Universal Studios Park KITT Timeline and Questions

[Joe Huth]

Hey everyone,

I've been researching the cars used at the Universal Studios attraction in Hollywood and I am hoping that some people out there can help me out.

Based on my research, they used at least two cars, possibly three. It's been stated previously that they would swap cars out as repairs were needed.

From 1984-1986, the park car featured the season 1/2 dash and season 2/3 nose:





After that, the dash was upgraded to the season 3/4 from 1986-1996:





Last year, I purchased the steering wheel, TV frame and two dash panels from the season 3/4 car used here. This week, I purchased some items from the OTHER park car (Details to follow this weekend).

My question is...what happened to the attraction after 1996? Was this when the attraction was moved off the water, as seen in the picture below?



If so, approximately what years was it displayed in this manner before disappearing altogether? I believe this car to be the FIRST park car used over the water, later replaced by the other car that ended up in a junkyard a few years' back.

This picture below shows the first park car after its tour of duty was completed. Look closely and you'll see another KITT beside this one. Anyone know where this pic originated from?



Lastly, if anyone has any additional photos of the park cars (ones that aren't easily obtainable via a Google search), please post them here, with the date they were taken if known!

Thanks,
Joe

[the original KITT]

I hate the season 4 front nose. Season 3's looks the best. Don't know y they changed it.

[Skav]

I had my pic taken with the KITT that's next to the guy with the cap.

This was somewhere between 1998-2000.

[n knight]

i had the 2/3 season nose and now have the 4th season nose,



Here is a pic of my 4th season interior



Alex

[Victor Kros]

Which car was this one from? It has different buttons and a lower console than your photos and the famous "K" speaker in the gullwing. Definately from the Universal display as confirmed by the dock imagery in the windshield.



=VK=

[Knight Racer]

I have a bunch more pics from kitt at universal studios.I also have a video clip recorded by it in finland.I think I also have a universal studios guest spot by David and Rosie Odonell but I forgot where I left that in my archive.

Here's some of it

http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww28 ... ?start=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Victor Kros]

Nice stuff there Racer, even if the images are pretty small.

=VK=

[Knight Racer]

Thanks,we all can't have images as great as the quality as the ones found in your book.Those shots were taken years ago when image resolution was much lower so to me,many years ago maybe 10-15 they were ok just to see it on the old crt monitors.

The video was for a tv show in Finland.I haven't seen that clip in years.It looked new to me.It has that weird set of button pods shown in this thread.

Just found this clip in my appearences folder and uploaded it to youtube for you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX3mQ2m0u4Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ws6air]

Yey, Thanks Joe, for those pics...Awesome....! Are you still doing your blog, if so, can you post the link. I wouldn't mind seeing your ride again, and seeing what you've been up to. Good to see ya around, need to catch up some time and talk. Hope all is well! Talk with ya later!

marc

[simon_a6]

Can someone please tell me, or show me the difference in the seasons' noses, as I cannot tell the diff.

[n knight]

here you go

http://www.wraithinnovations.com/bumpers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[roDa]

I had the same question as simon. Now I know
But there's something that bothers me... Were the 2nd season turning lights supposed to be "bent"? I mean, they look quite curvy almost always.

[simon_a6]

I was just wondering after seeing these pics, if there is a photo of an Original TV KITT used in the show itself, and the interior.

We've seen Universal Lot Kitts, which as far as i know, were there just for show, and not actual used ones.
Or you see the exterior of a show one, but not the interior.

I notice on some of the Univeral Lot ones, the wrong seats, or at least the wrong head rests. Which is a bit lazy of Universal.

I also agree with what has been said here about the location of the Attack KITT. I personally never rated that new show very highly, but it is part of a heritage of the show, and should be given a little more respect.

[Knight Racer]

simon,the difference between the 2 noses arethe point is a little longer and lower in season 3/4 then the first 2 seasons.The bumper itself is a bit longer and lower too.

[Joe Huth]

Which car was this one from? It has different buttons and a lower console than your photos and the famous "K" speaker in the gullwing. Definately from the Universal display as confirmed by the dock imagery in the windshield.



=VK=

Nick - I *think* it's the same car, just different time periods. As parts wore out, they replaced them with other stuff.

