Spraymasters Paint and Body is known throughout the South as a hot spot for car culture. Owner Leroy Perry, Jr. learned to straighten car frames by stretching them between two trees as a boy in New Jersey. Today, he smoothes, shines, shapes and paints cars and trucks in his own full body shop in Cleveland, Mississippi. It's fitting that his shop, located on Highway 61, the famous "Blues Highway," is a Mecca for classic rides with fresh paint. Customers send vehicles from throughout the country to Perry for his unmistakable work. But Perry's customers in the Delta are his most loyal; his work defines the ultimate in regional style.
What makes Perry's work unique is his use of a "freehand" paint technique. While most body shops purchase paint pattern kits or use standard styles, Perry uses his steady hand and artist's eye to create unique styles that conform to the shape of each vehicle he paints. He also mixes and combines unique paint colors to create his "candy jobs": meticulous paint jobs that require up to 13 coats of primer, paint and gloss for a glowing finish. Many body shops expedite the process by using less coats and gaudy colors, but Perry pays close attention to his work's texture and surface. This combination of smooth perfection and wild style mark his work; a Spraymaster's job stays fresh for decades and can reinvigorate a vehicle half a century old. Cars arrive at Spraymaster's flaking with rust and leave looking like blown glass. Sometimes they come in parts, like the combination Monte Carlo/Ranchero/Corvette pictured here.
Perry learned his art as a body shop worker in Florida, where he stood out for his creativity and precision. His adventures eventually led him to the Mississippi Delta, where he found a willing customer base for his vivid auto art. For him, a vehicle provides a three-dimensional canvas that broadcasts style as it travels. For his customers, Perry's work exemplifies the combination of nostalgia and contemporary individuality that makes the Delta unique.
Perry can be contacted at (662) 843-1863