widow44.com - 1957 Chevrolet "Black Widow" - Rex White #44

The Story

This site documents the journey to recreate the iconic car, the 1957 Chevrolet "Black Widow" -- specifically the one badged as #44 and driven by Rex White.

It all starts with a 1957 Chervolet One-Fifty utility sedan - the lowest end trim line, most affordable, many times sold as fleet vehicles, and, usefully for racing, the lightest model. These would often be outfitted with a 3-speed manual gearbox and a "Blue Flame" inline six-cylinder engine, but these special ones, six, to be exact, would be fitted the "Super Turbo-Fire" 283 cubic inch V8 with the Ramjet fuel injection system. This was brand-new technology for 1957 and GM wanted to show off what its 1:1 HP:inĀ³ marvel could do on the track, so they worked with Southern Engineering Development Company (SEDCO) to develop a stock car. The advantage was so overwhelming, NASCAR banned fuel-injection in early 1957 - a ban which only recently has been lifted.

Henry, a long-time resident of Sarasota, Florida, has been collecting cars for a long time, particularly mid-fifties Chevys and this "Black Widow" is his Magmum Opus, decades in the making. Over thirty years of collecting parts, reading articles, researching parts lists, studying the 1957 Chevrolet Stock Car Competition Guide, examining pictures with a magnifying glass, sweating every single tiny detail like an automobile paleontologist. While the Competition Guide was useful, there were many details left out of what went into a real "Black Widow". Then, a lucky break that made it all come together. Through a mutual contact, Henry was put in touch with Rex White who was not only a former champion stock car driver, but also worked at SEDCO building these cars. After considerable consultation with Mr. White, Henry completed the assembly of this vehicle in early 2021. Details such as the notched auto glass for the safety door clamps, the seat bolster, the wrapped steering wheel, the spark arrest tube on the generator, details not mentioned in the Competition Guide, are all brought together in this, what is likely the world's most authentic "Black Widow" since the original six.

Thanks for reading. Below are some more pictures/videos.

From Jennifer Gerardi, at Henry's - 2021 August - Thanks Jennifer!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In Moorseville, NC at Rex White's induction into the NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame

unloading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rex chatting 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Henry chatting 36 mov mov mov Rex inducted 37 38 Walk of fame reveal 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Widow 44 on the streets 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

At Henry's Vehicle Assembly Building in Sarasota - 2021 July 3

In the VAB 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Lake side 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Hood open running Trunk open + door clamps Walk around 2 3 Under 2 VAB to lake side Back to VAB

At the North Carolina Auto Racing Museum - 2021 April 30

unloading hood open walk around on display + Henry 2 3 Rex's 1960 Impala

At Rex White's House - 2021 April 30

front yard pano pan house pan unload/reveal to Rex Rex Rex 2 3 long shot 2 3 4 Rex talks with Jim under the hood presenting photo reloading

From Jim

pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic

At Bowman Gray Stadium - 2021 May 1

unloading on the track + Henry 2 3 just car 2 off track +Rex on track 2 + Rex 2 3 4 5 Rex+Henry 2 3 4 +Matt just Rex pic to the press box pic 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rex+Henry +Jim+Russ 2 3 Rex+?+Harvey 2 3 4 5 Rex+Harvey+Luke 2 3 pic Rex+Matt+Hudson 2 +?+? Rex+Luke+? 2 3 Rex+? 2 jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg mov jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg jpg mov

From Russ

pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic

From Jim

pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic pic