1/18 Die Cast KITT Coming In December

[corlando52]

All valid points, and you can write to RC2 until your hands bleed and they just won't answer. I have a friend in Illinios who is going to attend the October Toy Convention there. He goes every year and says Ertl always has a booth. He's going to ask questions and take pictures and then report back to me. I'll pass along any information here.

Chris

[HondaSiR]

I hope they'll fix at least the amber lights in the frontnose and remove the white lettering in tires.

Yeah, the white lettering on low profile tires really suck! I'd probably put flat black paint over them when I get my hands on the it. Otherwise, its still pretty presentable.

[marshall dusty]

All valid points, and you can write to RC2 until your hands bleed and they just won't answer. I have a friend in Illinios who is going to attend the October Toy Convention there. He goes every year and says Ertl always has a booth. He's going to ask questions and take pictures and then report back to me. I'll pass along any information here.

Chris

im in illinois, any idea where and when? too sleepy too google it, going to bed now.....

[Skav]

The white lettering was on the real car at Universal studios that i went to see. it wasn't painted black or anything, i know it was a replica but still.

[Lost Knight]

The model also has the Pontiac logo on the "bowling ball" hub caps, what's up with that? I think the reason behind these apparent made up features (amber fog lights, Pontiac logos on the hub caps, low profile tires, Goodyear white lettering on the tires, no turn signal blackouts, no bumper grills protecting the fog lights) is Aoshima's attempt to distinguish their model from Ertl's, appearance wise.

It looks more like the model was based on somebody's Knight Replica than the actual K.I.T.T. from the series. As for the tail lights, I hope it will be blacked out as well, but I have a feeling it will be like the Corgi die-cast model with the brake lights painted on. But if the rest of the model will have those inaccuracies, anything wrong with the dashboard or tail lights won't bother me as much as the AMBER FOG LIGHTS.

[HondaSiR]

The white lettering was on the real car at Universal studios that i went to see. it wasn't painted black or anything, i know it was a replica but still.

The KITT that I saw at Universal Studios didn't have the white lettering on the tires. They probably changed them from time to time. In the show, I don't think the tires ever had any white letterings.

The model also has the Pontiac logo on the "bowling ball" hub caps, what's up with that?

Since ERTL has plans on releasing the stock Firebird version, they probably didn't bother to paint the Pontiac logo black on the KITT version. A cost-cutting measure perhaps? I'll probably paint them black too, together with the white tire letterings.

It looks more like the model was based on somebody's Knight Replica than the actual K.I.T.T. from the series.

You hit the target dead on...for how can they possibly release such a model with those inaccuracies, specially the orange fog lights. I'll probably try to paint those lights to match the others, provided that I can find an exact color match.

As for the tail lights, I hope it will be blacked out as well, but I have a feeling it will be like the Corgi die-cast model with the brake lights painted on.

My goodness, let it not be so! I hated the Corgi's painted on brake lights. Let the simple but cool tail light blackouts rule.

[Gonzaloa]

I don't understand how a company could make a model based on someone's replica or just make errors to make the model different of the competition.

I guess it's a matter of costs, an a future stock model.

Here the cost of the model will be more of the double of the original price, so I guess I'm going to leave it just as it is. I couldn't afford to make a mistake and to ruin it.

[Skav]

Why they would make errors to prevent copyright issues is beyond me...why not just make DIFFERENT FEATURES for the car???

I'm sure the Aoshima model doesn't have the grappling hook or ejector seat?? therefore, there's a difference.

[PBH]

I'm still SOOOO upset about those stupid amber lenses! I'll likely go to a hobby place & try to locate replacement lenses & while I'm at it, new tires with black lettering.

[sarfraz]

You know this is starting to remind me of the Transformer franchise which is split between Hasbro and Takara. Generally speaking both tend to use the same mould but more often that not there were slight difference in colouring and even material quality. I haven't a clue if the same applies here but it could mean something minor such as a better black paint job on the Aoshima car but nothing significant. hlj.com show that the Aoshima car looks like the ERTL one.

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljpage.cgi?AOS07324

...however I still can't quite understand why the Aoshima one works out more expensive?

