the KITT replicas - r they legal?

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chappy
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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by chappy » Mon Apr 01, 2002 4:53 pm

I have seen some of the KITT replicas you lot r driving in america (im from UK) I was just wondering if the red "wiggle" light at the front is legal? (Unfortunatly) the police wouldn't stand for it over here. Anyone got any good stories about there KITT replicas?

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by knightimmortal » Mon Apr 01, 2002 5:27 pm

The scanner light is illegal in most states as is the steering wheel.

But being show cars, there is generally some exception, as long as they are not driven normally on the streets.

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Count Dracula » Mon Apr 01, 2002 6:28 pm

I understand about the scanner light being illegle, ppl can mistake that as a cop pulling them over. But why is the stearing wheel illegle?

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by knightvision » Mon Apr 01, 2002 6:31 pm

From what I know the gullwing steering wheel is illegal. I don't know why but I would venture that most wheels are round, and that one is well not the most condusive shape to control a car.

It might look cool, but it wouldn't save your life in an accident.

Richie

"What is this, Darth Vader's Bathroom? No Mr. Long it is a one of a kind car."

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by knightimmortal » Mon Apr 01, 2002 6:59 pm

You're right, Richie. According to my dear local best buddy cop, (He has yet to give me a ticket.) he said that the gullswing steering wheel is considered illegal, because for starters, the most safe driving position is with your hands at the 10 and 2 position. (Imagine a clock, and where the positions of 10 and 2 are) With the gullswing steering wheel, there is no 10 and 2, and if you had to turn the steering wheel fast, (hand over hand) you would not have as solid of a grip.

And he didn't even charge me for the lecture, either.

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by msKEN » Tue Apr 02, 2002 4:49 am

There is also a whole copyright issue, and it will only take one person to ruin it for us all. Case and point, someone gets drunk, hops in there KITT conversion and kills some kid on a bike. Headlines read KITT KILLS CHILD! Universal will be taking these cars from us left and right. Wouldn't that be nice... you know when they would do it too. A knight registries event, lol you all get your cars together for a meet and wham, about a million or so worth the cars are taken from the group of you, and all legal as well. [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] And when I say they take your car, they will strip everything that resembles KITT off of it. And the only tool they use is a cutting blade and a crow bar. You will be in near tears when you get your car back. Ask the guy that converted his corvette into a batmobile.

Anyway I guess I'm saying, just be safe. These cars should not be driven on the highways what so ever, I think your imature and irresponceable if you do, I don't care what your excuess is. Rather you do it for kicks or personal enjoyment. Keep them where they belong. Off the road.

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Knight2000 » Tue Apr 02, 2002 8:36 am

What if you had the windows blacked out? Then how could they tell you had a gull-wing? Or is having blacked-out windows illegal too? And didn't KITT have power steering? What about the car in real life (as opposed to in the KR universe)?

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Count Dracula » Tue Apr 02, 2002 8:51 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Knight2000:
<STRONG>What if you had the windows blacked out? Then how could they tell you had a gull-wing? Or is having blacked-out windows illegal too? And didn't KITT have power steering? What about the car in real life (as opposed to in the KR universe)?</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, blacked out windows is illegal. You must have at least 75% unblocked view of windows. They can be tinted, but not enough to conceal you.

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Newcastle knight » Tue Apr 02, 2002 10:03 am

I think the Gullwing is actually legal here in the UK, its just not recommended for regular driving, common sense would tell you that becuase it looks uncomfortable as hell to use ! but who cares, for the sake of that id rather use it all the time coz id look damm cool [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] the dash is legal here too, i think the TV's pointed to the driver are illegal though, we have to change the rear lights aswell becuase USA lights are different the UK spec, oh yeah and the scanner isnt legal on the road either, I think an Amber light is ok though (KARR's scanner)

one small thing that really ruins KITT conversions here in the UK when they are on the road is we have to have a license plate on the front of the car ! grrr

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by jup » Wed Apr 03, 2002 12:51 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Count Dracula:
<STRONG>Yes, blacked out windows is illegal. You must have at least 75% unblocked view of windows. They can be tinted, but not enough to conceal you.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

A few years ago, I used to get this electronic's catalog. And, one of the things they sold was this incredible glass that could change from transparent into a 100% blacked out panel. It did this by passing electricity through the panel. (Literally, the real life version of KITT's/KARR's window tint mode.) The problems with using this stuff for auto glass is that it requires constant current to stay transparent. (Unless I am remembering that wrong and it's the electricity that makes it impossible to see through.) So, if the electricity fails in any way, you are suddenly driving blind. And, I suspect that whatever the stuff is that makes this transparent/solid effect possible is probably not very healthy to be around, if it should ever leak. (which is not what you want in a windshield.)

