I am a member of the set construction crew at the Players Theatre at Port Macquarie, and we have to build 'Greased Lightning' for our upcoming production of Grease.
Our plan is to use the floorpan of my 69 beetle that has been in storage since I took the body off to do a re-build as a baja - about 37 years ago, and build a 'Greased Lightning' body for it.
So, this is what we have to end up with:
And this is my floopan as I have un-buried it and dragged it out of the garage
If anyone has any ideas or info, I would be happy to hear
modnrod 路
oh dear, i think i can hear the song in my head even now..........dammit.
I have what may be an alternative plan, but it doesn't involve VW floorpans unfortunately. It would probably be much better suited to a Playschool (sorry, Theatre....馃榿 ) set though.
Make a really basic tube/rhs chassis, build the body of your dreams out of paper mache/fibreglass/etc for it, but then for drive units find some cheap 250W/500W electric bicycle or scooter hubs to drive the thing around on stage. Bugger all weight comparatively, electric though so still appears to "jump" a bit for effect, and WAY cheaper than rebuilding a VW chassis.
Have fun, sounds like a cool deal. 馃槒
beetleboyjeff 路
Not a bad idea, but we don't have time to source those parts & start from scratch.
The VW floopan gives us a rolling, steering base & seats that we can build a body on.
I am going to try and put a clutch & flywheel (no crankshaft) on a bracket bolted to the bellhousing, and a starter motor & a battery so we can drive it on & off the stage.
I put some wheels with tyres on it today and cleaned off the floorpan.
Later on, I put the seats on the pan. For the show, I will put my spare set of mag wheels on it, but not until we have finished painting etc. These were a painted set of wheels, quite marked and with some surface corrosion, but I have polished them the same as the ones I already have on my car, so I can run a pair on my trailer.
beetleboyjeff 路
Ok, so I set up the seats on the pan so we could make sure the body wouldn't interfere with anything there, and it would look correct with people sitting in it.
Talking to the director, he want a bit flatter sort of Greased Lightning so it is easier to dance on
So, this afternoon, I started to make up the frame and attach it to the pan. I was thinking of re-setting the torsion bars so it didn't sit so high, but wasn't sure what to do with the front, then hit on the idea, I only need to compress the suspension and wire/strap/clamp it down. I don't need suspension travel on the stage, and it would be better to dance on if it isn't bouncing all over the place.
I had a type 111 bumper bar that will look good on one end - need to find another one - I will ask around locally. Looked the the headlights from the 69, and we can get them to work fine on this body I am sure. I will see how I go in the next few afternoons.
retroresto 路
Interesting Project, looking forward to seeing the final product!
beetleboyjeff 路
Tonight I framed up the 'boot lid' area so it is supported off the pan. Lucky enough, I had 2 brackets on the 2 big bolts in the end of the tuning forks which used to hold a skid plate - I did a lot of off road driving. This should make the boot lid strong enough to dance on.
I also framed up the front a bit more to take the 'grill' and the bumper bar, which fitted on a treat. I put 2 more struts down to the frame head at the ends of the Napolean's hat to give the bonnet and the front more support, especially when we cut the doors out.
Tomorrow afternoon, I am hoping to 'lower' the suspension with chains if I finish work early enough. I have a mate coming over for tea, so If I work too late, I will run out of time. The director also mentioned that he would like the steering wheel on the left - Grease is an American show, and they will all talk with Yank accents. It doesn't have to be terribly reliable steering as it will only travel at a push speed, so we are thinking of using 2 pulleys and a belt. Will have to think on this one.
modnrod 路
Steering.........
solid rod across between stub axles, join the steering tube to it with an offset bit of pipe on the end of it. Sorta like a hill trolley for big boys!
