Building the Black Widow *Updated 3/03/09*

[Len Carsner]

Looks awesome Len! I like that you decided to forgo the usual black and white paint scheme. The red really sets it off! Looking forward to your next update!

I was actually going for a bit lighter shade of red but this one really turned out well. And the red does show off the chrome nicely:

Bill got a little ambitious and Bare Metaled both of our cars. The chrome really "pops" with the red paint.

Bill's doing the prototypical black and white "Black Widow" racer which we'll show being painted in a couple of days.

Thanks for the comments,

Len C.

[Custom Hearse]

That does look good! All I can say is "WOW!!!!"

[Don Banes]

Revell is shipping the Black Widow kits to distribution now. They'll arrive at most distributors this week, so look for them in your LHS sometime next week. I'll be picking mine up from AAA Hobbies in Magnolia, NJ this weekend.

[Ron Hamilton]

I got my "widow" today, and it is fantastic.

[Len Carsner]

Our project is rapidly winding down and the cars are now finished. We're continuing our coverage of the buildup with a double update today and will post the grand finale unveiling a few days.

Now, we continue:

I used a lead pencil to highlight five raised round shapes on the 150 headliner. The circle in the center is where the street car dome light locates. You may or may not choose to remove the other four which are in actuality ejector pin marks. Obviously they aren't there on the headliner of a passenger car so you make the choice.

I used a couple of different kinds of tape for the painting of my Black Widow as well as a little different procedure. The yellow tape is called Razor Edge and is available in three widths at Sherwin-Williams paint stores. So far I've been impressed with the kind of sharp clean edge it provides. The blue tape is 3M painters low-tac tape. I started using it since it doesn't stick to things quite as aggressively as regular 3M tape. Here I've masked the body to prepare for applying the white paint to the rear of the body. I decided to try a different method this time. Rather than paint the whole body black or white and then mask off for the second color, I will spray the rear white and later re-mask to shoot the rest of the body black. This might allow the two paint applications to dry and cure-out more quickly. We'll see! Oh, I also used the two different tapes cause the yellow and blue looked good in pictures.

This time of year especially, it's a good idea to heat up the paint can just a tad. I put a small amount of water in a coffee cup (you'll soon learn how much when it doesn't run over when you set the can in the cup) and stick the cup of water in the micro wave for about 60 seconds. After the nuking the water I stick the can in for a few seconds. You want the can warm to the touch and no more.

After shaking the warned spray can thoroughly, the 150 body shell received multiple coats of GM white paint. I waited about 30 seconds between each series of coats.

Once the freshly-applied paint is thoroughly dry, I carefully removed all the tape from the 150 body. So far I am very happy with the way the Razor Edge tape has performed.

After waiting a full 24 hours, I felt confident the white was dried enough to stand up to being masked over. Using just the Razor Edge tape this time, I carefully masked the body once more this time for the application of GM black automotive paint to complete the Black Widow two-tone scheme.

Again the Razor Edge tape worked just fine. The parting line is clean and sharp and the low-tac allowed for flawless removal. Though the new paint looks pretty slick in this photo don't let the camera fool the eye. It will require a light wet-sanding with some 600 grit automotive sandpaper in preparation for a liberal coating of clear.

It's clear from this shot why BareMetal foil is so popular. Though the new Revell Chevrolet 150 Utility Sedan/Black Widow kit body has a minimum of bright work, once BMF is applied it really brings the car to life compared to the one left to do.

It's obvious that Len's 150 (right) core support is intended for a street driven car. Whoever heard of an oval track race car with a horn?

(continued in next post)

[Len Carsner]

(continued from previous post)

Seen here is the 150 Utility Sedan interior on the left with the Black Widow interior on the right side. Some references showed the upholstery pattern carried through onto the inside trim panels (left) while others showed that area as being matte black like the BW interior on the right.

