Norm Crum

Norm captured in his element, carefully leading and peaking a Chevrolet hood inside his shop. A master metalman, Norm was known for doing much of his own bodywork by hand, often working 14 to 16 hours a day during his early years to perfect his craft. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

A primered 1949 Chevrolet undergoing bodywork at Norm’s original Melrose Avenue shop in Hollywood, circa the mid-1950s. The Melrose location was recognizable for its distinctive accordion-style glass panel doors, though Norm later welded in galvanized steel sheets after repeated break-ins. “That’s all I had at the time,” Norm recalled, reflecting his practical, resourceful approach to running a busy custom and collision shop. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

A scene from outside Norm's Auto Body at 8175 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, circa 1955. The white 1953 Porsche 356 belonged to acclaimed film director Clarence Brown, a six-time Academy Award nominee known for classics such as National Velvet and Anna Karenina. Brown was an early enthusiast of European sports cars, and his patronage of Norm’s shop speaks to the reputation Norm Crum had earned among Hollywood’s elite. The Porsche is seen parked beside a sports car awaiting work. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Norm poses proudly with the Porsche outside his 8175 Melrose Avenue shop, circa 1955. The Porsche had been purchased from acclaimed film director Clarence Brown for $2,500. According to Jin Kim, the original asking price was $3,500 for what was believed to be a 1954 model, until Brown himself stepped in and adjusted the price upon learning it was a 1953. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

A custom Chrysler convertible photographed inside Norm’s Melrose Avenue shop around 1955, prior to Jimmy Burrell joining the team. This build features rear fins grafted from a 1955 Cadillac Eldorado, masterfully shaped and welded directly to the Chrysler body without the use of lead or filler. Norm recalled shaping the modified bumper entirely by hand with an acetylene torch, because that’s all he had, before sending it off for chroming. The photo captures the craftsmanship and creativity that defined Norm’s early custom work. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Pete Brock's 1946 Ford Convertible, shown here as “El Mirage,” on display in its final form featuring Arctic White paint with bold Cunningham-style racing stripes. The second round of modifications was executed by Norm at Norm's Auto Body in Hollywood, including the custom nose made from a 1941 Hudson center and twin 1950 Mercury grille shells, push bar bumpers, and recessed rear license plate. Upholstered by Dick and Dale's of Redwood City and powered by a Cadillac engine with LaSalle transmission, this sleek showstopper later disappeared after being sold to Jimmy Burrell. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

A rare exterior view of Norm's Auto Body at 4319 West Olive Avenue in Burbank, California, taken in the mid-1950s. This was Norm's second shop location, situated directly across from Warner Bros. Studios. Note the temporary “Norm’s” sign placed above the previous signage, a detail captured shortly after Norm took over the building, which he rented from race car driver and Lotus dealer Jay Chamberlain. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

A wider view of Norm's Auto Body at 4319 West Olive Avenue in Burbank, California, showing a busy lot filled with customs, classics, and sports cars. This snapshot captures the daily rhythm of Norm's second shop location, nestled across the street from Warner Bros. Studios. Even at this stage in his career, Norm's reputation for quality bodywork was drawing in an eclectic mix of vehicles and loyal customers. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Norm behind the wheel of the “Roadster Royale,” a handcrafted sports car originally built by Dick Kraft and Art Ingels in the early 1950s. Norm acquired the car around 1960. First featured in Hot Rod October 1954, the car featured a truss-style tubular frame with a 92-inch wheelbase, 3½ inches of ground clearance, and an all-aluminum body formed from .064-inch 3-S half-hard alloy. Power came from a hot 148-cubic-inch Ford “60” flathead V8 putting out an estimated 140 hp in 1954. The bodywork was formed by Ingels himself, later known as the father of karting. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Norm with his Vincent Series C Black Shadow, photographed around 1973. Known as one of the fastest production motorcycles of its time, the Black Shadow was a favorite among serious riders, and Norm was no exception. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Norm striking a classic pose at Will Rogers Beach in Los Angeles County, taken in the mid to late 1975. At 46 or 47 years old, Norm was still in peak physical condition, a testament to his years of bodybuilding and disciplined lifestyle. Photo from The Norm Crum Collection – Courtesy of Jin Kim.

Norman Louis Crum is an American bodyman, hot rodder, and custom car builder known for operating Norm's Auto Body in Hollywood and Burbank, California. A Korean War veteran, Norm has built and customized numerous cars since the early 1950s, earning recognition in publications such as Car Craft Magazine.

Early Life

Norm graduated from Fairfax High School at 18 years and 6 months old and wasted no time starting his career in the automotive world. In 1948, at the age of 19, he opened his first body shop in Hollywood, California. He worked long hours, often 14 to 16 hours a day, charging just 50 cents an hour in an effort to prove that even someone so young could deliver professional-quality work.

