KITT in New Zealand - Followup

fred · Post by **fred** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:34 am

Hi Everyone,

A followup on my earlier post this year, the genuine season 1/2 KITT is currently stored in a warehouse in industrial Auckland and is taken out to shows to promote products etc. The car is in original condition, the only noticable modificaiton is the installation of a DVD player and screen (now dash screen 2), the DVD remote control is mounted where screen 1 used to be.

This KITT has only done 12000 miles and is still fitted with it's original tyres. Apparently the car drives well but the gull-wing steering is not the best ergonomic setup! The car can not be driven on NZ roads due to not having a warrent of fitness.

After nearly 25 years the dash could do with an overhaul but I guess Universal never expected KITT to still be around in 2006.

If you want to see NZ KITT pictures then check out my group:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/knightridernz/

I would love to see some more photos of genuine KITT cars now.

Cheers,

Fred.

James_kr · Post by **James_kr** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:48 am

damm you have to join yahoo to see pics

Joe Huth · Post by **Joe Huth** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:43 pm

Hey Fred,

Do you have any concrete proof that this car was a screen used one? Any chance of getting some pics of the back seat/trunk area, along with the back of the scanner?

Thanks!
Joe

knightdriver · Post by **knightdriver** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:30 pm

Any chance of actually posting the pictures here?

I am not seeing anything regarding pictures there
and I don't plan to sign up to see them. If you want it
authenicated, please link the pictures here. Thanks.

EDIT: Ok, I signed up and still dont see any pictures?

What am I missing. Wonderful site that is.

sheltonw3 · Post by **sheltonw3** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:58 pm

one dead give away is the dash itself!....its the same design as the first season were the left corner spreads out a little more!http://www.knightreplicas.com/library/K ... 3-0050.jpg

James_kr · Post by **James_kr** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:18 pm

pics mate! post them somewhere and give us a link! No yahoo crap

fred · Post by **fred** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:55 am

I can't post images to this board or I would have posted them in my message. If anyone can and would like to post them here for me, drop me an email at fred_5015@hotmail.com and I'll flick them to you.

As for your comments Joe, I am 99.99% sure that this is a real studio car not a replica. Why I say that is: 1. the age of the car and condition of the dash. 2. the buttons on the overhead panel and dash are for show and do not depress. 3. As far as I can establish the car was sent to NZ and Australia around 1984 for promotion after season 1/2 had aired and would have been surplus to Universal due to it's older dash.
After the show was cancelled Universal had no more use for the car so it was auctioned off and purchased locally.

I will try and get more pics. It is currently owned by a marketing company and poor KITT spends his time promoting various products, not much of a retirement eh?

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:47 am

fred · Post by **fred** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:56 am

Thank you for posting the pics.

knightdriver · Post by **knightdriver** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 6:16 am

Well,

After closely looking at the car I can say it isn't a screen used car.
To many discrepencies in the car itself.

The fiberglass parts on the other hand are authentic parts. Real
two TV dash, pods lower and upper consoles and even the nose looks
original. (Small scanner height).

Car has leather seats and door panels, grey headliner. Dash electronics
are also the same type of stuff that Barris put in the cars they threw
together for tours. This is basicly a car that was assembled afterwards
for promotions. I would have said it was possible that this is one of the
cars that was built for the Hoff (2 where made) for his singing tour, but
those cars didn't have KITT interiors in them. Just the nose and scanner.

Having all orginal fiberglass makes it a real nice find but other than that,
it is just like most of the cars that turn up in the USA. Built by Barris
(or other maker) for touring.

GB · Post by GB » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:32 am

Did someone notice it hasn't the stock GM T-Tops ??

It has the same T-Tops than the car we discussed about at the Foundation recently.

So, as Brian said, it isn't an original screen used car.

knightdriver · Post by **knightdriver** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:14 am

Actually,

Those are regular T-tops. If it were the other kind, there is no way in
hell that overhead would have fit in there. I think the passenger side
sun visor is throwing your off. But I still attest that it isn't a screen used
car!

GB · Post by GB » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:30 am

Well, I don't agree with you

Look closely at the top of the black plastic which runs along the sail panel to the T-Tops.
The top of this part is square, and the top of the same part on a car with original factory T-Tops is quite round.
The T-Tops handle area is also very different from the one on factory T-Tops.

Here is a pic taken from the auction of the '84 T/A with the "other" type of T-Tops, at the Foundation message board.

They are the same than the ones on this replica.

knightdriver · Post by **knightdriver** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:11 am

Hmmmmmm, I do see what your saying regarding the similarities.

Really hard to tell. I wish they could post a few extra pictures of the
exterior other than what is posted already. That would show us for
sure which version they are. No matter what version of T-tops this car
has, it still isn't a screen used car! thats a fact!

Knight_Blood · Post by **Knight_Blood** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:51 am

yeah, the left-hand switchpod, lower console and gearshifter button(!) are different

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:23 am

I would like to know what the VIN # was on that vehicle. This particular car looks like one that may have been used at Universal. I had asked them how many cars they went thru before they stopped having the K.I.T.T. display. Different people gave me different answers. I was told that there are (were at the time maybe) two cars at Universal. One that isn't in good shape (I guess that is the one with the windows spray painted black) and another that is parked with some other TV cars someplace else. I asked to be able to see the car, but I was told that area was not open to the public but I may have been able to see it from the tour trolley. I was on the tour, but I don't know if I missed it or what. The employees would not give me a location to go with.

Joe Huth · Post by **Joe Huth** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:49 pm

Now here's a genuwine screen used KITT....with the owner's card to prove it:

http://www.trombinoscar.com/pontiac/pt8402.html

Joe

Joe Huth · Post by **Joe Huth** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:07 pm

I knew I had seen that car before...here's some more pics of it:

Don't ask me where I got these from - they were in my picture collection. I think they were posted on the Foundation board a while back?

Joe

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:08 pm

Joe Huth wrote:Now here's a genuwine screen used KITT....with the owner's card to prove it:

http://www.trombinoscar.com/pontiac/pt8402.html

Joe

http://www.carfax.com/cfm/check_order.cfm
VIN: 1G2AW87H5CL524572
Year/Make/Model: 1982 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM
Body Style: COUPE
Engine Type: 5.0L V8 4BBL
Manufactured In: UNITED STATES

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:17 pm

Joe Huth wrote:Now here's a genuwine screen used KITT....with the owner's card to prove it:

http://www.trombinoscar.com/pontiac/pt8402.html

Joe

Look closely at the License Number (235QXM). Its nice to see all of the details. Thanks for sharing Joe Huth!

HungarianKnight · Post by **HungarianKnight** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:19 pm

Have you noticed that it's the Season 2 lower and overhead console? ANt the function buttons on the sides of the gullwing... they are crappy... The scanner is good!

fred · Post by **fred** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:06 am

Oh well it looks like this KITT was a promotional replica. At least it is kind of preserved I guess.

If I get an opportunity I'll post some pics of the electronics operating. The day I took the pics the battery was flat!

KITT in New Zealand - Followup

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