b'helped them tear the old church down and build a new one, Larry said. All the block from that old church he brought out here and chipped all the concrete off of each block individually by hand.Larry got his start in that garageand in American Graffiti fashion refurbished and tricked out countless cars there. Larry would eventually trade that 1950 Plymouth, his high school car, for a 55 Chevrolet.Larry and Judi stand next to the garage Larrys father built with blocks from the old Independence Christian Church. Larry built and restored countless cars out of this garage.Larry sold his shop and moved to the Volunteer State on his birthday.I thought that was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, working for Kenny Rogers, Larry said. Larry worked for Rogers and Spurlock for nine years, with his crowning achievement being a 1949 award-winning Mercury, dubbed the Merrodder. Larry built the car from a rudimentary drawing rendered by Larry Erickson, chief designer for General Motors. He worked on that car every day for two years. According Affectionately referred to as his baby, Larrys 1950 Mercury featured onto Larry, BFGoodrich paid $30,000 and took 10 days to capture a the cover of Custom Car magazine earned Larry the King of the Mercsphoto of the completed Merrodder, a copy of which adorns a wall award in 1989. Here Larry is shown with just a couple of his trophies andin his home. a stack of magazines in which his cars are featured.HIT THE ROAD That car is finished 100 percent, Larry beamed. The bottom of that car is as slick as the top. I made belly pans to put on bottom Soon, Larry began traveling across the country with his custom-to make it smooth. It was the most time-consuming car I ever built cars and started making a name for himself. He wasnt alwaysbuilt. I have no idea how many hours went into that car.welcomed with open arms by his competitors, however. Larry often won at the car shows, racking up over 100 awards and beingPUTTING THE BRAKES ONfeatured in dozens of magazines in his lifetime.In 1999, Larrys parents became ill and he returned to Independence to care for them. His father passed in 2000, followed by his mother I came to their turf and kicked their , Larry started.a year later. He and Judi He won the title King of the Mercs twice, a hard-to-come-byreturned to live in his feat reserved for the person who builds the best Mercury, Larryschildhood home. After a specialty. He recalled being bombarded once by at least 50 peopleshort while, Larry sufferedat a show in Wichita, Kansas. They couldnt wait to see his car,a torn tendon and damaged crowding him so that he couldnt open his door to get out. Larryrotator cuff in his shoulder. was also featured multiple times locally at the Cavalcade of CustomsTo boot, Larry endured a in Cincinnati, where he had nine cars at one show, filling up thebattle with prostate cancer. entrance to the Duke Energy Convention Center.Luckily he made a full recovery, but it was time Larry was so successful that he opened Larry Kramer Customto put away his toolbox. Cars in Cincinnati where he built radical custom cars, street rods,He now fills his days by and custom bikes, in addition to performing autobody frame andtaking care of his home collision work. Even with a crew of five employees, customers hadand yard, and, like his to wait for Larrys services. When members of rock band ZZ Topcars, takes pride in making called, they were told it would be six months until work wouldsure every detail is perfect startthey were unwilling to wait. and things are meticulously Then, in 1991 Larry got a call. He was asked to go to Tennessee tomaintainedjust like work for C.K. Spurlock, Kenny Rogers manager. Spurlock, an avid carhis dad.The original Kramer crest was enthusiast who also worked with artists like Dolly Parton, AlabamaLarrys mark, which he put on every and Loretta Lynn, had a building full of cars that needed restoring. So,car he finished. 9'