KITT Design Pet Peeves?

[Knight Industries 3000]

KITT is my favorite TV car. Period. If I were to legally come into the possession of a huge stash of cash, one of the first things I'd do is buy a KITT replica. Having said that, are there aspects of KITT's design that you don't like? I already started a thread on buttons and displays that make no sense. Here's my only pet peeve about KITT's exterior design.

What's up with the panels highlighted in this photo?



Those panels, which seem to have no purpose, often look like someone has sat on them. They seem to "dip" in the middle. That might just be an unfortunate shadow cast by the pop-up headlights, but I always thought it looked silly on an otherwise awesome car.

If I had my way, I'd remove those panels altogether.



I also thought KITT had too many headlights. Why bother with the pop-up headlights when KITT's custom nose already has headlights? I like this look best of all.



What do you think of these modifications? And what are some of your KITT design pet peeves?

[sarfraz]

ya gotta have pop up headlights, its a dying species

To answer your first question, those panels are actually black out panels like the ones on the rear light clusters. Behind these panels are the stock indicator lights. I can't remember what ep, but I have seen them working.

In the forth series, they removed those panels on the new nose design. Its quite obvious in KOTJ. Altough stock footage throughout that series, meant you probably did see those panels inadvertingly.

By the way, what program did you use to alter the photo, its nicely done.

Sarfraz

[themarvelous3]

on my first firebird, a '89 i used sheet metal to block out my panels after the plastic i originally used warped in the sun. the sheet metal NEVER warped and they looked awesome. unfortunately, thats as far as KITT got in that car due to an accident (go figure)

once i put the fog lamps in my '91 trans, i never used my pop ups anymore...of course, thats partly because one of the motors went out. : )

[Knight Industries 3000]

By the way, what program did you use to alter the photo, its nicely done.

Paint Shop Pro 5, which is ancient now. I think they're on version 8.

[knightvision]

This is one of those threads that calls for you to reference Knight Rider Legacy and the chapter that involves Micheal Scheffe and how he "designed" KITT and what went into his creation.

I won't quote from it here, but it answers some of these types of questions and more. Knight Registries (who are even more severe fanatics about building a KITT then us fans who only salivate over one) are pretty much the individuals who asked Scheffe the questions for the book.

Check out my website and order the book. You won't regret it.

Richie
http://www.scifitvbooks.com

[Knight Industries 3000]

I actually own a copy of the book, I read it cover to cover, and I enjoyed it very much. I just forgot that part about those panels on the car. D'oh!

I still think their "droopiness" detracts in a big way from the design of the car, and that a totally smooth front end -- meaning sans light cluster panels, and perhaps even sans pop-up headlights -- would have made KITT look even more sleek and futuristic.

[Joe Huth]

Actually, Scheffe does briefly talk about the pop up headlights vs the fog lights. The fog lights were pretty much the only thing used by season two because everyone thought that the pop up headlights broke up the lines of the car too much, and felt, as you do KI3000, that the car was sleeker with only the fog lights in use.

Joe

[jup]

Paint Shop Pro 5, which is ancient now. I think they're on version 8.

Yes. Version 8 is what I am currently using. Although, PSP has been a powerful program for a long time. In fact, I'm not even sure what new stuff they have been able to fit into 8 that doesn't already exist (in one form or another) in version 5. (I think there is new support for layers in certain image formats.)

[themarvelous3]

i think i'll stick with my Photoshop 7 : )

[jup]

If you are comfortable with it and it does what you want it to...stick with it.

I think I started with PSP 4...and, for my needs, 8 feels very similar to 4. I only upgraded for my new PC over getting a version made for an old OS.

[knightrider2004]

those were covers for turn signals so they didnt show up but by the 3rd season they disapear and there are no more light there

[Red Rider]

you can see the stock indicator lights functioning in the pilot (when KITT was saving Michael after his escape from COMTRON), at the beginning of "Trust doesn't rust", there were 2 little cut scenes where KITT was on the road at night before going to the Knight Museum of Technology and in many scenes of the first season.

[Knight2000]

If you're gonna take the headlights out, I think you should take all of the lines from the bonnet:



NOTE: Didn't skank your image KI3000. Just got the original from Knight Replicas.

IMHO, I think it looks MUCH better without the bonnet lines.

[knightdriver]

EWWWWWwwwwww.........

Put them back, put them back.

Looks horrible with no headlights.
how would you even open the hood?

[themarvelous3]

If you're gonna take the headlights out, I think you should take all of the lines from the bonnet:



NOTE: Didn't skank your image KI3000. Just got the original from Knight Replicas.

IMHO, I think it looks MUCH better without the bonnet lines.

besides, this would make it almost impossible to open the hood. i liked the second picture with just the turn sinal cover lines gone.

[Knight Industries 3000]

If you're gonna take the headlights out, I think you should take all of the lines from the bonnet:



NOTE: Didn't skank your image KI3000. Just got the original from Knight Replicas.

IMHO, I think it looks MUCH better without the bonnet lines.

I agree! As long as the hood can be opened somehow -- perhaps with redrawn rather than deleted hood lines -- that's the best way to go, in my never-so-humble opinion.

[KnightRiderLS1]

I think it looks awesome without the hood lines! It could be a one-piece fibergalss front clip that opens in reverse like a Corvette's hood (I mean bonet !).

[kido]

I think it looks awesome without the hood lines! It could be a one-piece fibergalss front clip that opens in reverse like a Corvette's hood (I mean bonet !).

Well, I don't know, how would Kitt react?

[Stargazer]

I had always been curious about those little panels myself.

It bothered me more to know why the hood never looked like it was sitting right at times. Is that due to a different vehicle being used with a T/A body sitting on it? (Hope I asked that right)