I rekn belts would slip and cause the wheels to angle independantly.
beetleboyjeff 路
It has all the steering rods, the steering box, and the coupler for the steering column to go in on the RHS, so both wheels turn as usual. I was hoping to put a pulley on the coupler rather than bolting the steering column to it, so then we could put the column on the LHS and 'Americanise' it.
grazza7755 路
Hey Jeff,
Would the steering box just bolt on the other side and swap sides with the tie rods?
Quicker and neater if it does.
beetleboyjeff 路
grazza7755 wrote:Hey Jeff,
Would the steering box just bolt on the other side and swap sides with the tie rods?
Quicker and neater if it does. [/quote
Just looking at the top 2 photos, it could be possible, but the stop for side to side is welded on the RHS side, and the steering damper mount would be on the wrong side. Neither of these things would matter for the small amount of movement & turning it will be doing.
beetleboyjeff 路
Well, I got the suspension lowered. It looks better now, and will be a lot easier to get onto it to dance. The actual lowering only took a bit over an hour to do all 4 corners - I don't know what everyone makes such a fuss about it for. lol ........ mind you, I wouldn't like to drive it like this :-)
All I did was parked it under the big beam across my carport (that I use to winch my bug up to remove the engine or work under it), put a prop from the top of the shock tower to the beam, jack the suspension up, put a chain around it, shackle the chain, then lower the jack & remove the prop.
So this is the rear:
and this is the front:
and this is the result
I will see if I can frame up the back of the 'boot' tomorrow evening, and maybe look at framing the doors
HappyDaze 路
Jeff, did you used to work at the Morgan factory ?
Dunno about Greased Lightning...Chain Lightning could be a worry, though. 馃槒
beetleboyjeff 路
HappyDaze wrote:Jeff, did you used to work at the Morgan factory ?
Not the Morgan factory, but I used to make billy carts out of timber when I was a kid. :-)
HappyDaze 路
So did I...that is, until I discovered STEEL. 馃槀
beetleboyjeff 路
I am a carpenter though - I do what I know. It only has to last about 4 weeks. Sets are all an illusion.
They say I am delusional, so I guess that is close. :-)
beetleboyjeff 路
This evening I framed up the back
and did more framing on the front & the bonnet - it sure looks square & boxy in this photo. Once it's sheeted and the foam goes on & gets shaped it should look a whole lot better
I was hoping to start on the doors, but ran out of time - I was late finishing work. I will try & do them tomorrow night
beetleboyjeff 路
This evening I got the doors cut out, framed up, & hinged. Sandy has to jamb Danny's hand in the door at the drive-in, so the doors have to open.
Now if only I could get the bodywork to appear like VW do with the Amarok in the ad. lol
Tomorrow we are spending the day working on it (except I have to duck off for a short while for a mate's funeral - he fought cancer for 9 years - plucky bugger), so hope to get the sheeting on, a lot of the foam on, and start shaping it.
beetleboyjeff 路
Started cutting & fitting MDF sheeting & foam today. Starting to get a bit of an idea of what it will look like now.
Just have to keep working on the panels & foam now.
oldskoolguy 路
The Australian car manufacturing industry is alive and well and operating in Port Macquarie!
Nice work Jeff, you'll have SsangYong nicking your design ideas if you are not careful. 馃檪
All the best, Rob.
beetleboyjeff 路
Cut & fitted the last of the MDF panels today, and started shaping the foam on the bonnet & front guards.
I hope to get the windscreen in tomorrow, and hope to get more sheets of foam fixed on ready to shape.
beetleboyjeff 路
This evening, I made up the windscreen surround and fitted the windscreen - an old sheet of perspex I have had for .......... I don't know - a lot of years. Could be over 30. The problem is, the glue holding the protective paper on it is well & truly dried out, so I will have to get tome stuff tomorrow to clean it off.
Tomorrow the plan is to glue a lot more foam on ready to shape, and maybe clean the paper off the windscreen.
bugmaniaar 路
One of the best builds yet...Maybe some Torana tail lights?......
beetleboyjeff 路
bugmaniaar wrote:One of the best builds yet...Maybe some Torana tail lights?......