You've seen the fuelie engine that Bill is building for his car, now here's the four barrel version in mine. The scripts on the valve covers is included on the decal sheet as well as the decals for the generator, oil filter canister, and air cleaner.

You know the build is getting close to the end when the "jewlery" is being installed. Here we have the grille and bumper assembly with its separate turn signal lenses and "Dagmar" bumper inserts installed. The grille was given a wash with The Detailer and lastly the decal for the center bar.

As I said the cars are done and are ready for their unveiling. Make sure to come back Tuesday evening around 8:00 PM. You won't want to miss it!!

Len Carsner

[walt francis]

I have watched this from the begining and can't wait for mine to come in, this is some great work here and now I have to wait till tuesday ....Man IS IT TUESDAY YET.

[Art Anderson]

funny how i've never met any of you guys, but i knew that was Bill Coulter as soon as i saw the picture.

i was wondering about the "business" part of this car. wouldn't there have only been a driver's side armrest and visor too?

Dave

I believe that armrests were optional on commercial cars, such as the sedan delivery and utility sedan. Bear in mind that these were "bare bones" cars, aimed at fleet purchase, for light delivery/service or sales calling.

Art

[Len Carsner]

I believe that armrests were optional on commercial cars, such as the sedan delivery and utility sedan. Bear in mind that these were "bare bones" cars, aimed at fleet purchase, for light delivery/service or sales calling.

Art

Thanks for your comments, Art. You're correct, these cars were meant to be bare-bones alternatives to sedan deliveries or panel trucks. It is safe to assume there were instances where extra options were added, either at time of order or dealer installed, per individual tastes.

As for my 150, I could have removed the right hand visor and armrest, but the decal for the door panel had a cutout to fit around the armrest. I chose to leave it as it was.

Since my car has such "options" as both visors and armrests plus the automatic transmission and 283 engine with four barrel carb and dual exhaust I figure this car was intended for a salesman who'd been a little more successful than most.

Len C.

[SteveG]

(continued from previous post)

You know the build is getting close to the end when the "jewlery" is being installed. Here we have the grille and bumper assembly with its separate turn signal lenses and "Dagmar" bumper inserts installed. The grille was given a wash with The Detailer and lastly the decal for the center bar.

Are the dummy plates included as separate parts to replace the dagmars or are they molded on the bumper?

-Steve

[Len Carsner]

Are the dummy plates included as separate parts to replace the dagmars or are they molded on the bumper?

-Steve

Hi Steve,

The dagmars are separate pieces molded in white. Checking the instructions I see there are no block off plates for the turn signals or the "dagmar" bunper guards. The bumper is molded closed in that area. There are block off plates for the headlamps and backup lights. Hope this clears that up for you.

BTW - from one member of "Team Banzai" to another - NICE SIGNATURE!!

[SteveG]

Hi Steve,

The dagmars are separate pieces molded in white. Checking the instructions I see there are no block off plates for the turn signals or the "dagmar" bunper guards. The bumper is molded closed in that area. There are block off plates for the headlamps and backup lights. Hope this clears that up for you.

BTW - from one member of "Team Banzai" to another - NICE SIGNATURE!!

Thanks Len, it's one of my favorite quotes and a great movie.

The box art shows the correct factory dummy plates, it's just a circle with a small stamped 4 point star in the center.

It goes in place of the dagmars which are rarely seen on the 150 series cars. They should be molded on the bumper

if not separate. I'd be really dissapointed if they changed that as they looked to be correct on the early test shot I

saw in Chicago.

-Steve

[Len Carsner]

Thanks Len, it's one of my favorite quotes and a great movie.

The box art shows the correct factory dummy plates, it's just a circle with a small stamped 4 point star in the center.

It goes in place of the dagmars which are rarely seen on the 150 series cars. They should be molded on the bumper

if not separate. I'd be really dissapointed if they changed that as they looked to be correct on the early test shot I

saw in Chicago.

