When we look at NASCAR today, it’s almost impossible to imagine the series without factory backing and million-dollar race teams. But it wasn’t always that way. A horrible accident during the 1955 Le Mans race that killed 83 people exposed the world to the dangers of auto racing. In 1957, fearing a ban on all auto racing, the Automobile Manufacturer’s Association placed an official ban on manufacturers’ involvement in racing or advertising its racing accomplishments. It was an interesting time in auto racing history, and you can read HERE how the Black Widow Chevys were formulated at a time when Chevrolet wasn’t officially racing. Safe to say, the keyword here was “manufacturers,” as individuals were free to do as they liked, so far as racing was concerned.

To unofficially help any racers who may wish to pilot Chevys, GM released a book on how to build a Black Widow, that contained 170 unique parts that would transform a base model 150 into a circuit-dominating force on wheels. This included a slew of heavy-duty components, as dirt tracks were still very popular in those days. Oversized radiators, beefed-up suspension components, brakes, and axles all turned a base model 150 Chevy into a Black Widow, along with the strongest engine of the day, a 283 horsepower, 283 cubic-inch, fuel-injected Chevy V-8. It later came out that a branch of Chevy engineers who broke off from Chevy also campaigned these cars, although rumor has it, that they were still on the payroll.

Although Dave Davidson’s Black Widow 1957 Chevy was built nearly 50 years after Chevrolet first began showing enthusiasts how to do it, there is not a more-period-correct car around. Dave’s ’57 Black Widow has won awards at such prestigious shows as the Sacramento Autorama and Grand National Roadster Show.

Dave Davidson’s 1957 Black Widow

As legendary as they are, you just don’t see that many Black Widow Chevys around anymore. Technically, anyone can build a Black Widow car if they have all the right parts. Dave said he spent nearly five years collecting parts before building his base model 1957 Chevy into a Black Widow. This meant sourcing many rare parts, including front spindles off of an original Black Widow car, and a hard-to-find, six-lug rearend from a 1957 limousine. Everything is period-correct on the car, right down to the Rochester fuel injection (which NASCAR almost instantly banned), to the high-po, one-year-only Fenton exhaust manifolds.

Dave started out with an original 1957 Chevy 150 that had been raced in the Central Valley area of California and spent more than five years collecting parts and pieces to complete the project.

Building A Period-Correct Black Widow Chevy

Since Dave’s Black Widow Chevy is a multi-year creation, he had plenty of time to build it right, and to say that Dave went the extra mile is an understatement. Many purists claim the only “real” Black Widow cars were those built and raced back in the day, so Dave located a Chevy 150 that had been raced on Central California dirt tracks in the late ’50s. He bought the ride in Grass Valley, California, then relocated the project back to his Chico, California shop, Vintage Hot Rod and Design. “I had fun parts-hunting with this project,” Dave notes. “I got help from Gary Pronesti in Florida, and Chuck Smith in California; I had to connect with people all across the country for this project.”

The 283 Cubic-Inch Small-Block Chevy

The six-lug wheels and corresponding components were a must-have, but other fabricated touches such as the through-the-frame exhaust were added. The 283 cubic-inch small-block engine was rebuilt to factory specs by legendary builder John Beck at Vintage Hot Rod, before being outfitted with an original Rochester fuel injection system.

Dave and John even dyno’d the engine and were able to tune it up to 302 horsepower — a bit more than the factory 283 horsepower rating. A roll cage was also added (not legal by today’s standards, of course). Dave even took great pains to find all sorts of associated hardware for the build, like a period-correct helmet, and an original NASCAR Black Widow book.

A Rochester fuel injection system and original race-spec Fenton exhaust manifolds are all original Black Widow parts from 1957.

A Black Widow’s Suspension, Steering, And Brakes

“A lot of people think what makes the Black Widow special is the engine; but the suspension, steering, and brakes were what actually made the car what it was,” Dave says. To this end, Dave ensured his Black Widow had everything Chevrolet’s build sheet said the cars did, and more. The front heavy-duty spindles and steering were the hardest to locate, Dave shares, and had to be bought from an original owner and driver of the Black Widow cars in the ’50s, who still had some spare parts. “The brakes were another sticking point,” as an original Black Widow brake system had to be located. Dave was even able to acquire some original instructions on how to outfit it to the car.

This Black Widow ’57 Receives A Frame-Off Restoration

Even after acquiring all of the parts, Dave was a long way from just bolting everything together like Legos. A lot of components were in a sad state, and the entire car ended up receiving a frame-off restoration, front to back and top to bottom. The race car body was carefully massaged back into shape, components were cleaned up and straightened, and a new, period-correct interior was built.

A smashed exhaust was one thing that could take a car out of a race, so a Black Widow’s exhaust system was run through the frame to avoid damage underneath the car.

The ’57 became a labor of love, as the restoration took four years of hard work to complete. Dave’s final move was to have the car lettered by California Design in Corona, California to make the car a tribute to famed NASCAR racer “Speedy” Thompson, who achieved 19 poles and 20 wins in Black Widow cars back in the late ’50s.

The Interior of the ’57 has been built to 1950s specs, including an original-era helmet, seatbelt, and the famed Black Widow book that told racers how to build the car.

Built To Race – And Drive!

One of Dave’s key calling cards, when he builds a hot rod, is that no matter how original or how much of a showpiece it is, it still must be drivable. When you turn the key, the small-block Chevy lights right off, and settles into a fast idle with just a hint of chop from the big (for those days) Duntov camshaft. Getting going isn’t any trouble either — just push in the clutch, ease the three-speed into gear, and start rolling down the road.

While Dave’s car is capable of driving anywhere, common sense dictates that it’s too rare to be totaled out by some teenager in an Altima running a red light, so its road duties consist mainly of parades and car shows. Even with its limited usage, Dave still takes the car all across the state and beyond and has won trophies at the Autorama and Grand National Roadster Show.

Dave Davidson’s ’57 Chevy 150 is one of the most accurate Black Widow cars you’ll ever see, and he has spent the last 20 years cruising and showing it around Northern California.

Preserving The Black Widow Chevy Legacy

The Black Widow 1957 Chevy is perhaps one of the winningest and most unique cars in NASCAR history. The fact Dave was able to assemble one nearly 50 years later is truly awesome. Whether it will ever run at any vintage car events is up for debate, but he will continue showing the car to sometimes small, but appreciative crowds who remember that short period in time when Chevrolet unofficially dominated NASCAR.