...keep it up,please!!!

 

More great shots Rik! Thanks!

I too have wondered why a tribute car to Mr. Kaelin's Deuce has not been done. Larry's paint scheme really puts this car up there with some of the most notable '32s of the time and it has been a favourite of mine ever since I saw it on the cover of Consumer Guide's "Grease Machines" (April 1979).

I wasn't able to scan the whole cover (Kaelin's car wraps from front to back and is surrounded by more of Larry's work), but I thought it would be interesting to show another colour shot. This pic and the first colour inset you showed are the only two images I have seen - so thanks for the others..



Interesting that you mention the double white-walled front tires as I have been searching for many years for a similar treatment for my own car - guess I will have to settle for some port-a-whites for now!

-Dave

 

I have Grease Machines, bought it in the 80s from a discount book seller for like $3, they had literally thirty, maybe forty copies, shoulda bought 'em all.

 

I have a copy of Consumers Guide Grease Machines also. Mine is dated 1978 and has a drawing of a red shoebox Ford with orange to yellow flames on the cover. The purple coupe shows up on page 4. It is the same picture as the inset picture in Rik's post.

Marty
Marysville, OH

 

I don't remember if they actually had two sided white walls. I sure remember the inners being Portawalls. It was quite a trick to get those Portawalls to seat right. We had them on the Little deuce coupe in 1957.

 

I've followed this thread and Rik's postings on FB. The biggest thing is how MANY cars Larry turned out. It must have been like an assembly line at his shops.

 

Great post Rik. What a great shot of the Trident's show.

 

First to last it's been a blast...

 

I assume at some point Larry switched from Nitrocellulose lacquer to Acrylic Lacquer. I wonder what the year was.

 

When he painted Parnelli's Indy Car, because when Parnelli approached him, Larry thought that he was upset that the white didn't yellow, but he was happy, Larry explained to him that he used the new acrylic. Dean Jefferies usually painted his cars, but was out of town and it was a rush job for Larry

 

Which car was that?

Marty
Marysville, OH

 

The car has a 98 on the nose , AJ & Parnelli , It says Willard Battery on it. I have a bunch of pictures of it. but I'm to dumb to post them.

 

I'm lovin this thread, please don't kill it. I'm subscribed on F/book and have visited your website on many occasions. One day (c'mon lottery) I'd like to re-create that purple '56 it's one of my favorites of all time.

Scotty

 

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I was painting back then. I think Ditzler was first with the acrylics, maybe '65-'66. I do know that my first candy job using nitro in was '64 and it cracked badly within a year, due to weather extremes in the midwest. The acrylics held up much better.