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Motion Pictures WHERE DID YOU GO, GREASED LIGHTNING?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Craig59, May 24, 2021.

  1. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    My wife and I were recently sorting through the thousands of the photographs we’ve
    “collected” over 39 years of marriage and none were more surprising than two images I
    didn’t know I even had of my 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible. After passing through my
    hands, it received screen time in at least two Hollywood films – one of them a
    blockbuster. What happened to it after that and whether it exists today remains
    something of a mystery which I thought the investigative team here at HAMB might like
    to help tackle.

    I don’t remember the exact circumstances but sometime in late 1975 after I had turned
    16, we found the 1948 Ford Convertible in nearby Long Beach, California. Dad and
    Mom were great about indulging the passions of their three sons and the Convertible
    was soon on its way to our home – well, sort of. With a two-car garage, a three-car
    driveway and at least seven cars between us, I (or my ’48) was odd man out. A garage
    at a local apartment complex was rented where the ’48 was parked and I could work on
    it there in a limited capacity. One of the things I did was to remove the front fenders,
    grill, and hood, and have them media blasted and primed. I also removed a homemade
    scatter-shield from beneath the 3-speed transmission. This thing had been raced!

    DCD1E87E-BBCC-4F4A-98C4-50FC7122BF21.jpeg


    One of my brothers worked for Dan Woods at his Contemporary Carriage Works in
    Paramount, California and in the summer of 1976, I got a job there doing shop cleanup,
    assembly and disassembly. The real benefit was that Dan let me store and work on my
    ’48 in his nearby warehouse. I had the underside steam cleaned of years of grease and
    dirt to make continued disassembly a nicer job. Oh, the other thing I did? I took a can of
    spray paint and painted half of the red, right rear rim tan. Don’t ask! I have no idea and
    no recollection as to why. I just did.

    Well, between school, work, and my flying lessons – an avocation which turned into an
    occupation – and the distance between home and where my ’48 was stored, I made the
    decision to sell the car in the spring of 1977. An advertisement was placed in the Los
    Angeles Times and it wasn’t long before a gentleman came looking.

    That man’s name was Eddie Paul. He made a lowball offer which I politely declined, but
    called me later that evening to tell me he would pay my asking price of $1200. That’s
    right! Remember, it was 1977 and this was a 29-year-old used car (pun intended – wait
    for it). When he came with a trailer and cash in hand the next day, he told me the car
    would be used in a movie called, Grease.

    As it turns out, Eddie Paul was a busy guy, tasked with providing ALL the onscreen
    vintage cars in Grease. Totaling over 40 it included three 1946 to 1948 Fords to
    represent 3 versions of “Greased Lightning,” and two Mercury’s (one 1949, one 1950) to
    represent “Hell’s Chariot,” the car driven by the T-Bird’s arch nemesis gang, The
    Scorpions. As he was winching the ’48 aboard the trailer, I reminded him, “Hey, there’s
    only two bolts holding the body to the frame.” His offhand reply was, “Yeah, I’ll try to
    remember that,” delivered as if to say, “Hey, I don’t care how many actors die in this
    thing!”

    20441FE1-E7FC-487C-B48B-C688F61F44BC.jpeg

    “What a hunk of junk!” was the line spoken by John Travolta in his role as Danny Zuko
    when he first glimpses the 1948 Ford Convertible bought by his friend and fellow T-Bird,
    Kenickie, (actor Jeff Conaway) the very first time it appears on screen. Eddie Paul had
    gotten it running (I’m assuming with the flathead that was in it) and had painted the front
    clip to match the rest of the car. He also added a few spots of gray primer here and
    there but the one thing he didn’t change was that half red, half tan right rear wheel! This
    is seen to good advantage when both Travolta, Conaway and the rest of the T-Birds
    dance on and around the car during the musical, “Greased Lightning,” number. For
    clarity, I’ll call this Greased Lightning, GL-1. This scene also featured the first
    appearance of the fantastical Red Greased Lightning with the outrageously tall finned
    rear fenders, Plexiglas hood, and fender mounted headlights. Let’s call this fantasy
    Ford, seen only here and at the very end of the film, GL-3.

    D6048882-DFFE-4F45-A02B-0E86C6E7258C.jpeg

    GL-2 makes its appearance as the completed Hot Rod version of GL-1 as Kenickie
    envisioned and was likely created by Eddie by cutting the roof from a ’46-’48 Coupe.
    This is evident in the closeups showing the convertible tonneau cover extending all the
    way to the rear of the doors which is not the case with a real convertible. This would
    have been the easiest way to disguise removal of the roof and was the same way he
    created the two “Hell’s Chariot’s” Mercury “convertibles.” The stunt car was a roofless
    1949 Coupe and was only used in the scene involving the race in the Los Angeles river
    against GL-2 while the roofless 1950 Coupe was the primary on-screen car.

