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A weather-beaten collection of 1949 Ford Coupe parts has been transformed into Greased Lightnin’ for the Edison Theatre Company’s spring production of “Grease — School Edition.”

Students in Edison Academy’s Automotive Collision Service class completed the stage car in just four weeks, combining auto-body restoration, welding and theatrical design to create a prop sturdy enough for performers to stand around and lean against.

The project began when theater teacher Jeff Walker asked the class to rebuild the rusted front end of a Ford Coupe. The theater company had purchased the parts from a Minnesota junkyard, but no single vehicle provided everything needed. The hood, bumpers and fenders came from different 1949 Fords.

Automotive Collision Service teacher Charles Cornwell said the pieces arrived in rough condition. Removing the extensive rust became one of the biggest jobs for Mount Vernon High School senior Elijah Knight, who wanted to ensure the new paint would adhere properly and produce a clean finish.

Structural safety was equally important. Edison High School junior Kristian Granado said the students had to make every weld strong because actors would interact with the car throughout the musical. A failed weld could cause the frame to collapse.

The team also modified the hood, which performers will open and close onstage. Students cut it in half to reduce its weight and installed shocks so it could move safely.

The completed prop features sparkling red paint and bright white lightning streaks inspired by the Greased Lightnin’ seen in the 1978 film.

Walker said he was speechless when he first saw the finished car, which he felt looked even more like the iconic vehicle than expected.

The unusual assignment also showed students how automotive skills can transfer to other fields. Granado said the project changed how he thinks about creating objects for different purposes, taking work normally associated with cars and applying it to theater.

Knight already understands the connection. In addition to studying automotive collision service at Edison Academy, he participates in theater at Mount Vernon High School and plans to study scenic design after graduation. He said his experience in each discipline has strengthened his work in the other.

For Knight, the final reward will come when audiences see the car under the stage lights after the time and effort students devoted to rebuilding it.

The Edison Theatre Company will present “Grease — School Edition” from April 3 through April 5.