Greased Lightening - 1948 Ford DeLuxe

Growing up thisclose to New York City in the mid to late 1970's, we were pounded constantly by the New York TV stations playing this commercial for a faceless, '50's revival show called, "Grease!" I had little interest in seeing it; my thought was that if you needed a fix of the '50s, why go through the hassle of going into the gaddam city when all you had to do was watch "Happy Days" every week on TV?

Then the coming attractions came out for the movie version of the Broadway show starring the oh-so-lovely Olivia Newton-John. Literally in the blink of an eye, "Grease" was transformed from being nothing more than an annoying TV commercial and into arguably the most important film of my wonder years.

Thankfully, there was more to the film than just "Bad Sandy" to monopolize my interest; how else could I be able to sit through 90 minutes of dancing AND singing if only to get ending sequences of the movie? Remember, kids, this movie came out years before VCR's became commonplace in households. Had VCR's been around when I was a kid I never would have come to appreciate the subtle brilliance of the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies.

One of the more memorable parts of the film, which, again, amounted to little more than filler until "Bad Sandy" made her appearance, was the "Greased Lightening" sequence. In this part of the film, the "T-Birds" are less than impressed with the 1948 Ford Deluxe that Kinicki has purchased. Their leader, however, Danny Zuko, played brilliantly by John Travolta (Vinny Barbarino sings!) and who knew he was an eternal optimist, sees the car not for what it is but for what it can be and leads his fellow troubadours in the film's second greatest 3 1/2 minutes.

Let's give the writers of the song much poetic license as we scrutinzie the lyrics to "Greased Lightening and compare them to as much of real world automobilia as possible. Spoiler alert - it's going to be readily apparent that a little knowledge of automotive nomenclature can go a long way towards creating Broadway if not Hollywood magic.

Well, this car is, systematic, hydromatic, automatic.  Why, it's greased lightning!  (Greased Lightning )

Hydromatic and automatic refer to automatic transmissions. The term "Hydromatic", it could be argued, refers to the General Motors "Turbo Hydromatic" transmission that was originally developed by Buick in the 1940's and marketed as the Buick "Dynaflow". "Systematic" means nothing. A Buick automatic transmission in a hotrod built in a late 1950's high school chop class? Possible but highly unlikely.

We'll get some overhead lifters and four barrel quads, oh yeah.  (Keep talking, whoa, keep talking)
 

"Overhead lifters" is technically incorrect since the lifters of overhead valve engines are actually deep inside the block of the engine. To be lyrically correct, Zuko should have sung, "we'll get some overhead valves" but obviously the song writers needed a two syllable word following a three  syllable word to keep the cadence of the song flowing. Four barrel quads is a misdirected reference to multiple four barrel carburetors. The term four barrel quads, would actually mean four, four barrel carburetors. While multiple carburetors were quite common even on 1950's "hot rod" applications, four, four barrel carburetors would have been highly unlikely. Possible? Yes, I guess although I've never seen a set up like that, but very unlikely. Sounds very cool, though which was probably the point.

 

Fuel injection cutoffs and chrome plated rods, oh yeah (I'll get the money I kill to get the money)

There's no need for fuel injection cut offs on a car that is carbureted; like Grease Lightning apparently is or is going to continue to be based on earlier lyrics in this song. All 1948 Ford DeLuxes like Kinicki's were carbureted. Fuel injection, which is the norm today, was in its infancy in the late 1950's and was extremely problematic. Oh, and nobody chrome plates rods.

 

With a four-speed on the floor, they'll be waiting at the door
You know that ain't no shit, we'll be getting lots of tit in Grease Lightning
(Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go)

With the advent of column mounted transmission gear selectors, floor mounted transmissions were rare in the 1950's. A floor mounted four speed manual shifter even rarer. Hurst shifters first appeared in 1958 and while its possible the one could have gone into Greased Lightning, it's highly unlikely. I've yet to see an interior photo of Grease Lighting where a floor mounted shifter was visibile. What's more, Danny already refered to the car being "Hydromatic" and therefore "Greased Lightning" would have had, or was going to have an automatic transmission. 

Go grease lightning, you're burning up the quarter mile
(Grease lightning, go grease lightning)


Well, if you say so, Zuko. You haven't made any reference to what the engine is under the hood of Greased Lightening. 1948 Fords were powered by either a 95 horsepower, overhead valve inline six or a 100 horsepower, Ford flathead V-8. The engine that is dropped into the red "fantasy" version of Greased Lightening that Zuko rides down on into the engine bay appears to be a Chevrolet 350 with two four barrel carbs or quads on top.

Go grease lightning, you're coasting through the heat lap trials
(Grease lightning, go grease lightning)

That's about right. Weighing about  3300 pounds, with 100 horsepower, Grease Lightning will be coasting, not speeding, through the heat lap trials.

 
You are supreme, the chicks'll cream for Greased lightning
(Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go)

Although it was the liberal, disco crazed late 1970's, "chicks'll cream" somehow made it past sensors. Although it's hard to imagine exactly what the term was supposed to mean. Why the word "scream" wasn't used is anyone's guess. Again, the '70's.

 

Purple French taillights and thirty inch fins, oh yeah

Purple pitched tail lights;  it's against the law to have purple tail lights. The pitched part could refer to how they're positioned. Thirty inch fins was probably just about right for the size of the fins on the red, fantasy version of Greased Lightning. 
 

 
 A Palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
 
Palomino dashboard might be a reference to the color, palomino which is a light brown or tan. Dual muffler twins might be a reference to four tailpipes which is possible but a highly unlikely detail on a car which is being rebuilt in a high school shop class. 
 

 

With new pistons, plugs and shocks I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't bragging, she's a real pussy wagon
Grease lightning
(Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go)  

 

Replacing pistons would be part of a major engine rebuild and would probably neccessitate new connecting rods if the engine was stroked. Again, no one chrome plates connecting rods. New plugs and shocks would probably help improve the car's performance which, apparently, is quite the turn on for Zuko. As for being a "Pussy Wagon", well, the visceral appeal of "Greased Lighening" is subjective. It's lost on me.

But apparently, it's not lost on "Bad Sandy". Sigh. The good girls always go for the "Bad Guys".