    A4EB69B1-58BA-437A-BD00-8BBD3064D827.jpeg

    The film premiered in June 1978 and it was fun to see my old ’48 again but as it turns
    out it was not to be my last glimpse. Around 1984 I was watching a movie on VHS with
    some Air Force buddies called, Used Cars. It was a 1980 film starring Kurt Russell and
    while it flopped at the box-office, it has gained quite a cult following over the years for its
    dark humor. Kurt plays Rudy Russo, an unscrupulous used car salesman working for
    Luke Fuchs, played by actor Jack Warden who also played his own brother and across
    the street competitor, Roy L. Fuchs. In a scene at the beginning of the movie, Rudy is
    lamenting to Luke that the $1200 cars he is selling to the local high school for driver
    education training, Rudy could sell for $3950. Rudy turns and points and as the camera
    pans to follow says, “Those are the $1200 cars.”

    67651CCC-903B-4637-B779-A76CACDD377F.jpeg

    What he was pointing at was my old 1948 Ford Convertible and one of the “Hell’s
    Chariot” Mercury Convertibles keeping company with one another in the weeds. I’m
    certain my friends thought I was nuts when I blurted out, “That was my car!!!”

    8616D2BE-AD44-4142-BAF4-FFBD99027595.jpeg

    Freeze framing the movie today, it’s quite clear that “Hell’s Chariot” is still wearing its
    black paint and flames while the other is clearly my former 1948 Ford Convertible, GL-1.
    I can’t tell if the Mercury is the ’49 or the ’50. The way you can tell the difference in
    Grease is the ’50 has a straight top wind-wing while the ’49’s is curved. The angle of the
    shot makes it hard to tell. Both cars are last seen toward the end of the movie loaded
    aboard a car carrier with ‘Student Driver’ stenciled on their doors. The Mercury sits
    ahead of GL-1 and the flames are clearly evident as is a considerable dent behind the
    door, the only other identifying feature I could see.

    My research indicates that only two of the five, “star cars” survive today. The 1950
    version of “Hell’s Chariot” and GL-3, the red “Greased Lightning.” The Mercury was
    restored around 2013 and purportedly sold at auction for $478,000 in 2018. The
    restored red Greased Lightning is part of the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois and
    according to their website was made by cutting the roof from a 1946 Ford Coupe.

    8ADB32A9-8D56-4EF0-9660-6FE22ABE4A99.jpeg

    This leaves me (and I hope you) questioning what happened to the others, including my
    former 1948 Ford Convertible? We know it and one of the Mercury’s made it to Mesa,
    Arizona in 1980 where Used Cars was filmed. Is the Mercury in that film the one that
    survives today or was it the stunt car? Both it and GL-2 likely suffered greatly from their
    abuse in the Los Angeles river; GL-2 wins the race by jumping a pile of trash and
    landing rather hard on its nose. Perhaps that’s the reason that neither GL-2 nor the ’50
    Merc is known to still exist. But, what about my old ride, GL-1? Was it sold after Used
    Cars
    and does it perhaps exist today without the owner knowing the significance of its
    history? Or, did it meet a harsher fate?

    Sadly, we can’t ask Eddie Paul as he passed in 2016.

    Anyone own a 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible with one rim that is half tan, half red?
     
  2. Very cool story!
     
    Deuces and lothiandon1940 like this.
  3. 55 Ford Gasser
    Joined: Jul 7, 2011
    Posts: 698

    55 Ford Gasser
    Member

    "Greased Lightning" is sitting in my garage. Sorry, but not your "Greased Lightning". My '50 Ford 2dr Sedan was used in a local production of "Grease" at Hampton University in 2007. It was actually up on the stage and they rolled it out for 2 scenes. I tell people it had a speaking part, they blew the horn in one scene. Lol. I had the cast sign my right inside door panel with a black marker and I got Sandy's scarf to hang on my mirror. One of the neatest things I did with that Car. At 3 other local High School "Grease" plays, it set outside on display. Good luck with your search. Ron
     
  4. Wow, I looked up Craig59 and he has one post, but has been a member for 9 years! If you only have one post, you might as well make it count!
     