Sarfraz

[Lost Knight]

I think in order to get 100% accuracy, the Franklin Mint is going to have to join in and make a K.I.T.T. model of their own. Of course if that company makes it, it will no doubt be over $100 and probably wouldn't be 1/18th scaled. I've seen the General Lee from The Dukes Of Hazzard with lots of working features on it, even a bendable antenna, and it looked 100% accurate. I just don't understand what the big deal is with accuracy for the K.I.T.T. model though. It's a nose, a dashboard, and blacked out tail lights on pretty much an otherwise stock Trans Am. Making up features like those amber lights is just ridiculous! I'll probably paint over the inaccuracies as well; with the Corgi model, the rims bugged me so much I took a black marker and colored in the centers of them to appear more like the "bowling ball" hub caps.

[corlando52]

I'm sure the Aoshima model doesn't have the grappling hook or ejector seat?? therefore, there's a difference.

If you've seen the box art for the Aoshima, you'll see the grappling hook, and a closeup of one of the seats which leads me to believe they are pointing out the ejector seat (I can't read Japanese). This leads me to believe that it is the exact same model as the Ertl. They may be importing them from the US and maybe that's why it is more expensive. Again, only conjecture.

As for the blackout on the tail lights, if they don't, I would use windshield tint. It works really great. Just find a % that you like, cut it to size, and just put it over their tail lights..

Chris
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[HondaSiR]

I think in order to get 100% accuracy, the Franklin Mint is going to have to join in and make a K.I.T.T. model of their own. Of course if that company makes it, it will no doubt be over $100 and probably wouldn't be 1/18th scaled.

If ever the Franklin Mint joins in, the scale will pretty much be 1:24, pretty small compared to the ERTL. And at $100.00, its going to be too expensive for the average Knight Rider fan to afford, so I think its not going to materialize. I'll be pretty happy with the $40.00 ERTL even with the inconsistencies, I'll just have to trust my modelling skills in order to correct the defects.

As for the blackout on the tail lights, if they don't, I would use windshield tint. It works really great. Just find a % that you like, cut it to size, and just put it over their tail lights..

Thanks for the idea, we may just have need for that technique in the future.

[imranbecks]

I'm pretty confident that the blackout for the tail lights will be included in the model... From the pic at HLJ, it looks as though the dash was lighted up... or was it just the paint job?

[HondaSiR]

It's looks like the tv screens have a silver paint job. The dash probably has some sort of sticker (hope I'm mistaken) to simulate the digital displays. Well if it lights up, then its a welcome attraction indeed!

[imranbecks]

If it lights up, all the better!!!! But i reckon it wld..

[PBH]

I still have SOME hope!

I have the General Lee, Ecto-1 & Fast & Furious cars at home. They are quite accurate in detail. I really hope that they keep with this detail & not simply pass off a crappy version of KITT that fans are aleady upset about.

[Dave Knight]

Well i WAS gonna buy the ECTO 1 from ghostbusters but its MORE innaccurate than the KITT. It has for example its not a true 1/18 scale if it was it would be way bigger i have a 1/18 scale batmobile based on the real car and its way bigger than the ecto (a real 59 caddy ambulance is about 20-22 feet long the batmoblie is 20 feet even) It has a scrunched down roof frack, the siren lights (the big wide ones on the front and back of the roof) are just attached like they are floating in air i gues they are mounted in the center of the light bar instead of the outter edge like the real lights) It has chrome steel wheels with chrome baby moon hubcap in the center (these are the style rims that were on the part II car but the real car has white rim with chrome center cap and white letter tires) instead the caddy hubcaps at least they ahve the whitewalls And the back bumper has NO licence plate i mean there is not even a rectangular recess where a plate would GO its just a one fender to fender width chrome strip under the rear door. And finally the licence plate that is on the model has the blue lettering on white background with the red lady liberty instead of the yellow background with the blue lettering. And the stuff that sticks out of the roof is added on when you take it out of the box and it has the satalite dish from the part II car so i guess they were gonna do a ECTO 1A model and reverse enginered it to the part I car but kept some off the part II cars features. So im surprised ERTL did as good a job on KITT as they did, the only ACCURATE in my eye 1/18 car was the general lee and it had less than accurate rims but other than that they had all teh proportions and colors and decals right (except the GENERAL LEE text on the roof was blue not black like on the diecast and the model plastic kit)

WHEW, sorry

[imranbecks]

Wow... That was a long entry Dave Knight!!! Hmmm.... I never knew the ERTL ECTO-1 diecast had inaccuracies... Oh well, regarding the scale, the model is a scale of 1:21. As the car is very long, it wld have been big if it was 1:18. I guess ERTL made it 1:21 in scale so that it would be around the same length as their other 1:18 models...

