knight rider online

I've often wondered how street legal the conversion actually is. I know that many states in the US forbid the use of red lights on any vehicle except emergency vehicles. Also, I've heard that KITT's extended nose is not legal since there isn't a bumper.

What do you think?

Allen
http://www.allensedge.com

Come to think of it, KITT did attract the cops a lot. I always wondered what people driving on the road thought when they saw a strange looking black car going down the street. Especially when it just goes out and does Super Pursuit mode.

probaly at a borderlineing level

Well, I have no problems with driving my KITT replica here in Canada, well here in Alberta it's ok, but I am not sure about the rest of Canada.
The police out here (and like everywhere else) don't like it when I drive with scanner on.. Cause it's red. The people who have a KARR replica with the amber (yellow) scanner lens, will find that they will have no problems with law.
The law in Canada (and I'm sure even in the U.S.) states that, your vehical can only be equiped with white halogen or xenon (zeenon) headlamps and amber signal lamps in the front and red tail lamps and red or amber signal lamps in the rear. any other color is prohibited.
Blue is VERY illigal to have in the front or rear of your vehical here in Canada. Although xenon headlamps have a slight blueish purple color to them, they are fine.

But for me owning a KITT replica, I have had no problems driving it around what so ever, so there for it is legal for the most part.
As long as you don't try to attract to much attention, and believe me it's hard to stay away from that.

Tony

Cop:poll over
*kitt pulls over*

Michael:I wasn't speeding!

cop:Your car isn't street legal.

Kitt:what do you mean I'm not street legal?

Last time I counted, there were 5 items in a KITT conversion that was illegal. Let's see if I can remember them all...

1. The Gullwing Steering Wheel: Laws in all 50 States require steering wheels to be completely round, and if I remember correctly, it can be no less that 13 inches in diameter.

2. The Scanner Light - in most states, I don't know of any exceptions to this, but any moving red light is illegal, as it is reserved for emergency services and using it constitutes as impersonating a police officer. KARR's yellow scanner is okay in most places, when I used to use mine none of the cops bothered me.

3. Low-Speed Safety Bumper - To attach the KITT nose on a conversion, you must remove the government-required 5-mph safety bumper. The cops would never notice it when driving it, but if you got in a wreck and found not to have it, you can get in some serious trouble.

4. Dashboard TV's - It is illegal for a TV or any other video monitor that is operation during driving to be viewable by the driver. They can be there and be off, but he can't have them on when he drives.

5. Seatbelts - For a true KITT replica, KITT had no seatbelts. This is a minor nitpick, but taking them out of a car that came with them from the factory can get you in trouble too.

KITT also had no rear-view mirror on the inside, and I am not sure if there is any laws in any states that require you to have one in a vehicle. I know here in KY it is not requires as long as you have the drivers side door-mounted one.

That should be it. If there is anymore I remember later, I'll come back and post them.

-Steve

The Gullwing Steering Wheel: Laws in all 50 States require steering wheels to be completely round, and if I remember correctly, it can be no less that 13 inches in diameter.

That may be the way it is right now, but according to Industrial Technology textbooks, they may change the way it looks believing that will make steering much safer and more efficient when turning. They showed a design that engineers consider putting in cars made for the future.

The rear view mirror is up to you on your replica actually, I've seen many replicas that actually have the mirror left in. The gullwing steering wheel? Well generally I don't think the cops could care less about that, as long as you can drive and steer the car properly its okay. And really, how many cops pay attention to a person's steering wheel, or even bother to look, its very hard to spot that while driving. And that front nose bumper, this is tricky as it doesn't come with turn signals. You'll have to install amber turn signal lights in it. (that is the biggest problem if you ask me) The only things I know that is completely illegal is the red scanner light.

While most of the conversion noses out there are the longer one from the fourth season that eliminates the front turn signals, I've also seen an alternate nose based on the one used in the first season on some websites. This type preserves the notches in the bumper for where the amber turn singles are on the nose, but cover them with blackouts like the first version of the bumper did.

Last I heard, the black out tail light panel is also illegal, because it darkens them too much, at least that is how it is in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

KI

What! The tailight blackout is illegal in Colorado! I live there!

KnightCrusader99 wrote:Last time I counted, there were 5 items in a KITT conversion that was illegal. Let's see if I can remember them all...

That should be it. If there is anymore I remember later, I'll come back and post them.

-Steve

Keep counting!

If you modify or move your stock turn signals its a nice fine. Most people have the 3/4th season noses as well. Plus as others pointed out, the black out is also a no-no in most states.

God, this blows. I mean what are they gonna outlaw next? The digital dashboard? I swear, laws are so anal. It seems that the law is totally anti-Knight Rider. I seriously wouldn't be surprised one day if the motor vehicle law books say that "No one is allowed to own a Knight Rider converted Trans Am or Firebird. -No Exceptions".