-Steve

Okay, now I understand which dummy plates you were referring to and yes, they are there molded into the front bumper.

You're not going to be disappionted with this kit.

[SoCalCarCulture]

Glad to see everyone is so anxious for updates. Since I'm building the street version and haven't contributed much to the overall build I thought I'd post a couple of my pix.

But first, a little lesson on 1957 V8 engines.

On the Spotlight Board it was mentioned that the 265 V8 engine year was the only engine (other than the six) that was available in the utility sedan for 1957. It was also said that the engine was painted yellow, not the typical Chevt red/orange color. Having never heard about this I decided to do a little research. Here's what I've found:

Here's a picture that Bill Coulter forwarded to me. He's not sure where it came from, so credit where credit is due to the original poster. This shows the yellow 265 engine in a 1957 Chevy Utility Sedan. According to judging rules at http://www.emarkay.com/joutline.html the 265 was available only with a two barrel car, single exhaust, and manual transmission. Also the air cleaner would have no snorkel. The engine would have been painted yellow from start of production to early Novenber after which it was painted the same color as other Chevy V8 engines.

Thanks, and keep those comments coming.

Len Carsner

That image is from my albums and the engine is in a '57 Bel Air Convertible, the engines weren't yellow but Chartreuse, when this one was rebuilt they couldn't come up with a paint code so it ended up yellow. The 265s were left over '56 truck engines available in early '57s until the supply was exhausted. This was a very early build '57, first part of October '56 if I remember correctly, current owner is the second and has had it since '62!

[Len Carsner]

That image is from my albums and the engine is in a '57 Bel Air Convertible, the engines weren't yellow but Chartreuse, when this one was rebuilt they couldn't come up with a paint code so it ended up yellow. The 265s were left over '56 truck engines available in early '57s until the supply was exhausted. This was a very early build '57, first part of October '56 if I remember correctly, current owner is the second and has had it since '62!

Thanks for the additional info. According to the judging rules I mentioned in the earlier post the engine should be chartreuse, but I never was able to find a picture or paint code to corroborate the information. The picture of the yellow engine lead me, and others, to question the accuracy of the judging rules and to write about the yellow engine color.

Amazing what you can learn by building a model, eh?

Len Carsner

[Custom Hearse]

Those are looking great! I definitely need to pick one up as soon as possible! Thanks for showing the builds!

[Glue4U]

Hi.

Your cars seems to turned out great.

I can´t wait to get my hands on this model, i´ve ordered 3 from my local modelcar-dealer here in the south parts of Sweden.

I have loved this car (Black Widow) for years and has a lot of information and photos of the actual cars, and i also has the 1957 Chevrolet Stock Car Competition Guide.

I will build two of the cars as #87 Buck Baker´s and #47 Jack Smith´s racing cars with the decals from the now defunct Fred Cady decals, and one i will probably build as a original car with the FI setup.

Keep up the good work and please post more photos as the buildups continue.

Best wishes

Anders Lundstrom

Malmo

Sweden

[Len Carsner]

Hi.

Your cars seems to turned out great.

I can´t wait to get my hands on this model, i´ve ordered 3 from my local modelcar-dealer here in the south parts of Sweden.

I have loved this car (Black Widow) for years and has a lot of information and photos of the actual cars, and i also has the 1957 Chevrolet Stock Car Competition Guide.

I will build two of the cars as #87 Buck Baker´s and #47 Jack Smith´s racing cars with the decals from the now defunct Fred Cady decals, and one i will probably build as a original car with the FI setup.

Keep up the good work and please post more photos as the buildups continue.

Best wishes

Anders Lundstrom

Malmo

Sweden

You won't want to miss the unveiling of the finished cars tomorrow. Bill built his car as the Buck Baker car you mentioned and my car was built as the street car. Sound closed to what you're planning.

The reveal is at 8:00 PM EST tomorrow, March 3rd. I think everyone will be pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for your interest.