  5. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

    Wow, what a story. And yes, I watched both movies. In HS the girl I was seeing was in love with Travolta, so we saw Grease several times.
    So now here’s
    Something unrelated but I have to share.
    In the mid 80’s I was living in Phoenix, the gal I was seeing had a mid 60’s Chevy. Her car was in the long line of cars driving in “used Cars”. I think she told me she got 100 bucks for the weekend.
    Fast forward (too many years) the lady I married , her brother left the Navy as a Navigator. His gig (might still be now, I’ve no idea as I’m not with her anymore) was John Travoltas personal Navigator. In fact my ex BIL moved and set up camp in Oklahoma somewhere to be in the middle of the US so he could get anywhere when needed and John called.

    Anyway, thought I’d share my “oh so close” to fame claim.
     
    WalkerMD, Deuces and chryslerfan55 like this.
  6. Belle53
    Joined: Aug 13, 2019
    Posts: 67

    Belle53

    thanks for the trip down memory lane and good luck with your search

    the first time i saw Used Cars i believe was around 1981 or so. i thought it was hilarious then and even after watching it at least a 100 times i still find it very funny...it's way to f'ng high
     
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  7. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    Are you implying I have nowhere to go now but downhill? LOL! I’ll try to be a better poster and less of a troll from now on. Thanks for the comment!
     
  8. 1pickup
    Joined: Feb 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,436

    1pickup
    Member

    That looks like "a mile" of used cars.
     
    Deuces likes this.
  9. Well now, that was a cool read. Thanks for posting that. I have wondered whatever happened to Greased Lighting sometimes myself. But the last incarnation of it looked hideous to me. Your old car, if still around is the pick of the litter..
     
    Deuces likes this.
  10. I happened to work on the the HotWheels version of the GL-2 and GL-3. Some of my favorite HW casting I ever did. I did do a lot of checking on those.
    One thing I did notice is that the Volo museum car had many issues vs the Screen used Movie car. I believe it may be a very close Clone. But it definitely does not the have the same grille or the rear taillights as the on screen car. That is not to say that there was touring cars for the show circuit that lose things.

    That convertible version GL-1 or the dream junker, was the coolest when I was a young kid. Thanks for the story. Maybe it still in the desert to this day!

    FYI we reused the GL-1 casting for BTTF Biff's car and the Karate kid car, I was adamant about changing the rear details to match up with the years. Not sure if they did.
     
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  11. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    Here’s what the inside looked like when I bought the car.
    C486DA86-CF2A-41F3-A48A-AB2ACF1F1868.jpeg I’d forgotten that at one time it been equipped with dual spotlights in both A pillars. If you zoom in the image you can see the mounts. In Grease, the exterior hole in the right A pillar is visible but, in the driving sequences the exterior holes appear to be covered with duct tape.
     
  12. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    Funny you should mention - I had wondered if either of those could have been GL-1. As it turns out, I read that Biff’s ‘46 still exists and actually began life as a coupe. And the one one from Karate Kid - advertised as a ‘47 - was gifted to actor Ralph Maccio after completion of KKII and he still owns it. Could it have been restored by the studio for use in KK and re-registered or mistakenly registered as a ‘47??? I guess anything is possible!
     
  13. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    I've seen that movie in '78... I still watch it every now and then... Sure brings back allot of memories...:):(:)
     
  14. The last i knew of the Greased Lightening Ford was that at some time in the mid to late 80’s it was found and put back to it’s factory configuration ( that is, all the custom touches were removed in favor of factory sheet metal) and then painted Orange. After that it disappeared.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  15. No sir! Not at all. I was just saying if you only have one post... MAKE IT COUNT!
    And that you did.

    I was trying to imply I thought it was a very cool post!
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2021
  16. 51 mercules
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 3,868

    51 mercules
    Member

    I saw Biffs car for sale on ebay several years ago and the Karate Kids at Pomona in the 80's, it was really rusty. I think Biff's beginning bid was like $25k and the Karate Kids was like $6,500 if I remember right. next to the Karate Kids car was an amphicar.

     
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  17. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    Did biff's car smell like shit?????....
     
  18. Now that’s a good post
    Used cars is my favorite movie
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  19. Jim Bouchard
    Joined: Mar 2, 2011
    Posts: 1,025

    Jim Bouchard
    Member

    Okay,
    Here’s a wild ass guess but, maybe.....

    On another thread on the H.A.M.B. there was a picture of a ‘47 Ford convertible. Someone questioned on what movie it was from. The car is from the movie,
    It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad, world.

    Now here’s where I need you follow me.
    Could that convertible be an earlier version of Greased Lightning?

    I see both cars have a spotlight on the drivers pillar, both cars have very similar non 46 or 47/48 Ford front bumper guards and the best I can tell it looks like both cars have a very similar blue and cream seat. Even the photo from Used Cars shows the non Ford bumper guards.