Korean War Service

Between January 1951 and October 1952, Norm served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon returning home, he quickly resumed his bodywork career in Hollywood.

First Shop

Norm’s first shop, listed as Norm's Auto Body, was located at 8175 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, and was active by 1955, as confirmed by a feature in Car Craft August 1955. In that article, Norm was described as part of a husband-and-wife team, working alongside his wife, Norene Crum. While Norm handled the bodywork and painting, Norene contributed ideas for restyling and was considered very clever at coming up with styling goodies. The article mentioned that their current pet project at the time was a restyled Volkswagen, which featured innovations from both Norm and Norene.

The article also stated that Norm’s bodywork experience dated back to when he was discharged from the Army after the World War II, according to Jin Kim, this was not correct, as Norm served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and not World War II. According to the article, upon returning, he went to work for a custom shop in Hollywood, where he specialized in sports car work before opening his own shop. With several years of experience under his belt, Norm turned his focus to custom car building and quickly earned a reputation for quality craftsmanship.

The Pete Brock Fordillac

One of the most significant customs to pass through Norm's Auto Body was the 1946 Ford Convertible, later known as the Fordillac, owned by Pete Brock of Menlo Park, California. Pete, who would later gain fame as a designer for General Motors and Shelby American, bought the already radically customized Ford from a used car lot in San Francisco in the early 1950s. The car had been sectioned, channeled, chopped, and fitted with a Carson Top by earlier customizers Art Lellis and Jerry Moffatt at Olive Hill Garage in Los Angeles.

While studying automotive design at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, Brock began developing new ideas for the car’s appearance. He brought it to Norm's Auto Body, then located at 8175 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, to execute his design sketches. Norm Crum and his team carried out the second wave of modifications, including a unique front end constructed using a 1941 Hudson nose and twin 1950 Mercury grille shells, recessed license plate in the rear pan, push bar bumpers, and Austin-Healey taillights. The body was painted Arctic White with blue Cunningham-style racing stripes. It was powered by a 1954 Cadillac engine backed by a 1938 LaSalle transmission, giving the Fordillac its name.

According to Norm, much of the later bodywork was done by Jimmy Burrell, who worked in Norm's shop before purchasing the car from Brock in 1956. Jimmy drove the Ford back to North Carolina, where it vanished from public view. Years later, Pete Brock reached out to Norm trying to locate the lost custom, but its whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

The Fordillac’s influence extended beyond the custom car scene. Pete later recalled that the car's racing stripe design, inspired by Briggs Cunningham's Le Mans entries, later found its way onto the Mustang GT350s he helped design for Shelby American.

The Second Shop – Burbank Era

In the mid-1950s, Norm relocated his operation to 4319 West Olive Avenue in Burbank, a location directly across from Warner Bros. Studios. This move is documented in Car Craft November 1956. The shop was rented from race car driver and Lotus dealer Jay Chamberlain, who also took Norm on dove hunting trips in Arizona in his private plane.

Period photos show Norm using a temporary “Norm’s” sign on top of an older sign when he first opened the Olive Avenue location. Norm continued working out of this shop for several years before moving to what would become his long-term base of operations.

Von Dutch

Norm was a good friend of legendary pinstriper Von Dutch, and he told Jin thatVon Dutch would often stop by the shop to visit Norm and pinstripe cars he was working on for customers.

Final Shop – 825 N Hollywood Way

In the mid-1960s, Norm moved to 825 N Hollywood Way in Burbank, where he established the final iteration of Norm's Auto Body. He stopped working there in late 1975. According to his personal accounting book, Norm began renting the space out to other parties starting that year. After leaving Los Angeles County at the end of 1975, Norm relocated to Orange County. By the late 1970s, he had settled near the beach in Newport, California.

Although he stepped away from running a commercial shop in 1975, Norm continued working on cars privately. He is known to have maintained and restored several vehicles over the years, including a classic Mini Cooper he worked on as recently as 2017. In 2003, he had a 1932 Ford Phaeton street rod. According to Jin Kim, who in 2025 spoke with Norm several times a week, Norm remained active working on cars until his early 80s, and possibly supervised operations beyond that. He was known for being strong and healthy well into his 90s, having previously been a bodybuilder.

Legacy and Preservation

In July of 2025, Norm was living in Burbank and, at nearly 96 years old, remained mentally sharp and full of stories from the golden era of California car culture. He had no surviving descendants but was generously sharing his life history with Jin Kim, who was documenting his legacy through interviews and photo scans.

Norm's photo archives include rare images of his early shops, custom cars, motorcycles, and racing machines. Jin also provided access to Car Craft Magazine features and photographs for historical preservation. As more photos are scanned and stories recorded, Norm Crum's contributions to post-war custom car history continue to gain long-overdue recognition.