Tim, the bloke who is working on it with me, has some tail lights off some classic car that he is restoring (I can't remember what he said it was - not a VW).
HappyDaze 路
Jeff, I find it hard to believe you have got so much done, in such a short time...Amazing !
Pity you're so far away. I would love to help out 馃憤 It'd have to be metal-work though, as wood is NOT my medium 馃檯
And thanks for taking the time to show us the progress, as time must be quite valuable to you. 馃憤馃憤
landfall 路
Hi Jeff, I am fascinated by this project and your skills. A truly worthwhile enterprise.
Will you be driving it to Valla??馃槀馃槀
HotRodMatt 路
Paint it black and tell everyone it's a replica. Put it on club rego.
It's better looking (and built) than one that has gone that route...
beetleboyjeff 路
Thanks for the comments fellas. While it would be good to do it in metal, we just don't have the time - only have about 3 weeks to build it - show opens on the 22nd, and they need to practice on it before then. You can call in on your way to or from Valla and see it. lol
I don't know that I would particularly like to drive a car that shape for any amount of time - I am a beetleboy. I particularly wouldn't like to drive that car anywhere - if you have any sort of a close look at it, it isn't really very well built. It is just an illusion to be viewed from the seating area in the theatre. Good fun to do though. Time is a problem, I started late today after trying to finish preparing a contract for a job - will try and finish it & send it off shortly, otherwise first thing in the morning before the office dwellers start work.
So today's job was to fit the foam to the doors. The hard part here is trying not to get too big a gap in the foam to allow the doors to open when they are only a crappy timber frame on house door hinges, and the foam is 50mm thick.
I did the best I could by undercutting the back of the front guard, and then having the front of the door skin extend forward so it could open into the gap in the front guard.
I have thin PVC angles to silicone into the backs of the front guards so we can get clean edges that won't fall apart, and I was really hoping to get them done tonight so the silicone would dry so we could shape the foam tomorrow afternoon, but I ran out of silicone. I will get some in the morning as soon as I get the contract away and do it then. Hopefully it will be dry enough tomorrow afternoon.
I also got a heap of foam on the back guards and built the wings out to thickness ready to shape.
If I can get the angles in front of the doors done in the morning, Tim & I should get a heap of the sides shaped tomorrow evening (I hope).
modnrod 路
I'm getting itchy 馃槀
Looking good man
beetleboyjeff 路
I put the foam on the back of the boot this evening, as well as on the top of the doors. I also started getting the 30 year old protective paper off the perspex windscreen - what a job.....
Tim did a lot of the shaping of the foam to the top of the fins,
and did a lot of the LHS foam shaping.
Tomorrow I hope to finish cleaning the paper off the windscreen & re-fit it, and maybe do the dash and cut out for the bumper brackets, but it will be a late start as I have a Master Builders Association committee meeting as soon as I finish work - I am the treasurer.
beetleboyjeff 路
Tonight, Tim did a lot of shaping to the top of the doors and did some filling with builders bog & with expanda foam while I was at my MBA Committee meeting. When I got back, he did more shaping to the foam on the LHS. I got the perspex for the windscreen pretty clean, and Tim was saying the thought the windscreen looked too high as I had built it. After some discussion, I cut down the perspex & the windscreen frame and re-fitted it. I think he was correct. I then fitted foam to the front ready for shaping.
Tomorrow afternoon I have arranged to pick up a starter motor and a few things from 'Toey's' father ready for the car. I then have to save 27 lives (donate blood plasma at the Blood Bank) while Tim is shaping more foam, and when I get home I hope to start either fitting the steering column or fitting the clutch & pressure plate.
beetleboyjeff 路
I picked up some parts this afternoon - starter motor, steering column, etc. then went & saved 27 lives while Tim continued shaping foam. He did more on the top of the doors and the LHS, then did the front. I put an axle nut on the LHS rear drum (finally), took the steering wheel out of my 69 body and made sure it fitted the steering column I had picked up, and did some sussing out how to fit it all, then Tim & I re-fitted the front bumper and looked at how to make the 'grill'. We also mounted the headlight surrounds (out of my 69 - we are using the lights as well) to see how they looked.