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Knight2000 » Wed Apr 03, 2002 7:31 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Newcastle knight:
<STRONG>one small thing that really ruins KITT conversions here in the UK when they are on the road is we have to have a license plate on the front of the car ! grrr

scott</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What if KITT was real? With MBS I mean. And then a police officer told you to attach a license plate and you couldn't?. Would they ban you from driving on the road? Or could you make them try, then they would find they couldn't attach it and leave you alone? or would they just stick you in jail?

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Newcastle knight » Wed Apr 03, 2002 8:34 am

to cut a long story short, if the car was made from the indestructable alloy and you had to put a license plate on the front, then all you do is to put one of them stick on ones onto the front, most common with Imported cars that have no license plate mount on the front, and yes it will stick on becuase KITT had a Go Army sticker put on him at the end of Deadly Maneuvers ! lol

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Knight Ryda1 » Wed Apr 03, 2002 10:07 am

As far as the steering wheels go. usually they are fairly easily removable so you could switch them in case you wanted to take your car for a spin. Leave the scanners off at night when your driving. Cops in usa are usually pretty cool with the neon lights, etc. so I am pretty sure if they did see a knight replica on the road thay would just give you a warning... and think you were pretty cool...

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by krfan1 » Wed Apr 03, 2002 1:02 pm

ON the topic of the windows, electricity is probably what does it. a few years back, 3M had a window out for your bathroom that atthe flick of a switch, it would turn frosty. That was done by electricity.

Nick (really wanting an 80's T/A but has to wait since he's in college :-( )

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by knightimmortal » Wed Apr 03, 2002 1:05 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Knight Ryda1:
<STRONG>As far as the steering wheels go. usually they are fairly easily removable so you could switch them in case you wanted to take your car for a spin. Leave the scanners off at night when your driving. Cops in usa are usually pretty cool with the neon lights, etc. so I am pretty sure if they did see a knight replica on the road thay would just give you a warning... and think you were pretty cool...</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The neon lights don't look like the lights on emergency vehicles, while the scanner light supposedly looks similar. Big difference.

Where I live, there are two conversions, plus several vehicles that have the neon lights, the neon lights are rarely touched. (Because they aren't considered illegal here.) But the conversions have gotten knocked around for everything from steering wheels, to scanner lights to the blacked out tail lights, that anymore, the drivers refuse to drive them. (That, and one got wrecked, due to the lookie loo factor.)

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Darknight » Wed Apr 03, 2002 4:56 pm

With the blacking out windows, one design which does that uses a film with semi-liquid crystals similar to an lcd screen, like on a calculator. An applied electric field temporarily alters the arrangement of the crystals, blocking any light from penetrating. I'm sure there are perfectly safe designs out there that one could use. I'd like to try to make one myself someday. As for the rest of the conversion KITT legal difficulties, I think most of them can be circumvented, through proper design. What if people coated their stock blackouts with a transparent red film on the inside, which couldn't been seen on normal observation from the outside, but with higher powered brake lights, the extra red would show through much better, and would be much safer. With the gullwing, I really don't think that's necassary to retain the appearance of KITT. Rather, you could modify a standard steering wheel, and perhaps put controls on it like many of today's quite average vehicles have, so why should KITT do without? Scanners....you don't have to turn them on if/when they'll be a problem. Even better, scanners which could change colors and actions, like the Knights of England scanners. Turn signals can always be arranged, and most other problems can also be taken care of. And so you see, ladies and gents, we don't have to give up the dream of owning a KITT conversion. Furthermore, I would think if any studio tryed to take away my KITT car(if I had one)you could bet they'd have one heck of a fight on their hands. After all, who says I can't build my car just like I want it. Now if I made money from it...that'd be diff altogether.

Corby(Darknight)

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the KITT replicas - r they legal?

Post by Knight2000 » Thu Apr 04, 2002 12:44 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Newcastle knight:
<STRONG>to cut a long story short, if the car was made from the indestructable alloy and you had to put a license plate on the front, then all you do is to put one of them stick on ones onto the front, most common with Imported cars that have no license plate mount on the front, and yes it will stick on becuase KITT had a Go Army sticker put on him at the end of Deadly Maneuvers ! lol

scott</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Awww crap. Maybe I should think of making an Airwolf replica instead. Fewer problems than a KR replica. Or would they tell me off for sticking on add-ons too?

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