Larry Craig

Larry Craig's 1957 Cadillac, shown here with members of the Sultan of Long Beach car club. Craig painted the car himself and had hydraulic lifts installed all the way around. The car was later sold to Gary Reynolds. Photo from The Dave Ellis Collection.

Custom Car Koloring by Larry Craig. One of Larry's old business cards. Donated by Marshall Tripp, this business card comes from the office of Larry Watson. Larry was a contemporary of Watson. He did excellent work, and Marshall remembers that he rented 14903 Lakewood after Watson moved. Photo from The Kustomrama Business Card Collection.

Custom Car Koloring by Larry Craig. Donated by Marshall Tripp, this chromed business card comes from the office of Larry Watson.Photo from The Kustomrama Business Card Collection.

Larry Craig was a custom car painter from the Bellflower and Paramount area of Southern California. He was part of Larry Watson's circle in the Paramount, Bellflower, and Downey area in the early 1960s.

Craig painted custom cars in the Bellflower area from the early 1960s all the way into the 1990s, working on custom cars, motorcycles, choppers, boats, vans, lowriders, and hot rods.

In the 1960s he rented Larry Watson's old shop at 14903 Lakewood Blvd. in Paramount, California, across the driveway from [[Gene's Muffler]s], after Watson moved out.

The Burgundy Babe

In the early 1960s, around 1964, Craig built a 1955 Pontiac called The Burgundy Babe. The car featured hydraulics by Ron Aguirre, wire wheels, a flame paint design by Larry Watson, and pinstriping by Tom Kelly. At the 1965 Trident Show, Craig and his wife were photographed standing next to the 1955 Pontiac while prepping it for the show.

Paint Work

According to Dave Ellis, Craig was an active custom painter in the Long Beach and Paramount area. He painted a 1957 Chevrolet cab for Ellis in the 1990s. The car had an S-10 clip, a 350 Chevrolet engine, a three-speed automatic transmission, and a Monte Carlo swaybar, with hydraulic lifts all the way around.

Craig also custom painted a 1966 Pontiac Ventura that was purchased by Gary Reynolds, an original member of the Sultan Car Club. Craig owned a 1957 Cadillac custom that he painted himself and had hydraulic lifts installed all the way around. The car was later sold to Gary Reynolds.

Larry Craig's Cars

Larry Craig's 1955 Pontiac - The Burgundy Babe
Larry Craig's 1957 Cadillac