Tomorrow night I hope to get the steering column & pulleys fitted & sus out how to set up a fan belt (so it will be LH drive). I also want to look at setting up the clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, and starter motor. Tim won't be in tomorrow night - he has to spend some time with his bride to be (he is getting married later this year - if he doesn't spend too much time here lol), so it will be just me.
oldskoolguy 路
Cool 馃憤
landfall 路
Its got that Ford Edsel look, need to put twin headlights on though.
Agree - Cool!
beetleboyjeff 路
This afternoon, I got some pulleys to put on the end of the steering shaft and on the coupler on the steering box so I could run a fan belt across and make the steering wheel on the left hand side (Grease is American after all). I set up approximately where the steering wheel needed to go:
Then mounted the lower end of the steering column:
I fitted one pulley onto the bottom of the steering shaft, but the larger diameter pulleys I got will foul the steering rods. I could nearly get away with the one on the steering shaft, but I can't get the other pulley onto the coupler - it is too close to the arm out of the bottom of the steering box.
I will see if I can get some smaller pulleys tomorrow. I will also see about mounting the clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, & starter motor.
We were hoping to finish shaping & preparing the foam tomorrow, and maybe get some paint on on Sunday, but the epoxy filler that Tim ordered didn't arrive. Looks like next week will be a big week. :-(
bugmaniaar 路
馃憤馃憤..Enjoying this..looking great...
beetleboyjeff 路
Today I made up the dash and mounted the top of the steering column. I went to change the pulleys over for smaller ones, but Eastland Bearings must not open on Saturday mornings any more. :-( I will chase them up on Monday.
Once I had that done, I whacked a few blocks of timber around the column to stop the wheel & shaft going forward down the shaft as I am not using the blinker/wiper housing.
I then fitted the clutch & pressure plate to the flywheel and sat it on the input shaft in the bellhousing. I plan to drill out a piece of timber with a hole saw and sit it over the back of the flywheel where the rear main oil seal goes, and bolt the timber to 2 of the engine mounting holes to centre the flywheel. It wont be spinning very fast or for very long, so I think it will do the job.
I also tried to fit the starter motor, but strangely, the starter motor I borrowed from Graham has slightly different hole centres to bolt it on, and where it fits into the bellhousing is slightly to big in diameter. The shaft size for the bush was about the only thing that did fit. Graham is sure that it was out of a swingaxle beetle, and when I googled the part number it also reckoned it was. I tried it in 3 other transaxles I have and they all had the same problem. Graham has other starters, so he will see if another one works & I will go & get that.
Tomorrow I would like to get the starter worked out & installed, fix the flywheel/pressure plate/clutch combo in, and see if it will work. I would also like to make up & mount the back bumper and start making up the grill. Tim hopes to shape the rest of the foam tomorrow and put more body filler in.
beetleboyjeff 路
I went back up to Graham's & swapped the starter for one that will fit a type 1 trans, came back, & fitted it. I then made up a mount for the flywheel - it will basically run around the flange for the rear main oil seal
I then fitted it all up. Unfortunately, we didn't have a battery to try it - tomorrow afternoon.
I then made up a grill (SS wardrobe hanging rails) and mounted (of all things) a domed VW hub cap on it (Tim's idea). Tim shaped the foam on the RHS, then did a lot of filling and minor shaping of the foam. The epoxy filler better come in tomorrow or we may be in trouble with our deadline.
Lastly, I straightened out the bent & buckled type 111 bumper peter had given me, put some bumper brackets on it, trimmed the ends, and mounted it on the back of the car.
Tomorrow we hope to finish filling where necessary and get the epoxy filler on (if it turns up). Tim has a battery he hopes to bring, so we can see if it will drive with the starter motor, and if so, work on wiring up the car (not that there is much to wire).