As far as the "K" speaker...well....stay tuned

Joe

[TONY1977]

Hi everybody, I'm Tony, I'm Italian and a newbee here. I'm a big KR fan, the show was called Supercar in Italy. I'm also a big car and Star cars lover. I've collected many pictures and informations about my favourite big and small screen cars during the last years.
Most of the pics I have were STOLEN here and there on the web. My goal is writing a timeline and current whereabouts of all of the T/As used in Knight Rider(TOS).
Joe you're right about the fact the season 1/3 nose Kitt was on the pond at Univ.Studios until around 1997, then had tinted windows and during the 1997-2000ish was moved to a diff. location. During the last 90's this car had received a new dashboard from season 3/4.
I have many photos to prove that but photobuket is in maintenance now and I can't post'em. Tomorrow maybe.
For what concerns the buttons inside the 2tv dash car, I can say the Universal crew had to replace them with plain grey ones after a couple of years because kids kept pushing them. the seats were replaced aswell probably for the same reason, too many kids on that car in a year or so. I have pictures from 1985 of this same car with wool seat covers(!!!), later replaced with new leather ones.
I think they wanted to show just 1 and only car at the beginning and I think so they did for the 1st coupla years. The car with ground FX arrived later and was spotting, as far as I heard, the screen used studio dash from season 3/4.
I heard also that this second car was actually a screen used stunt T/A, car #1994 or 1995 but I couldn't tell how correct this info is. Maybe the 1st display car with the 2tv dash was a screen used aswell, a stunt car with the screen used studio dashboard from seasons 1and 2, who knows.
Thanks for your time.

Tony

[simon_a6]

Nice info.
Still be nice to see an original interior that was genuinely used and seen in the show.
I know that most of the 'dash' shots were studio shots, but there were scenes such as The Rotten Apples when KITT talks to the old man and fires his grappling hook "what do you think about that, parrrttnerrrr", and was an actual dash.

Just wonder if any of those particular cars still exist, or if fan photos exist of them.

We've seen pictures of the car when it is in convertible mode, and when it was 'half a car' on the back of a trailer for filming.
But how exactly did they perform the act of 'closing the lid'? This might not be for this thread, but not sure where it would sit. You saw the fake back slide back (which clearly wasn't part of the 'closed' car), but did they have to construct a KITT with no roof whatsoever (and prob no dash) and make something to look like the top was closing on it?

Just wondering, as I have never seen this question asked in the forum.

[Joe Huth]

Hi Tony!

I remember chatting with you on another board in your "Hero KITT Cars" thread. Glad to see you around!

Do you know the origin of the last photo I posted, the one showing the two park cars together in a parking lot after the display was gone?

Any other pics you have, I'd love to see!

Joe

[TONY1977]

Yes that's me Joe, nice to chat with you again. All the infos I have were taken here and there on various boards and web pages.
The Kitt with the 1st-3rd season nose was left to languish on the Universal backlot with many other famous cars around the first 2000s. From this date on the other star cars were showed to the tram tourists (the stunt A-Team van, the BTTF Delorean and so on)while our 2 (or 3) former display Kitts were left aside, maybe they were not presentable.
The current whereabouts are unknown to me, but I'm afraid both cars had the same fate, parted out and then sold in pieces.
I'll try to send you some pictures that I have, maybe you'll be able to post'em here.

Tony

[TONY1977]

Hey Joe, can you please PM me your e-mail?
Thanx.Tony

[TONY1977]

Take a look to your PM, please Joe.

Tony

[greeknight]

"Last year, I purchased the steering wheel, TV frame and two dash panels from the season 3/4 car used here. This week, I purchased some items from the OTHER park car (Details to follow this weekend)."

So you are the one that outbit me at ebay auction for15$ if I remember correctly!
All this time I had the impression that the guy that bought the universal car won them.

[ps200sx]

I would love to see the original studio/sound stage dash. The one used for closeups, talking etc. I've saw two screen used kitts in my life, t-top and convertible (which strangely had a 1/2nd season dash). Both dashes were terrible, definatly not the ones used in closeups or for when kitt speaks. The 1st season dash in the picture above is probably the best looking on screen dash I have seen so far.

[kitt.pl]

I heard that David Hasselhoff have original KITT dash
Maybe some of you have pictures?

Sorry for my english...

[New KITT]

Surprise, surprise. David has an original KITT dash.