my 1/18 kitt....modified nose section

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 11:02 am

hey guys, just registered here...i brought a 1/18 kitt but i wasnt happy with the look of the fog lights, so i filed out the openings and made new lamps.. what do you think?

heres a couple of pics of my 1:24 plastic model too

HungarianKnight · Post by **HungarianKnight** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:45 pm

This is cool, man. You're right, the fog lights look better with these modifications.

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:20 pm

Great job, stevo3002. Out of curiousity, what company makes your 1/24th scale plastic model?

Wizster · Post by **Wizster** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:53 pm

Great job!

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 5:34 pm

Welcome to the board!

I'm glad to see yet another modeler on board. I love building model kits as well.

AWESOME JOB!!! Now THAT is how they SHOULD have done it in the first place, for both KITT and KARR! You may be giving me inspiration to go get those die casts after all, maybe...

Isn't your 1:24 the AMT/ERTL reissue? I have that exact same model I was going to work on, making one KITT and one KARR. However, I want to do to it like you did with the 1:18's and file out the openings and do the fog light thing.

Maybe order some scanner kits and rig them up somehow. But all my models are packed away since I'm moving in 6 weeks. When I move and get back into the modeling, I'll definitely have pictures of them both.

TurbomanKnight · Post by **TurbomanKnight** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 5:49 pm

Those seats on the 1/24 KITT looks oo rounded from the one I have. Much More accurate though.

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:03 pm

Love you front lamp conversion, I convert mine into twin fog lamps using the existing ones, but have to admit yours look better, what do you use for your lenses??

HondaSiR · Post by **HondaSiR** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:54 pm

Hi steveo3002, welcome to KRO! You've done a good modification job on your 1/18 KITT. And you've also done well on your 1/25 KITT model. I particularly like how you rounded off the model's PMD seats (as Turboman earlier mentioned) and sanded off the turn-signal blackouts to simulate a 4th season car. Did you also modify the dash to include the 1-TV design?

Overall its a very nice custom diecast and plastic model. Truly something only diehard KR fans can produce.

sheltonw3 · Post by **sheltonw3** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:53 am

I just got my new rotary tool and I plan on modding the junkyard dog kitt the same way!

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:10 pm

sheltonw3 wrote:I just got my new rotary tool and I plan on modding the junkyard dog kitt the same way!

You gonna dunk it in acid to remove the black paint? LOL

sheltonw3 · Post by **sheltonw3** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:40 pm

andy-kitt wrote:
sheltonw3 wrote:I just got my new rotary tool and I plan on modding the junkyard dog kitt the same way!
You gonna dunk it in acid to remove the black paint? LOL

NOPE!....

...The car itself rooled off the shelf one day and the nose was scrathced ,so I decided to sand it all the way down and strip it clean and convert it to junkyard dog kitt and the chassis was stripped too and the interior was removed as well and now the dash is still being done perfectly without any shortcuts to the 3/4th season!....so this diecast with be the very best piece I have ever crafted!>>

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:02 am

thanks for the nice comments guys

yes the 1/24 is a ertl, its actualy the old version as a i got it from ebay before the new one was released...im glad you noticed the seats

it also has real scale model carpet in the trunk

as for the 1/18 modfied nose..i like things to look acurate, i dremeled he opening out and used a piece of plexiglass/perspex( actualy a peice of old uk licence plate) that happend to be the correct thickness, i then cut it to shape and sanded the lenses with 1200 paper and painted all edges black

another thought for fogs , you can buy square leds..you can also sand leds to shape somwhat, so you could possibly have working ones

the only issue i have at the moment is that the scanner light shows through the wheel openings and under the nose...some black sealer should cure that

imranbecks · Post by **imranbecks** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:02 am

Wow!!! It looks way better with that nose...... Great job!!!

WELCOME TO KNIGHT RIDER ONLINE!!!

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:40 pm

steveo3002 wrote: another thought for fogs , you can buy square leds..you can also sand leds to shape somwhat, so you could possibly have working ones

Could LEDs be powered straight off the existing circuits??

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:16 pm

not sure on electrics...something your gona need to find out for yourself

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:17 pm

This is my effort

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:15 pm

looks alright....cant believe they couldnt get it right , not that tricky is it

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:35 pm

steveo3002 wrote:looks alright....cant believe they couldnt get it right , not that tricky is it

I think Ertl made the model that way to keep the lights more secure. Even though it's inaccurate, it was probably easier to simply snap plastic lights into spaces for mass production. Otherwise, they'd probably need to place extra plastic pieces within larger empty spaces to hold the lights in place.

KITTfan · Post by **KITTfan** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:45 pm

But the foglights weren't that visible in the show so the easiest thing ERTL could've done was just put the one wide opening per side with textured plastic grille in that place. It would've been accurate to the 1st season KITT that way.
I think the 1/25 plastic model have it that way.
Good looking modification steveo3002

-KITTfan-

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:13 pm

Lost Knight wrote: I think Ertl made the model that way to keep the lights more secure. Even though it's inaccurate, it was probably easier to simply snap plastic lights into spaces for mass production. Otherwise, they'd probably need to place extra plastic pieces within larger empty spaces to hold the lights in place.

I use the existing lens holder/lens & screw it back in place as the original was so its basically the same as ERTL have but without the central bars & located further back. As easy as that.

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:56 pm

andy-kitt wrote:I use the existing lens holder/lens & screw it back in place as the original was so its basically the same as ERTL have but without the central bars & located further back. As easy as that.

I see. I thought the model's setup was different as I never had the guts to take the fog light section apart. It seems it's just a matter of sanding off the bars. I may give it a try sometime soon as it sure beats putting black electrical tape over the amber lenses!

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:12 pm

you should give it a try, i couldnt bear to look at mine before...im happy now

it doesnt take long...have a look around for something to use as lamps

KentuckyKITT · Post by **KentuckyKITT** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:09 pm

I think I will get another 1:18 diecast and modify the foglights on it too. That does look better! I still think to this day...(and no one can convince me otherwise) that Ertl modeled their diecast off of someone's KITT replica and not from the show. Case in point: Most of them have amber foglights on the ends...wrong!!! KITT never had amber foglights, but some replica owners do that for turnsignals. The steeringwheel is also incorrect. It looks kinda like the original Louisell style wheel sold years ago that some people still have. I have a molded off original wheel in my real KITT replica and it is not the same. The wheel in the diecast is too narrow and too tall. The car is still a great peice though, don't get me wrong. Anyone ever wonder why they left the back hatch area black?? Or why the power window switches in the lower console are yellow?? Those things bogle my mind...as well as, why didn't they paint the L bracket on the doors panel black? These are just a few things I want to fix on another one.

steveo3002 · Post by **steveo3002** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:14 pm

ive improved my interior too, yeah the rear window is also a let down, the edge on it is WAY too thick

it also came with a clutch pedal that i sniped off

i cant understand why they dont consult a few enthusiasts when making these models..a couple of posts on a site like this would have them on the right track

for me, the nose on kitt is the main feature, its what everyone points at on a show car, its the part you have facing foward on your discast display..and theyve ruined the best bit

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:10 pm

I heard the ERTL model was casted on a replica. Its a shame you can't do anything about the tailgate, atleast we can modify the early versions noses

my 1/18 kitt....modified nose section

my 1/18 kitt....modified nose section

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