Camo 路
Loving your work, Jeff. Putting in a lot of time and effort by the looks of things.
Will be great prop when finished and looking forward to further updates 馃憤
Kev
Yogie 路
Awesome.
beetleboyjeff 路
Thanks fellas. It is a fun toy to make. :-)
Today I swapped the pulleys over for better sized pulleys (that didn't hit everything) and a fan belt to make the LHD steering, then this afternoon, we machined & drilled them as necessary, bolted 1 to the coupler on the steering box and the other to the end of the steering shaft, and fitted the fan belt. It works like a charm. The steering is easy, but a lot of turns lock to lock due to the use of different size pulleys. This is because they were the old stock I could get very cheap. It will also put less strain on the belt, so less chance of it slipping (I hope).
We also removed the front bumper and grill etc, and Tim did final sanding on the front and the doors, laid up fibreglass matt to the top of these areas, and fibreglassed them on. We are only doing the top areas to make them strong enough to dance on in the show.
We didn't get a chance to try the starter today, so I hope to try it tomorrow. I will have to leave Tim with the fibreglassing as I have our Sailing Club AGM tomorrow night. Tim hopes to sand and lay matt on the back of the car and the fins etc.
beetleboyjeff 路
This afternoon I finally got a chance to put a battery in the car & drive it up & down the driveway. IT WORKS! YAHOO!
I then removed the back bumper & gave it a clean-up ready to polish it before Tim got here. He shaped up the foam for the back of the car & gave it a clean up.
Once he had done that, he cut the mat for over the fins & the back part of the car and fibreglassed it on. I coated most of the rest of the foam with epoxy (fibreglass resin), mainly all the lower part of the car that won't have mat on it (no one will be dancing on it). We just have to do across the back now.
Tomorrow will be a lot of filling & cleaning up & fibreglassing across the back. Tim is taking an RDO on Thursday to paint the car. I have to see when my mate Adam can take the car to the theatre with his tilt tray.
beetleboyjeff 路
This evening, I got the front bumper cleaned up and polished 2 of my mag wheels that are to go on it. I also finished masking the windscreen and a number of other areas ready for paint. Tim fibreglassed across the back and gave a lot of the car another coat of resin.
Tim is taking an RDO tomorrow, so hopes to do a lot of filling & sanding in the morning, and paint it in the afternoon.
beetleboyjeff 路
Tim had his RDO today but didn't get near as much done as hoped because the resin wouldn't finish going off in the low temperatures. When I got home from work, I got out several heaters & a hot air gun that I have (I wish I had realised early in the day) and set them up. These eventually got things dry, and Tim finished filling & sanding as much as time would allow. I detailed the 2 wheels that I polished last night, then polished the bumpers, grill, & headlight surrounds. By then, Tim was ready to apply spray primer, so I assisted him with that. It is pretty rough, and Tim will do more filling tomorrow, but from the distance of the audience, it will hopefully be OK.
I didn't realise Tim has tomorrow off as well, so he hopes to do a lot of filling touch ups, then put the signal red paint on. When I get home, I hope to be able to fit the 2 wheels I have ready to the back of Greased Lightning, swap the 2 wheels I remove for the 2 mags on my work trailer, and get them polished & detailed for the front of Greased Lightning.
bugmaniaar 路
Even my wife is interested in this build and is now telling me how it should look.......Shut up woman and get back in the kitchen........Bloody Grease fan.....
beetleboyjeff 路
Your wife could give us a hand then Bugmaniaar. Tell her to call in and see the show on the way to or from Valla.
Today, Tim did more sanding and filling (Still rough as, but good enough for a stage prop), then finally, got the colour on it. I stripped the masking off it after work and got a pic before I went to man our local Driver Reviver stop from 9pm till midnight.
