peterp&j wrote:thanks knight racer i know i am harking on about this but it has always niggled at me for years i hope theres not a posse of replica owners after my blood now im very aware how accurate some owners are about their treasured KITTs!!!
No worries peterp&j
You have a question, and I'm more than happy to try and answer it for you.
Something else to keep in mind also is the episode 'White Line Warriors' is from S2 which also saw the birth of a second generation of dashboard. While not much different from the Pilot/S1 dash, enough subtle difference to be different. Quick breakdown, instead of the S2 dash being a dash on dash (fiberglass half dash on top of a stock dash pad) the S2 dash became a full fiberglass dash that extended all the way to the windshield. Secondly the pods changed slightly in that the top of the pods that come off from the dash now angle slighlty downward towards the steering wheel.
Other differences where overlay lines added and seperations, & screws subtracted, ect. The smaller 2 TV frame also became more of a staple for the S2 dash. Upper & lower consoles changed, ect. but not utterly important to this paticular discusion. (just wanted to give you an idea of a few of the changes).
Now, back to the S2 dashboard itself. The overall dash shape remained the same from Scheffe's original. (the tail to the windshiled was just added) The S2 pods (in theroy, mind you) and I can niether comfirm nor deny this, because I simply don't know, but were most likely sculpted from the S1 dash pods and altered to slop downward towards the wheel. Going off this theroy, the overall shape of the pods shouldn't have changed that much from the original S1.
This second part, which I cannot comfirm but have come to understand through the years is that Michael Scheffe only ever built one dash for Universal, and that is the dash we see in the Pilot episode. I understand that he either had part in some scetches or referal on the second generation S2 dash, but not actual hands on building. Again, only what I've come to understand. And of coarse it's comfirmed that he did at least scetch the 3/4 S dash.
Back to my point. Michael Scheffe is not just a prop builder, he attended automotive design school and when he scetches and builds, the parts are true to what an automobile should be if it were to be build by a company and manufactured. The pod ends were in fact even across from one another and if looked at directly straight on, you would see that they in fact, are. When the steering wheel is straight, both pod ends will be appox. 1/4" below the tips of the top of the wheel.
I understand exactly where your coming from in your thinking because I've been there myself.
But the reality is, you can't get a true representation of what something really is from a camera angle or snap shot or what have you. The slightest off angle can through your perspective off greatly. I've studied screen grabs of KITT for the past three years, inside and out, and I know how picture angles can drive you crazy and make you see things that arn't really happening. Paticularly when it comes to the S1/S2 KITT front bumper. One angle can make it look very long and another can make it look very short for instance.
I hope I've been able to answer your question about the pod ends. Don't ever feel like you can't ask me a question about the KITT replicas. I'm more than happy to shed some light if I can. I'm a huge KR fan too, so I know how you feel.
The only questions I can't answer is specific part numbers or specific measurements, ect. out of respect for all the time it's taken to obtain such information.
Thanks again, you guys for the awesome comments!
Andy