    I’m not sure guys, what do you think?
    Wishful thinking of did I find something

    IMG_1149.JPG
    IMG_1150.JPG
     
  20. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    It’s certainly possible (and personally, I’ve never been able to differentiate between a ‘47 and a ‘48) and IAMMMMW was filmed in California so, yes, it could have ended up in Long Beach where we purchased it. I just don’t find it very plausible and we have to consider that between 1963, when the film was made and 1976 when we found and purchased the car, there had to be a whole lot more of them around than there are today.

    BTW, IAMMMMW is one of my favorite films and the last we see of the car is when Phil Silvers attempts to drive it across a swollen River and the car rapidly sinks with Silvers spouting the famous line, “This is no place for a convertible!”
     
  21. Curt Six
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 992

    Curt Six
    Member

    Very cool story @Craig59. I can't shed any light on what happened to your old GL-1 car, but here is a short story I wrote about the GL-3 car back in issue #65 of The Rodder's Journal...
    Screen Shot 2021-05-26 at 10.30.57 AM.png
     
  22. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,405

    alchemy
    Member

    So the GL-ugly car was bought off the lot as part of a bunch of cars and parts by Rundell. Maybe the GL-1 car was part of that group? Maybe the front clip off #1 is now on #3?
     
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  23. Craig59
    Joined: Mar 24, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Craig59
    Member
    from Fort Worth

    Fascinating! If true, then what is the origin of the GL-3 currently displayed at the Volo Museum and purported to have provenance documents attached to it? Could there have been two GL-3’s - one for the dance sequence and one for the end of the movie? I may have to see if Dick Rundell is still with us and ask. Early Times was the car club my brother belonged to so, perhaps they knew one another.

    The mystery deepens!
     
  24. As I mentioned before, this story is cool. But, let me go on the record as stating how shitty that movie was and is. What they did to those cars should be a crime.
     
    myergin and chryslerfan55 like this.
  25. Curt Six
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 992

    Curt Six
    Member

    I don't believe it was part of the lot. It's been a few years since I wrote that article, and I don't have my original notes any longer, but I believe the front clip they used was totally unrelated to the movie cars.

    If you look at the Volo Auto Museum's website, it actually doesn't say anywhere that the car was used in Grease...it says it was used in a "Glee Grease tribute," whatever that means. It also says the documentation on the car came from Fox Studios, which I assume is the studio behind the Glee Grease thing (a Google search says Paramount was the studio behind the original movie).

    Totally agree...that movie is goofy as hell. But I was four when it came out, and I remember watching that flamed Merc rolling through that high school parking lot, shooting flames, and it kind of blew my mind. Then the Pharaoh's Merc in American Graffiti sealed the deal. Both were horribly done cars, but both played a roll in turning me on to old cars.
     
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  26. 51 mercules
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 3,868

    51 mercules
    Member

    Probably more than one. I saw the GL3 with the clear hood at my friends upholstery shop. Not sure if it was the original or not. I'll ask my friend.
     
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  27. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    The movie was and is still good!...
     
  28. [​IMG]
     
  29. very cool info being added, it the GL-1 could not the Mad Mad world one, unless the OP got it after the movie??

    It looks like the G-3 was unchopped by the Early Time member.


    Some pics I collected years ago when I worked on my project.
    I would still cruise the GL-2 sans lighting stripes. looks at that lauch, I think there were maybe 2 to get this stunt done. Of they launched the Original GL-1??

    Also some images of the Red Lightning.
    Unless the Early Times car was bought and restored to former style or the parts were saved and added to a new car? Or two were built, it sounds like a Touring show circuit car was made also.

    GL-2 .jpg


    Volo on top grease-lightning-1.jpg Movie car.
    snapshot200512042001323un.5007.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
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  30. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,405

    alchemy
    Member

    This is the text from the Volo Museum webpage:
    Known as Greased Lightning, this wild custom started off as a 46 Ford Coupe. It is powered by a Chevrolet 350 topped off with a set of dual quads. All the body modifications were done with steel and not fiberglass.

    This car had been missing from the public's eyes for decades. It belonged to a private New York collector who had sent it to California to have it restored by one of the original people who built the car. During the restoration process, the owner died. With a balance due and the car unfinished the restoration came to a halt and it sat for many years.

    Volo Auto Museum was tipped off to the cars whereabouts. Volo Auto Museum was able to purchase the car and have the restoration completed.

    The car was screen used during a Glee Grease tribute episode.

    Authentication includes documents from Fox Studios.

    >>> Sure looks like they are "presenting" the first and real GL-3 car. But I have more trust in Curt Six's story.
     
    chryslerfan55 and Deuces like this.

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