Tatum Blackwidow build

[Josh121]

Bought a 2007 Black widow this year, here are the specs from original listing. 
 

2007 Tatum Black Widow 
LSX 376 (2years old) fully rebuilt
gm factory ecu/ harness
S4S Mendeola
LSA Supercharger 
934 CV’s 
Jet Trim seats in front
Sector Seven lights/mirrors 
Buggy Whip 
Sand Blaster 33” paddles 
Douglas wheels
Carbon fiber body
King suspension 
rugged Car to car radios





This season I purchased a
new Holley HP ECU, harness and 12" Screen.
Switch pro 12 
PRP steering wheel
Rugged radio STX intercom
Rugged radio M1 intercom 
Weddle after market shifter
Lowrance HDS-7 PCI edition (not installed yet)
Shocks rebuilt 


I plan on doing a new dash to house everything properly, but this is basically doing a shake down of the system for a couple trips. 



I sold the original tires and wheels and got a set of OMF 17" Billet center wheels with Sand Blaster 36-17 rears and12.50-17 Razor Master fronts (they look huge compared to the previous set up) I will be powder coating the center caps black eventually.



I could notice a huge difference in acceleration with the new larger wheels and the current S4 clutch was not geared for these large tires. I was planning on doing a change and this pushed me over the edge to do it..... So i sold the S4 and purchased a new Weddle S5D that racer engineering had sitting on the shelf. Pairing the trans with a weddle 10.4" twin plate high performance clutch package and new starter




I just had the car stripped down to the frame and we are reenforcing various points that need it, new mount for trans, new motor mounts, new boxed rear shock mounts, new rear cage, battery relocation, steering colum tilt kit,  purchasing a CBR radiator so new mounts for that, new supercharger intercooler mount, new plumbing lines, flipping headers, cutting off mufflers and building a 2-1 exhaust, mounting new wilwood cutting brake lever, new skid plate.   






The engine on the car is an interesting bit, I have the receipt from the previous owner of what he did to it and it only had dyno time after the rebuild. I am going to try and get more information on it from the engine builder 




I just sold the LSA supercharger that came with the car and was going to purchase a Whipple 3.0...... but then i heard a rumour Whipple was about to release a 3.8 version and we know bigger is always better so I am keeping my fingers crossed that is released soon.......

 

[Coryz71]

Nice rebuild!

 

[L.R.S.]

Looks familiar!  Glad you're going all in for the rebuild, can't wait to see it.  Have them reinforce the torsion tube.  It's a known failure point for the Blackwidow chassis'.  

 

[Josh121]

Looks familiar!  Glad you're going all in for the rebuild, can't wait to see it.  Have them reinforce the torsion tube.  It's a known failure point for the Blackwidow chassis'.  
 

Will do! Ive talked to a few other people who also did frame work on their blackwidows including Kracker1166 and am following what they have done as well. 


mocking up the rear shock mount 

 

[lincster]

I will be interested to see what changes to get a S5D in there.

I helped the previous owner pull out the S4 and had to lift the gas tank just to do that.......  the S5D is taller than the S4.

The Torsion tube has been braced up once before.  I"m sure more won't hurt it.

 

[Josh121]

I will be interested to see what changes to get a S5D in there.

I helped the previous owner pull out the S4 and had to lift the gas tank just to do that.......  the S5D is taller than the S4.

The Torsion tube has been braced up once before.  I"m sure more won't hurt it.

The offroad world really is a small world, Ill let you know and upload some photos of what we have to do to make it all work!

 

[Josh121]

As I sold my LSA supercharger and am planning on buying a whipple. I thought i would get a head start and ordered a new front drive kit from wegner which will take 4-6 weeks to get here. It looks pretty wicked. 


If anyone is looking for a front drive kit my old is available, i have no idea what a fair price is for it so I am open to offers. 

 

[Josh121]

Getting this front bulkhead to where it should be. 

 

[Dockmaster]

I just sold the LSA supercharger that came with the car and was going to purchase a Whipple 3.0...... but then i heard a rumour Whipple was about to release a 3.8 version and we know bigger is always better so I am keeping my fingers crossed that is released soon.......

Are you going with the Whipple 3.0 or waiting for the 3.8? I just ordered a new engine for my new car being built and had lots of discussion with the builders on this topic. The 3.0 looks promising but as you found, Wegner has the only accessory drive kit for LS. Also the 3.0 is just coming available for the LS line so still needs to be proven. I'm told the 3.8 has been in discussion for release for several years but so far has not come out. Supposedly a small number of 3.8 castings were ordered by Whipple but actual delivery is who knows when. Given the lack of proven history and uncertainty around delivery I opted to go with the tried and true 4.5. This is also based on my desire to run pump gas so I will keep boost pressure fairly low. 

How much boost are you planning to run? How much power are you trying to make? Pump gas or going to 110?

 

[J Alper]

On the one we did, i ended up cutting of the tubular shock tower and just coping the Boxed one, so it looks identical to the dual sport,  also added an A pillar like the prerunner  and trx

 

[J Alper]

 

[Josh121]

Are you going with the Whipple 3.0 or waiting for the 3.8? I just ordered a new engine for my new car being built and had lots of discussion with the builders on this topic. The 3.0 looks promising but as you found, Wegner has the only accessory drive kit for LS. Also the 3.0 is just coming available for the LS line so still needs to be proven. I'm told the 3.8 has been in discussion for release for several years but so far has not come out. Supposedly a small number of 3.8 castings were ordered by Whipple but actual delivery is who knows when. Given the lack of proven history and uncertainty around delivery I opted to go with the tried and true 4.5. This is also based on my desire to run pump gas so I will keep boost pressure fairly low. 

