When naming a car, sometimes you know before you even start and sometimes it just falls into your lap. The latter would be true with this '61 Chevy Impala, "Black Widow." This car received its name while it was at a photo shoot. Earlier on in the day, owner Cleto Sanchez was asked the name of his car and he said that he had never really thought about it. But while cleaning the car, he saw a real black widow spider fall out of it. At that point, it was pretty apparent what the name was going to be.
Cleto-a construction manager from Mission Hills, California-has spent two years and $45,000 putting together Black Widow. He says that the car was a labor of love and that he performed much of the work himself. Doing his own work kept the cost down and the quality control high. The fact that Cleto has a four-car garage to actually do it in also doesn't hurt either.
Cleto's been lowriding for more than 15 years and had a few things that he wanted to do. First off, he wanted to make sure that if he needed to get into some hopping action that he wouldn't come out of it with a bent car. With that, he reinforced the Canadian X-frame with 1/4-inch steel. He then turned his attention to the upper and lower A-arms and trailing arms, molding them for looks and strength. Continuing with the plans of making the suspension bullet-proof, he swapped out the rearend for a Ford 9-inch unit with disc brakes. The piece was shortened so that he could run side skirts.
Four pumps and eight batteries reside in the truck with enough power to get crazy if the mood strikes. And when cruising the streets of Mission Hills and beyond, Cleto wanted to have a smooth-riding setup, but still be able to throw it up once in a while, so he devised a dual coil setup in the rear that allows him to cruise on the softer bottom coils while on lockup and hit switches on the stiffer upper coil.
Cleto has built many cars, but this one will remain permanently etched in his brain, literally. Cleto had the things that matter most in his life tattooed on his head. A picture of the car along with his club, his son and daughter, and a drawing of Christ were done on his head. Abel Rocha did the tattoos and the back of his head features a portrait of the '61 with his club One Bad Creation written above it. On one side is a portrait of his daughter and on the other his son. And on the top of his head, Cleto has a portrait of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.
"I wanted to do something so that I didn't have to walk around shows with my shirt off for people to see my tats and where I could still remain respectable when working, so I decided to do it on my head," Cleto explains. "The only time you'll see me with a shaved head is at the shows; otherwise I let my hair grow in to cover it up."
Cleto claims that he's done with the car. He's not one to tear down a car and redo it, so it's on to the next project. His wife and children are the backbone of his family, and for that they get a very special thanks. And he's certainly grateful for the help from his fellow One Bad Creation Car Club members for their help and support, both in building it and setting it up at the shows.
Black WidowOwner: Cleto SanchezVehicle: '61 Chevrolet Impala ConvertibleCity/State: Mission Hills, CaliforniaClub: One Bad Creation C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: The owner installed a Chevy 350-c.i.d. crate motor featuring an Edelbrock intake and carb with chrome air cleaner, alternator, brake booster, inner fenderwells and fan shroud. Aluminized 2-inch headers into a dual exhaust relieve the engine of its fumes and make for a pretty sound.
Body/Paint: Cleto's brother-in-law Robert "Big Papa" Acosta did the black paint job that defines "Black Widow." His shop, Robert's Auto Body in Reseda, California, applied PPG black over the ultra-smooth body. Rick Randall of Northridge, California, performed the pinstriping. A Continental kit graces the rear along with bumper guards and side skirts.
Interior: Someone needed to recover the stock interior and Cleto couldn't think of anyone better than the crew at Bowtie Connection in Artesia, California. They recovered the entire interior with a CARS, Inc. stock interior kit. The car also received a new vinyl top. Cleto then added power windows, digital dash, tilt steering and power seats.
Sound System: No vehicle is complete without some sounds to cruise to and "Jo Hun" at M.A.D. Audio in Northridge made that happen. He installed an Alpine head unit and Kenwood equalizer underneath the glove box to play and shape the music. Two Rockford Fosgate amps reside under clear Plexiglas in the trunk and power two sets of MB Quart 6 1/2-inch component sets. A 2.0-farad capacitor keeps the lights shining bright when the music gets loud. The trunk also houses two 12-inch Audiobahn subs and provides the bass to bring Cleto's music alive.
Setup: Cleto played one-man band on the suspension, doing all of the work himself. He started with a Canadian X-frame, which he performed a full wrap on with 1/4-inch steel. He molded the upper and lower A-arms and trailing arms, and had them chromed for a smooth look. The all-Pro Hopper setup features 6-inch front cylinders and 10-inch rear cylinders. There are four Pro Hopper pumps, eight Orbital batteries and four switches. A chromed Ford 9-inch rearend with disc brakes gives the power to the wheels and a unique setup in the rear controls the bumps. The coil-over setup features dual springs, one at the top and one at the cup on the bottom.
Tires: 5.20 Premium Sportway
Wheels: 13x7.5 Crystal wires with black anodized hubs
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