Len Carsner

[Custom Hearse]

You won't want to miss the unveiling of the finished cars tomorrow. Bill built his car as the Buck Baker car you mentioned and my car was built as the street car. Sound closed to what you're planning.

The reveal is at 8:00 PM EST tomorrow, March 3rd. I think everyone will be pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for your interest.

Len Carsner

You know, they outlawed torture....

I can't wait to see them! You and Bill have done an excellent job on these! I am definitely looking forward to this!

[berr13]

I've enjoyed this posting a great deal so far, and now I have a question for you two...were there any problems that came up during the build? I haven't built any of the Revell Chevy models yet, but I seem to recall a mention of minor problems in earlier versions. So, I'm interested in your experience in building this kit--any complications, and if so, how did you overcome them? Thanks for sharing your work, and thanks to all for the wealth of information.

[Len Carsner]

I've enjoyed this posting a great deal so far, and now I have a question for you two...were there any problems that came up during the build? I haven't built any of the Revell Chevy models yet, but I seem to recall a mention of minor problems in earlier versions. So, I'm interested in your experience in building this kit--any complications, and if so, how did you overcome them? Thanks for sharing your work, and thanks to all for the wealth of information.

I can think of a couple - both minor.

The steering column comes with both levers for the gear shift and turn signals. The levers are a bit fragile and can break off easily.

The rear shocks needed a little persuasion to get them in place. Maybe my fault since I didn't follow the instructions (who does?) and tried to put them in place after the rear end assembly was installed. Too much pressure causes them to bend in the middle, but they didn't break and I was able to straighten them and get them installed.

That's it and both could be chalked up to builder errors. Actually, this kit went together better than any I've put together in the last couple of years, and I was very pleased with the ease of assembly.

Thanks for the question,

Len Carsner

Edited March 3, 2009 by Len Carsner

[Len Carsner]

They’re finished, so now it’s time now for the final reveal! Take a look at these beauty shots, read Bill’s text, and enjoy our wrap-up of this great project.

]

You could use the kit decals to build the No. 46 Herb Thomas machine with a bit of manipulation of the numbers and the addition of a few selected after-market contingency markings. I've been hoarding a set of Fred Cady decals for some time now. No. 665 allows the 1957 NASCAR Grand National championship BW driven by Buck Baker to join my personal collection of vintage stock cars.

The new Revell Chevrolet 150 US-Black Widow kit is loaded with extra parts and includes enough stuff to build a variety of engine combinations like this 283 4-bbl V-8 with Powerglide automatic transmission.

The inevitable question is, "Do we need another 57 Chevy?" Len and I say "absolutely yes" when they look, build and capture the essence of the car like this new Revell kit does.

From any angle, top or bottom, there's no question this is a 1957 Chevy 150 Revell 1/25th scale plastic model...or is it? We think they did a great job capturing the look and proportions of this vintage American iron. Police car, Fire Chief's car, military staff car, over-the-road salesman's ride, or whatever you can imagine, the new Revell kit has a whole bunch of interesting possibilities.

Whether you're a bow-tie kinda guy or not, you'll likely find a whole lot about the new Revell 1957 Chevrolet 150 Utility Sedan/Black Widow to like.

That’s a wrap! I hope you’ve enjoyed our buildup as much as we’ve enjoyed building it. And as I’ve enjoyed posting it for you.

Oh, and be sure to share your experiences and pictures of YOUR Black Widow/150 Sedan buildups!

Thanks to all who commented and complimented,

Bill Coulter and Len Carsner

[Don Banes]

Just otstanding builds from both of you! Really enjoyable for me (and all of us) to follow along! Thanks!

[walt francis]

I can really say the wait was well worth it ...OUTSTANDING JOB GENTLEMEN ! Revell created a masterpiece here and you guys just proved it.

Standing ovation !!!!

[SteveG]

Well done guys !!! I hope to get my hands on one in a couple of days as I've have one on order through my LHS.

-Steve