How much boost are you planning to run? How much power are you trying to make? Pump gas or going to 110?

Im really hoping the 3.8L actually releases in time otherwise ill most likely go with the 3.0L. I talked to Dustin at whipple and he said he is just waiting on part numbers to begin selling the 3.8L to the public. I also talked to wegner and they told me that has been the story for over a year now. I am pretty sure the 3.0 Hotrod LS version has been out a couple years now though. I talked with a couple different guys that are currently testing and using the 3.8L including the wegner guys and they have really liked it so far. I also confirmed that the same front drive kit works for both the 3.0 and 3.8L with wegner. 

The LSX376 stock is rated for 15 lbs of boost and i have seen it run with over 23lbs. I will have tunes for running E85, 110, and pump gas. I ordered 3 different pulley sizes and a new camshaft, will have a couple different tune options set up but would like to see a max tune of 20lbs of boost, 1000 crank hp and around 820 lbs of torque. But i will be running the car "daily" in the 850 - 900 crank hp at 15-18 lbs of boost. 

 

[Josh121]

On the one we did, i ended up cutting of the tubular shock tower and just coping the Boxed one, so it looks identical to the dual sport,  also added an A pillar like the prerunner  and trx

I am most likely doing the same thing on the shock tower, looks wicked

 

[lincster]

Im really hoping the 3.8L actually releases in time otherwise ill most likely go with the 3.0L. I talked to Dustin at whipple and he said he is just waiting on part numbers to begin selling the 3.8L to the public. I also talked to wegner and they told me that has been the story for over a year now. I am pretty sure the 3.0 Hotrod LS version has been out a couple years now though. I talked with a couple different guys that are currently testing and using the 3.8L including the wegner guys and they have really liked it so far. I also confirmed that the same front drive kit works for both the 3.0 and 3.8L with wegner. 

The LSX376 stock is rated for 15 lbs of boost and i have seen it run with over 23lbs. I will have tunes for running E85, 110, and pump gas. I ordered 3 different pulley sizes and a new camshaft, will have a couple different tune options set up but would like to see a max tune of 20lbs of boost, 1000 crank hp and around 820 lbs of torque. But i will be running the car "daily" in the 850 - 900 crank hp at 15-18 lbs of boost. 

Not sure if the previous owner told you, but that motor did 740 HP to the ground at 15 lbs of boost with that LSA that you sold.  That car was a wheelie machine!!!!!!!

 

[Josh121]

Not sure if the previous owner told you, but that motor did 740 HP to the ground at 15 lbs of boost with that LSA that you sold.  That car was a wheelie machine!!!!!!!

Believe me i had a lot of fun doing the wheelies in it already. It already was a animal, now we make it a beast hahaha ( i think it must have been 740 crank though because i saw a dyno sheet that had it at around 650 to the ground unless there is another one he did thats different)

 

[Dockmaster]

Im really hoping the 3.8L actually releases in time otherwise ill most likely go with the 3.0L. I talked to Dustin at whipple and he said he is just waiting on part numbers to begin selling the 3.8L to the public. I also talked to wegner and they told me that has been the story for over a year now. I am pretty sure the 3.0 Hotrod LS version has been out a couple years now though. 

 

I believe you are spot on here. In my discussion with one of the bigger engine builders out there, he was not very optimistic about seeing a 3.8 any time soon. He is supposedly slated to receive two of the 10 3.8's that castings were ordered for by Whipple. I agree on the 3.0 being in the Hot Rod world. I believe they are still unproven in the sand car world though. Certainly no reason why they won't be good in a sand car.  I didn't want to get in a situation of waiting for a 3.8 that may or not show up. For the 3.0 the cost was nearly identical as the 4.5. Yes, the 4.5 alone is more $$ but the lower cost accessory drive made it a virtual wash. Mine will go on a 427 RHS engine. I'm told it should make right around 1k hp at the crank and just under 800 to the wheels on pump gas. Time will tell. 

 

[Josh121]

I believe you are spot on here. In my discussion with one of the bigger engine builders out there, he was not very optimistic about seeing a 3.8 any time soon. He is supposedly slated to receive two of the 10 3.8's that castings were ordered for by Whipple. I agree on the 3.0 being in the Hot Rod world. I believe they are still unproven in the sand car world though. Certainly no reason why they won't be good in a sand car.  I didn't want to get in a situation of waiting for a 3.8 that may or not show up. For the 3.0 the cost was nearly identical as the 4.5. Yes, the 4.5 alone is more $$ but the lower cost accessory drive made it a virtual wash. Mine will go on a 427 RHS engine. I'm told it should make right around 1k hp at the crank and just under 800 to the wheels on pump gas. Time will tell. 

You will be rocking for sure! What fuel pump/system are you gonna be running? 

 

[lincster]

Believe me i had a lot of fun doing the wheelies in it already. It already was a animal, now we make it a beast hahaha ( i think it must have been 740 crank though because i saw a dyno sheet that had it at around 650 to the ground unless there is another one he did thats different)

You saw the first dyno, with the smaller pulleys.

He changed them out to the big ones and it did 740 to the ground.

He put bigger injectors in it, had the brick and isolator done in the blower so he could spin that baby to the moon!!!! 

 

[Dockmaster]

You will be rocking for sure! What fuel pump/system are you gonna be running? 

Weldon pump/system and Holley HP ecu