| High school students turn salvage vehicle into "Greased Lightning" |
| News - Collision Repair | ||||
| Tuesday, 13 December 2011 16:27 | ||||
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By W. Mike Dineen Brandon, Manitoba -- December 13, 2011 -- When Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, Manitoba decided to put on a production of the musical "Grease," oddly enough, it was the collision repair students they turned to for help. For the famous “Greased Lightning” scene, the T-Birds build their dream vehicle complete with “chrome plated rods” and “a four-speed on the floor.” But wheeling out a hotrod onto a school stage didn’t seem practical to auto body instructor, Carl DeCosse. There was the potential risk of damage to the vehicle if donated for the production, not to mention the sheer size and weight. The solution proved to be not only practical and fun, but likewise a creative method of engaging students in a learning process. DeCosse got in touch with Neil Fischer of Wesman Salvage to discuss options for creating his giant stage prop. Wesman Salvage is known for donating vehicles to local schools and community colleges as teaching aids. “Carl wanted something from the 50s that could be modified,” Fischer recalls, “[Decosse and his students] came down and had a look through our yard.” Eventually they decided on a 1954 Ford Mainline to transform into “Greased Lightning,” capable of seating two actors while being rolled onto the stage by another student. “I believe that there are more than 1000 hours on the project,” says Carl of his creative teaching tool.
For the production the car was cut in two—only the front half would be visible on stage. The students stripped the vehicle of about 90% of its original weight and propped it on castors for mobility. “I didn’t want any sharp edges,” notes Carl. The team had only two months to complete the project in time for its appearance in the production. Students welded the hood to the front fender, fashioned door panels, repainted the vehicle (complete with lightning)—even researched the vehicle’s interior and painted the dash to resemble a real hotrod.
“The children were engaged through the entire process,” says Carl of his students. Though the production of “Grease” has already come and gone, the students’ “Greased Lightning” still has a use. DeCrosse and his students plan to make the vehicle shorter and narrower, like a real hot rod, and use it to further promote the school’s Level 1 certified Auto Body course.
The project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of local businesses. Wesman Salvage, Chase Autobody Supplies, Piston Ring (in conjunction with Walker Exhaust Systems), and Morningstar all donated to the project.
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:06 |
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