Black Widow C2 Packs Big Time LS9 Bite

1. Rarefied Air

Few cars carry the prominence of the 1963 Corvette. The one-year-only split window design is still one of the most iconic in automotive history today, making these cars highly sought after. As a result, you rarely have seen a '63 in any other condition than the original. But there are a few brave souls like drag racer Rod Saboury out there breaking that trend. His Pro Street '63 Corvette, dubbed "Black Widow," is proof that maybe modified split windows aren't so bad, after all. 

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2. Drag Racer for a Drag Racer

Since Saboury made a name for himself in the early '90s participating in the Fastest Street Car drag racing series, it only makes sense that his personal ride would be something like this '63. The Corvette doesn't just look fast with nothing to really back it up, as many old-school Pro Streeters did. It actually sports plenty of sophisticated engineering under that beautiful bodywork as well.

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3. Bodacious Bod

Thankfully, the guys at Legacy Innovations didn't cut up some pristine 1963 Corvette. Instead, this split-window started out as nothing more than a shell. A custom floor went in to make room for the custom fabricated chassis, and the quarter panels and fenders were widened two inches. Tubs out back make room for wide rubber, and the whole thing was sprayed in BASF red and black paint. Up front, the hood opens in reverse and features a C6 ZR1 window. Which should tip you off about what lies underneath.

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4. Heart of the Beast

With a car that looks this special, you have to have a special powerplant. And Black Widow certainly does, in the form of a supercharged LS9. The limited production crate engine mirrors the one we saw in the C6 ZR1, which means that it produces a stout 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque. Stainless steel headers and a Borla exhaust handle spent gasses, while a Tranzilla T-56 six-speed transmission handles the shifts.

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5. Suspension

This Corvette might look incredible on the outside, but it's what's underneath that makes it truly special. The guts of the car started as nothing more than a birdcage, but soon became a custom fabricated chrome-moly tube chassis. It carries a host of integrated suspension components from Detroit Speed, Inc., including a Gen-X front setup. Out in the back, a QUADRALink rear suspension works in tandem with a 9-inch Ford rear end to keep the car planted to the ground. 

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6. Interior

The inside of Black Widow might not have the same outrageous look at the exterior, but it's still a work of art. Black leather covers everything from the seats to the dash and door panels. Other bits, including the center console, sport the same red paint as the outside. And most everything is hidden for a clean look, including the radio a Vintage Air setup.

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7. Making the Rounds

Interestingly enough, Black Widow isn't even a brand new build. It was finished back in 2012 and sat mostly dormant until Saboury decided to sell the car in a 2015 Mecum auction. The next owner had it for only a year before he was forced to sell the car in 2016. Thankfully, the current owners are making good use of the beautiful split-window, regularly taking it to cruise nights and local car shows.

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