Out here I haven't had any troubles driving with a gullwing steering wheel.
The cops haven't said a thing to me about it.
The black out tail light cover, nothing said about that either.
The TV monitor, well if I had that on I would be asking for trouble.
I had it on once and I got in trouble.
The front impact bumper is still on my car. It did not need to be removed to have my KITT bumper put on.
I do not have my rear view mirror. and there is no law saying you have to have one. But there is a law saying you must have a driver side mirror on the outside of your vehical.
Seatbelts IS A MUST. can't get around that.

Tony

JL wrote:I've also seen an alternate nose based on the one used in the first season on some websites. This type preserves the notches in the bumper for where the amber turn singles are on the nose, but cover them with blackouts like the first version of the bumper did.

To date KnightDriver.com is the only one (and the original creator of that nose) who makes that style nose. He is making me one right now, and its looking amazing. The nose fits perfect on the car and keeps the stock signals. Everyone else who makes the nose just adds the turn signal covers for decoration... such as Don who just screws his right into the top of his 4th season nose.

MKnightRider82 wrote:

The Gullwing Steering Wheel: Laws in all 50 States require steering wheels to be completely round, and if I remember correctly, it can be no less that 13 inches in diameter.

That may be the way it is right now, but according to Industrial Technology textbooks, they may change the way it looks believing that will make steering much safer and more efficient when turning. They showed a design that engineers consider putting in cars made for the future.

ACTUALLY...its not. i KNOW because my mom was VERY upset when i sawed through my steering wheel to make my own. she IMMEDIATLY called the Ohio State Highway patrol and they told her, as long as the steering wheel is a certain diameter, it does NOT have to be a complete circle. you can call and check yourself if you like.

(p.s.-i STILL drive with my hacked steering wheel and NO cop has ever mentioned it anytime i've been pulled over....for awhile that was quite often. i'll post pics of it sometime for you. its off a 94 chevy cavalier i had 5 years ago. people LOVE it...haha) : )

themarvelous3 wrote:

MKnightRider82 wrote:

The Gullwing Steering Wheel: Laws in all 50 States require steering wheels to be completely round, and if I remember correctly, it can be no less that 13 inches in diameter.

That may be the way it is right now, but according to Industrial Technology textbooks, they may change the way it looks believing that will make steering much safer and more efficient when turning. They showed a design that engineers consider putting in cars made for the future.

ACTUALLY...its not. i KNOW because my mom was VERY upset when i sawed through my steering wheel to make my own. she IMMEDIATLY called the Ohio State Highway patrol and they told her, as long as the steering wheel is a certain diameter, it does NOT have to be a complete circle. you can call and check yourself if you like.

(p.s.-i STILL drive with my hacked steering wheel and NO cop has ever mentioned it anytime i've been pulled over....for awhile that was quite often. i'll post pics of it sometime for you. its off a 94 chevy cavalier i had 5 years ago. people LOVE it...haha) : )

I have a friend who did that here ( to a cavalier ) and he got nailed with a
$500 fine cause the steering wheel had a driverside airbag.. it was a 96 chev cavalier.

yeah, i know you're not allowed to do anything to airbags. though they didnt say anything when i put mine in my 91 trans am and that originally had an airbag...o well : )

Well I guess it all depends on the cop who spots that. *shrugs*

If the dashboard monitors were displaying the actual roadway, say if you had 2 monitors, one used for your left blind spot and one used for your right blind spot, they are in effect extra mirrors, would they still be illegal?

Yes, because of the potential of using the monitors for other items, in addition to the fact that it is proven that you generally look at a monitor for longer periods of time than you would a mirror. (No female jokes, please )

KI

Actually, KITT DID HAVE seat belts. The fact that they were standard equipment for KITT was mentioned at least twice (and probably more) throughout the series. (KOTP comes to mind.) No shoulder belts, though.

Last I heard, the black out tail light panel is also illegal, because it darkens them too much, at least that is how it is in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

not to be picky but define blacked out?


the reason I say this is because a couple of my friends have some what black out there rear light on there car

KITT had a black plastic cover over his rear tail lights to make them extremely dim, it added a cool effect to the car, but it isn't exactly legal, because all operating lights are supposed to be bright. Here in New Mexico, they consider that a burned out tail light, and can fine you for it. (Of course, we here in New Mexico know that means that the cops have to care in the first place.)

KI

Well in the series I could clearly see KITT's tailights through the blackout. I can't see how it dims them too much. And I remember one time when I was a kid my father's car's tailights went out, and the cops didn't pull him over for it. Though some of the automobile laws may be anal, many of them are actually not enforced.