Greased Lightning in reality following the remodeling
Greased Lightning was an old, battered car purchased by Kenickie that was remodeled into a street racing car. It is the namesake of the song. In the song, the T-Birds imagine it to be a flashier dream car while giving it a tune-up.
Appearance[]
The actual car was a originally a dilapidated, white 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible. Its windshield was cracked and held together with tape, the right headlight was out, the tires were mismatched without hubcaps, and it was in need of a new coat of paint.
Greased Lightning Fantasy Version
By the time it was ready for the race at Thunder Road, it looked almost completely spruced up. The windshield, headlights, and bumpers were all replaced, a new antenna was added, and the tires were all matching whitewalls with new chrome hubcaps. It was given a new coat of white paint, with added silver lightning bolts outlined in red.
After the race, the side of the car torn by the blades on the hubcaps of Leo's car, Hell's Chariot. It was also dirtied, having splashed into the murky water, but still mostly intact, even more so than when Kenickie bought it. Although unseen in the movie, the damage to the side was easily repaired.
The fantasy version of the car was a 1948 Ford Convertible in Kandy Red finish with white lightning bolts. It had a transparent plexiglass hood, with added fenders in the back and matching firestone tires with matching hubcaps. This version of the car was won by Danny in a raffle at the school's graduation carnival, which he and Sandy departed in.
In Grease Live, the car is completed with red paint, lightning bolt decals, and even a backup jet booster, which allows Danny to win the race. In a way, the finished Greased Lightning in Grease Live has more resemblance to the fantasy version of the car thought up in the Greased Lightnin' musical number.
Quotes[]
Kenickie: Wait till I give it a paint job and soup up the engine, man. She's gonna run like a champ! I'm racing her at Thunder Road.
Doody: Thunder Road?!
Kenickie: You wanna make something of it?
Doody: I wanna see you make something of this heap!
Kenickie: You're cruisin' for a bruisin'.
Doody: The problem isn't in the dent, the problem's in this rubber-band engine!
Kenickie: The problem's in your mouth!
History[]
Kenickie had purchased the white car on savings, most of which came from his summer job, lugging boxes at Bagrain City. Its purpose was to give him and the other T-Birds a winning streak against the Scorpions at Thunder Road. Though it was Kenickie's pride and joy, the car was a junker, and acted the part. One night, when he and Rizzo were doing it at Makeout Point, Leo backed into the car, damaging it even more, and raising the tension between himself and Kenickie.
Race at Thunder Road in Grease Live
After that night, the car was taken to the Rydell High auto shop. With the efforts of the T-Birds and Mrs. Murdock, the shop teacher...as well as Sonny's sticky fingers...the car was was restored to its original state, with a new touch of lightning bolts to the paint job. During the race at Thunder Road, it took some (reparable) damage due to Hell's Chariot tearing a gash in the driver's side door and knocking away one of the hubcaps. Despite taking a bit of a beating from Leo's dirty tactics, Danny emerged as the winner in Kenickie's place,
The fantasy version of the car was later offered at the end of the school year in a raffle. At the graduation carnival, there was a booth with a sign that said, "Win the Car of Your Dreams" for $1.00. Danny ended up winning the car, as he and Sandy departed in it, waving farewell to their friends.
In Popular Culture[]
In a 4th season Home Improvement episode, "Brother, Can You Spare A Hot Rod?", Tim Taylor (portrayed by Tim Allen) sold his rebuilt-from-the-ground-up 1933 Roadster to a collector, Doug O'Brien (Bruce McGill), who wanted it to give to his father, who sold his own '33 Ford Roadster so he could buy Doug a pizza restaurant that made him a millionaire.
Tim's son Brad saw (and recognized) a rusted 1946 Ford Convertible in O'Brien's car collection, the same model as Greased Lightning.
In an 8th season episode "Mark's Big Break", Mark Taylor created a humongous car-video for Tim's show "Tool Time", as an homage to Greased Lightning, including Tim dressed as Danny Zuko and his wife, Jill as Sandy Olsson, complete with tight black spandex and teased-up hair.