Randy Ayers Nascar Modeling Forums

[JWVD5953]

This is something I've never heard of. I started following NASCAR a little
in the 70s, my younger brother had a friend that was a Petty nut and they
traveled to a lot of the races down south mainly in Tennessee. I started really following myself around the 1990s when Jeff Gordon was a rookie.
I was reading that these cars were Chevrolet but not really sponsored by
Chevrolet as racing was not looked at as a "good thing". So from what I see this was a car supplied by Chevrolet, converted to racing specs by a covert chop shop, sounds almost like Kelly Johnson's "Skunk Works" that made secret planes that didn't exist in "Area 51". I am interested in modeling one of these cars, '57 Chevys I believe. Is the Revell kit a decent kit as far as detail and accuracy goes? I saw the instructions somewhere and it showed using exhausts with mufflers? I made the major mistake of putting mufflers on my Fireball Roberts '57 Ford and don't want to make the same mistake twice. It looks like a nice kit, I was kind of surprised they used a 283 cu in engine. I am seriously considering this or Petty's 68 Roadrunner, the Black Widow is a much easier paint scheme, no fluorescent or Petty blues. Thanks for any help and info.---John
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I hear the voices and obey

[john843]

John, You're correct about the "skunkworks. Chevrolet set up a clandestine shop at Nalley Chevrolet in Atlanta called Southern Engineering and Development (SEDCO). This link will give you an idea of what was going on and how the cars were built.


https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/07/24/one-of-only-a-few-left-black-widow-1957-chevrolet-narrowly-escaped-the-crusher/

John

[octopusmotor]

I built the Black Widow kit a couple months back. It's generally a good kit, although the exhaust pipes will need to be reworked and the front seat will need to be modified (remove the passenger's side seatback and put in a side bolster at the driver's right shoulder). Replacing the kit's wheels and tires with the Plastic Performance Products wheels and tires will also make it look more like a race car. There are other modifications you could do (modify the fuel tank; install twin shocks at each corner) but those are the two that really stick out to me. It all depends on how detailed you want to get. Either way, the kit builds pretty nicely.

There are scans of the SEDCO performance guide for the Black Widow available on the Web. I don't have the URL handy but a web search should get you going.

Jodie Peeler

[Bill J]

Here is the official Chevrolet manual for making a 57 Chevy into a stock car racer. I used this to make my Black Widow as close as possible to the 1:1.

The cars were originally blessed by Chevrolet but part way through the season GM decided to end official involvement in racing and let the teams keep the cars they had been given by Chevy. The teams raced on as best they could after that. I believe one requirement was the cars had to be painted in some other scheme then the factory Black Widow paint jobs.

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet_Stock_Car_Guide/dirindex.html

[JWVD5953]

Thanks for all the information. I am definitely going to pick
up Revell's kit and try to do it justice.---John
_________________
I hear the voices and obey

[john843]

John, if you will google americancarcollector 1957 Chevy Black Widow, it may fill in a couple of facts. I tried to post the link but you only get the preamble to the story and a subscription request. If you google it, you get the story.

John

[JWVD5953]

Thanks, so to make it somewhat accurate the seat needs to
be modified, fuel tank, shocks and run the exhaust through
the frame. My major concern, MUFFLERS????? Thanks---John
_________________
I hear the voices and obey

[Bill J]

No mufflers

[JWVD5953]

Thanks
_________________
I hear the voices and obey