... or, my new favorite T. While doing research for a (hopefully) future project, I came across a gem I had all but forgotten about. Blaspheme! This is Bill Scott's 1927 Ford Roadster, which would be nicknamed "The Black Widow". Here's what I found about it on The Hemmings website: "Wally Olson first transformed this 1927 T-Roadster into a show-stopping hot rod in 1952, intended as a family project with his sons. In September 1954, it made its magazine debut in a Hot Rod article en***led “Lil’ Beau T.” Bill Scott purchased the car in 1954-1955, adding the fenders, headlights, windshield and other items required for street legality. The first evidence of its “Black Widow” moniker dates to the August 1957 issue of Rodding and Re-styling, with an inventory of Bill Scott’s mods, including a new “full house” flathead V-8 and front suspension modifications, including a tubular axle and shocks. Dean Jeffries applied the pinstriping and graphics. At the 1957 Sacramento Automata, the T won the award for Best Roadster, and by the time the 1959 Hot Rod Annual was published, the name Black Widow stuck. Bill Scott p***ed away around 1987, and for several years, his Black Widow deteriorated. In 2005, Richard Riddell, who bravely commenced its complete restoration, found the car. Riddell’s work was extensive, with careful attention paid to reliability and safety of operation. The doors of the original steel body were welded shut, with the body and paint by Showtime Customs, the frame restored and powder-coated by Capps Powder Coat, the upholstery fitted by Brent’s and brightwork handled by Ace Plating. The hot V-8 engine, a circa-1942 Mercury 274-cubic-inch “flathead,” was built by RPM Machine and equipped with Edelbrock finned aluminum heads and triple carburetors. The drivetrain comprises a 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr trans, a 1934 Ford rear end, a Halibrand quick-change center, an enclosed driveshaft and a 1937 Ford tube axle. Braking is by 1939 Ford hydraulic drums all around, while 16-inch wheels and “V8″ hubcaps form the rolling stock." There's really nothing else I could add to this, except, gorgeous. Now, THIS is inspirational.
It's for sale on this site http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/OLD_SITE/fs-black-widow.html Posted from Austinrod
I remember when this car was shown in it's current version a few years ago at the GNRS. I have that old '54 issue of Hot Rod, and always wondered if Wally Olson's family still had the car in Fresno, or whatever happened to it. I was shocked to see the car all restored, and was actually disappointed in it’s current ‘styling’. I love the original version.
Very cool car, I like it. I do have to question why it's being called a '27 though, I don't see any '27 elements to it at all. Looks like a 23-25 turtle deck roadster to me.
I was talking to Dean Jeffries when he did the striping (webs) on this car. If you look closely at the keyhole in the deck lid, it says "Home". Some more data on this car, a local A****er guy visited Scotty until the day of his death...got Scotty to sell the T to him. (same guy had bought the American Graffitti Merc, sent it to Paso Robles to have some 'work' done) Same guy re-ins***uted the "Pharoahs" (misspelled on their Tshirts) but Bo Hopkins came to visit him, lending credence to the club. I was interested in the T, asked some questions: I hadn't seen it since it was in the Oakland Roadster Show behind Ray Anderegg's coupester... "So...what kind of engine does it have now?" He answers: "T-bird..." I ask "What ******?" He answers: "LaSalle. 4 speed." I quit asking then... A friend of his went to help pick it up. The rear end was out of it, and they slid it under to roll the T onto a trailer. "What kind of rear end?" The friend said he didn't know...I said, "Used to have a Quickchange..." he said he couldn't tell. I asked the buyer a dozen times if I could buy it. He said it was 'down south' in his friend's shop. This was in '92. The Merc got purchased by someone, don't know who. The '27 error is from the old Monogram model that bore the same name 'Black Widow'. Since then, another builder did a '29 Model A roadster pickup, calling it the 'Original Black Widow'. This is the original. It's a '23.
I wondered that as well. Then, I keyed on the cowl. It appears to be a '27 with the vent filled? The turtle deck says, earlier T, but may have been grafted during the build? Maybe, it was the front half of a '27 touring with an earlier turtle deck attached? The experts will chime in and clear this all up. So, please, chime away.
26-27 'tubs' had a deeper cowl - smooth around its radius - 1 piece, a very small 'kickup' around the seatback , and rectangular doors; 25 & earlier T's had a shorter cowl with a seam/style line extending from the windshield stanchion to the radius of the firewall (cowl tops were separate pieces on these T's), tall 'kickup' around the seatback, and U shaped doors;
Here's the 'black widow' model kit based on a 26-27 RPU @A****er Mike mentioned. I agree that this is probably where the confusion came from.
When I went to pick up my FED from Richard, he was about 90% finished with the resto on the Black Widow. I poured all over that car for almost 2 hours. He was a true craftsman and the car is stunning. They have been trying to get 125,000.00 for it every since he died.
Agreed that it is beautiful, but even so it will be a very long time if ever that they get $125,000 for it. And sadly if they do find someone who has the cash needed to buy it, that will likely mean that it will sit forever in some climate controlled toy box and never be seen or enjoyed by anyone other than the buyer. Sad to see that kind of fate for a unique old hot rod that should be driven and enjoyed, even if it would be preserved for a while. Most will already know, it's not a 27 but rather a 25.
I prefer it as the Wally Olsen roadster. The body was a '25. Somehow this "Black Widow" has been called a '27 probably mistaken with the AMT model of a '27 RPU. Hollywood Hot Rods built a fullsize version of the model 5-6 years ago. Tangled Web/Little Beau T
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would give a bit of input here. Uncle Ray Anderegg owned this little roadster in '55. When I get home I will go through my notes to add more. Here is a picture of it from the Merced Valve Burners Display at the '55 Merced County Fair, where both the roadsters and the AMBR big trophy were displayed.
The Jalopy Journal
