Where are SPM and EBS buttons?

[Knightline]

Does anyone know exactly where the little door that slides open to reveal the buttons for SPM and EBS is? I have only recently seen several episodes of the fourth season, and haven't seen where Michael actually reaches to activate the switch(es), only closeups.

[knightimmortal]

Technically, we have thought it to be in front of him, to the right side, near the steering wheel.

In reality, it isn't even in the car. The pod is actually outside the vehicle, which is why you will only see closeups of those buttons.

KI

[pdennis93]

speaking of SPM, were the scene's where the spm changes from normal to spm and vice versa minatures? or did the real spm car do that?

[knightimmortal]

They were real cars, one car had all the hydraulics to change in and out of SPM, but no engine, the other had extensions, but they couldn't retract, and that is the one you see going down the road, but by no means were they miniatures.

KI

[whet]

I think I recall reading that Kitt going into SPM was recorded at diffrent angle's as in reality, it was a case of you blink you miss it.
Does anyone know anything about this?

[knightimmortal]

Err...well, SPM was recorded at different angles only a few times, because it was tedious (a royal pain in the rear) to do it over and over again, which is why the majority of the SPM shots are the same recycled shots over and over again... is that what you are talking about?

KI

[sofchance]

Well it seems like whenever Michael reaches for the button, he reaches over to KITT's center console (underneath the gear shift). So maybe it's "supposed to be" there.

[Skav]

ive said this before and ill say again: view KOTJ and then before michael chases the plane at the climax, he goes to press buttons on the roof...while his finger is pointing to the roof, he mentions that its a good time to go into SPM.

so my guess it is there!

Skav

[knightimmortal]

But then it ends up in front of him in other episodes.

KI

[Skav]

ive never seen him pointing his fingers in front of him in other eps? where was this?

Skav

[knightimmortal]

Well, for example, in Many Happy Returns, we never see either of his hands go up above his head just before going into SPM the first time, he remains with his arms in front of him, as standard with holding on to the steering wheel. The second time in the same episode, he shifts his shoulder, not up, but leans forward just before going into SPM. And that is just in today's episode, it occurs in many others. When he reaches out to retrack the SPM and EBS, he takes his hand off the steering wheel, and moves it to the side.

KI

[Skav]

Then it's rather baffling why he'd aim for the ceiling in KOTJ. He could have easily made a mistake in knowing where the buttons were since it was a new feature and just quickly saw where the correct place was at the last minute....but the most likely reason is that it's another continuity error again.

Skav

[neps]

Right, it's probably simply the actor and the effects team weren't on the same page, which was corrected in later episodes.

[knightimmortal]

It's not uncommon with Hasselhoff. There are a few episodes (I would have to look through the nitpick guide again, there are so many nits now to tell you which ones) where Hasselhoff presses the turbo boost button over his head, then later goes forward. Hasselhoff seemingly had a button fetish, and pressed where his urge guided him.

KI

[KI Three Thousand]

Ok in KITT's more comman controlls like pursuit KITT or Michael Knight can activate hence Michael Knight doing it is optional. But Pursuit, Turbo boost is defenetly on the control pod hanging on the steering wheel. SPM and EBS was never finilized but the logicl spot for the control pod for both those functions would fit in the Roof but then KITT was a T-Top and convetible. The dash has far to many curves to fit that flat of a control consule. In the midile of the T-Tops I always assume is just back up controls for stuff like turbo boost, Pursuit ETC... Hence if the control pod over the steering wheel Michael Knight don't want to use He could use those insted makes sense to me.

[Scott Kirkessner]

Actually.... yes, turbo boost is on the switchpod, but Pursuit is one of the 4 red buttons near the TV's

-Scott

But Pursuit, Turbo boost is defenetly on the control pod hanging on the steering wheel.

[KI Three Thousand]

Thanks for the riminder I can't beleve I for got that one. Auto Cruise, Pursuit, manul is under the two T.V.s in season one and under the single T.V. of the second dash I'm so that I forgot that.

[Knightline]

Along with the original question, where are the surveillance light bar and voice projection light (button?)? Are these just placed outside the car and filmed only at close distance?

[knightimmortal]

A lot of those buttons are on the exterior of the car and shot independently. Technically from the way Hasselhoff reaches, they are in front of him. But I am sure that one of our conversionists around here can give a better generalization of exactly where it may be mounted.

KI

[Joe Huth]

My best guess is that the SPM/EBS buttons are located below the dash, in front of the gear shift. If you're familiar with the stock Trans Am, I would say the buttons were located where the radio is. Hasselhoff mainly reached for that area to activate SPM, although sometimes he pressed some overhead buttons, but I think he was activating/deactivating something else in preparation for SPM.

Joe

[jup]

I think it would be interesting to see one of the actual original episode scripts to see if it always denotes to reach for a specific button or just says something like, "(Reach for button on dash.)"

Also makes me wonder if David actually tried to read what each button was marked as. (Because, I'm pretty sure that the "complete" field car had a functioning and buttom marked dash. But, I'm not sure about most of the other "KITT's" even having prop dashes.