Tomorrow, I hope to get the mags on it, fit the bumpers, headlights, grill etc., then my mate Adam is bringing his tilt tray to take it to the theatre after lunch.
bugmaniaar 路
Bit far from Melbourne for her to travel.....but I could drop her off at the bus stop....lol......馃槀
beetleboyjeff 路
Port Macquarie is on the way from Melbourne to Valla - only about 10km off the highway, and you still have 2 weeks to get here.
Today we got the bumpers back on, the mag wheels on the RHS (Tim & my wife talked me out of taking the other mags off my trailer to do the other side - you don't see them on the stage), the grill, and most of the lights. Tim wired the lights but ran out of time to finish fitting the switch and wire to it (he had to go & play hockey). I fitted and wired a push switch on the LHS where the accelerator would be so it is a more natural driving style.
I then drove it up & down the driveway (with the starter motor - I got my wife to video it, but she stuffed it up and got a bit of video of the grass beside the driveway and a flash of the car) while waiting for Adam with his tilt tray.
Adam arrived with his tilt tray (new to him - this was his first car on it - he bought it for his panel shop, Supalook) and we loaded up
At the theatre, it drove off the tilt tray and into the backstage workshop loading dock doorway easy enough. The hard bit then was getting the back wheels on wheel jacks and manoeuvring it through the door into the stage area and into the location where it will drive on & off stage. It fitted (just - 20mm bigger and it wouldn't have fitted), then we practised driving on & off the stage.
Matt, who is playing Danny Zuko had a few goes. Looks like it will work.
Tim is going in tomorrow afternoon to finish wiring up the lights, and when the graphics come from the sign company in Sydney where my daughter Kaylee works (Eyetonic) early in the week (I hope), we can get them fitted. They are basically lightning bolts with a flame effect on them.
newghia 路
This has been fun to follow the build & in such a short time & with obvious other commitments to attend to along the way.
Good on you Jeff, well done.
Kroozzn61 路
Looks great !! well done..
oldskoolguy 路
Holy cow Jeff that looks fantastic, it's really great watching it come together. Well done.
bugmaniaar 路
Looks great.......馃憤
beetleboyjeff 路
The decals arrived from my daughter Kaylee in Sydney today, so tonight I took them to the theatre and Simone (Rizzo) helped me apply them.
They are a reflective metallic, and when I used the flash for the photos ..........
Tim had been in over the last few nights and connected up the lights
and they have made covers to make the car look 'daggy' (rat look?) when it first appears. The covers are removed during the song 'Greased Lightning' (I believe)
So the car is finished now, and my work is done until the show run finishes - after Valla thank heavens - then I have to dismantle it, get my pan and parts back, and return all the bits & pieces I borrowed.
I would like to get a bit of video of the car being used in the show, but I am pretty sure shows' licence/copywrite won't allow me to do that.
Smiley 路
And then once you have your pan back and it is still out, you might as well start work on building the Baja!!!
Fantastic build up Jeff, thank you for posting up some pictures 馃榾
Smiley 馃檪
beetleboyjeff 路
We went & saw the show again tonight with my Daughter Kaylee who did the graphics, and got a bit more video of the car being driven by Danny Zuko (Matt Symons).
The show finishes next Sunday (14th), then it will be time to take the body off the pan and get all my VW parts back.
modnrod 路
Outstanding!
Oooo! Baja? ............ ?
beetleboyjeff 路
My daughter also videoed the car from a bit different angle - here is her footage.
beetleboyjeff 路
Ok. Well the show finished on Sunday, but the cast did get a few photos with the car:
.. and with special effects
..... even Rizzo (Simone Berry) and 2 of her greatest fans
But all good things must come to an end, and the set was bumped out on Monday, and Monday evening we took the body off the pan
and now I have my mate with the tilt tray organised to take bring the pan back home on the weekend.
Apparently, they are looking at selling the body to a theatre group in Coffs Harbour who are going to do the show, so if any dubbers up that way have a pan to lend for a month or so.............