For the 1:18 KITT, I am prepared for some minor inaccuracies.... Nothing is perfect... But I really hope ERTL do not leave out the obvious details such as the KNIGHT plate and the tailight blackouts... We have not seen any rear pics of the model yet, maybe thats why I'm worried...

[HondaSiR]

But I really hope ERTL do not leave out the obvious details such as the KNIGHT plate and the tailight blackouts... We have not seen any rear pics of the model yet, maybe thats why I'm worried...

Yeah, I also hope that the rear end would be true to the show, specially the KNIGHT plate. There has to be a reason why ERTL hasn't shown it in any of its promo pics, hmmm. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

[Dave Knight]

But I really hope ERTL do not leave out the obvious details such as the KNIGHT plate and the tailight blackouts... We have not seen any rear pics of the model yet, maybe thats why I'm worried...

Yeah, I also hope that the rear end would be true to the show, specially the KNIGHT plate. There has to be a reason why ERTL hasn't shown it in any of its promo pics, hmmm. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

yeah, they are holding off showing the back cause the plate probably looks like THIS



instead of the one we know and love

[imranbecks]

No way!!! A white KNIGHT plate???!!!! The designers at ERTL must be really blind if they were to do something like that...

[HondaSiR]

But I really hope ERTL do not leave out the obvious details such as the KNIGHT plate and the tailight blackouts... We have not seen any rear pics of the model yet, maybe thats why I'm worried...

Yeah, I also hope that the rear end would be true to the show, specially the KNIGHT plate. There has to be a reason why ERTL hasn't shown it in any of its promo pics, hmmm. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

yeah, they are holding off showing the back cause the plate probably looks like THIS



instead of the one we know and love

Lolz, I hope it doesn't come to that....It's just unforgivable! It kinda makes KITT look feminine. Sacrilege is a more appropriate term.

[Dave Knight]

well the white plate i showed you is the CURRENT california plate they havent had the yellow on blue one since the early to mid 80s since the Ecto had the more up to date NY plate (lady liberty instead of the yellow) i wouldnt be surprised that KITT would have the newer style plate. Although, my General Lee 1/18 has the correct for the tv show plate that has the CNH 320 and the HAZZARD COUNTY in redish orange with a white background and its correct, so there IS hope that KITT will have the classic yellow on blue plate

[themarvelous3]

Well i WAS gonna buy the ECTO 1 from ghostbusters but its MORE innaccurate than the KITT. It has for example its not a true 1/18 scale if it was it would be way bigger i have a 1/18 scale batmobile based on the real car and its way bigger than the ecto (a real 59 caddy ambulance is about 20-22 feet long the batmoblie is 20 feet even) It has a scrunched down roof frack, the siren lights (the big wide ones on the front and back of the roof) are just attached like they are floating in air i gues they are mounted in the center of the light bar instead of the outter edge like the real lights) It has chrome steel wheels with chrome baby moon hubcap in the center (these are the style rims that were on the part II car but the real car has white rim with chrome center cap and white letter tires) instead the caddy hubcaps at least they ahve the whitewalls :roll: And the back bumper has NO licence plate i mean there is not even a rectangular recess where a plate would GO its just a one fender to fender width chrome strip under the rear door. And finally the licence plate that is on the model has the blue lettering on white background with the red lady liberty instead of the yellow background with the blue lettering. And the stuff that sticks out of the roof is added on when you take it out of the box and it has the satalite dish from the part II car so i guess they were gonna do a ECTO 1A model and reverse enginered it to the part I car but kept some off the part II cars features. So im surprised ERTL did as good a job on KITT as they did, the only ACCURATE in my eye 1/18 car was the general lee and it had less than accurate rims but other than that they had all teh proportions and colors and decals right (except the GENERAL LEE text on the roof was blue not black like on the diecast and the model plastic kit)

WHEW, sorry :wink:

ouch. you should be sorry. i found ONE period in that mess. hurt my head trying to decipher it.