In just three weeks, PRG designed, installed and tested the mechanism that would make the vehicle appear to climb the 414-foot structure under its own power. To reduce weight, they removed the engine and transmission from the Grand Cherokee, installed a motor that made the wheels turn, and fixed the assembly to a sled that could be hauled up the side. A heavy-duty crane and winch mechanism installed on a top floor did the heavy lifting - and was virtually invisible to onlookers. Window washers' tracks previously attached to the building guided the climb and kept the Jeep close to the facade.
To drive the Jeep, PRG called on an old friend - a lifelike dummy nicknamed Virgil, last seen piloting the famous helicopter in Broadway's Miss Saigon. The client was so impressed with the climb that they did it twice - once for the media event and once just for fun.
Clear!Blue of Birmingham, Michigan created the project concept, spearheaded the planning and organization.
(Lee Baldock)
