The American Dream - My Knight Rider KITT Project :-)

[Knight_Rider]

You need a Hasselhoff perm tbh.

Good god that's a terrifying picture! But yeah a perm is kinda essential ha ha

 

[Knight_Rider]

You must have spent a bloody fortune so far.. All this one step forward, two steps back would have seen me scrap it ages ago lol! Fair play for hanging in there.

I honestly dread to think how much. And still got so far to go too. Selling these electronics is not good as ill never happen on ones as cheap as I paid ever again.

 

[Rob]

Is the old engine worth nothing in bits????

At least try and reclaim a bit there. Sad to hear though, what was up with it in the end? You sounded so positive.

Just read back, you're selling stuff???? Don't do it. Just be patient, save up the grand. Why get rid of things you'll only have to buy again?>!?!?!?!?!??!

 

[Djw John]

Just read back, you're selling stuff???? Don't do it. Just be patient, save up the grand. Why get rid of things you'll only have to buy again?>!?!?!?!?!??!

For an English, he speaks sense. Just going to make it even more expensive if you sell something you got as a bargain and will need to buy again.

 

[Knight_Rider]

Sadly I don't have the luxury of biding my time. I'm in a contract insurance which can't be suspended and its my daily runner now too. This engine issue was so unexpected it's taken everyone by surprise. It's either a transplant engine from a good car (£700 + fitting) or a full strip down and rebuild (£1500) so new engine is the better option. Only way to get money quick is to sell the most valuable asset I have which is the dash leccys. I can't get a loan either or I would. And being stuck with f**king part time work as there are no jobs in my area of training are not helping!!! Sadly it's my only option

 

[Lawro]

Using a Trans-am as a daily?! Not sure if serious..

 

[Knight_Rider]

Yup..... Can't afford to run two cars and the insurance on kitt is half what it was on the clio lmao. It sort of balances out when your saving 1000 on insurance lol

 

[Knight_Rider]

And I don't need it for my work so in only use a car for personal use and visiting friends etc so not worth running a normal car lol. Sounds crazy but I know what I mean ha ha
And with a working engine the fuel economy isn't actually that bad. No worse than a BMW m series or any other performance car

 

[Knight_Rider]

Still waiting on my new engine to arrive from plymouth so kitts only going out once in a blue moon as he's still got spark plug fouling issues
In other news I have expanded my film car collection further now as my lovely grandma has bought me a gorgeous classic beetle as a daily runner eventually this will be converted into a herbie replica

 

[Knight_Rider]

 

[Knight_Rider]

 

[Lawro]

Beetle looks awesome!

 

[DaveDreads]

That Beetle looks in good nick, i'm not really in to them but I do smile when I see a Herbie rep.

 

[Knight_Rider]

I've always wanted one lol it's such a different animal to the Pontiac though ha ha!

 

[Knight_Rider]

 

[Lawro]

More beetle pics required!

 

[wjb]

Great project mate, my all time favourite tv/movie car.

Superb thread too

 

[Knight_Rider]

More beetle pics required!

Will do! He's getting a wash n wax tomm

 

[Knight_Rider]

Great project mate, my all time favourite tv/movie car.

Superb thread too

Thank you it's slowly getting there more updates coming soon I hope!

 

[Knight_Rider]

As requested more beetle pics! Gave it a wash and wax today, looks a lot better clean lmao! Still got some rust spots i need to get around to painting/touching up...... i just dont have the motivation tbh! Still got KITT sat waiting for new engine and shocks, with his poor paint job, cryin out for his dash etc etc and then there is now the beetle which is needing some cosmetic work and its brakes tweaking........ i love BOTH cars a lot, but the Beetle was supposed to be a nice cheap classic to use as a daily runner and its just not being! Some days i just feel like banging it on ebay but others I do quite enjoy the little bugger lol Anyway here are the pics -

​

 

[DaveDreads]

You bought a Beetle as a cheap reliable run around? lol

 

[Mark_P]

Is that American Stig, or has he let him go a bit since the last series?

​

 

[Rusty74]

Hi there, I know many people have expressed this already, but I want to commend you on a mammoth effort few would undertake.
When I was a kid, I adored Knight Rider. I pulled apart a tape decks buttons and attached them to my chopper bike so I could crudely emulate pursuit mode, KITT wouldn't talk back to me though lol
Now I recently bought a 1982 Trans Am and love the feel of the car despite its old age and mechanical problems I've had to deal with already. As much as I resist the temptation to relive my childhood dream of having my own KITT I find myself researching on the web and hence I came across this inspiring thread!
Sorry to hear about your most recent problems with the engine. I have had reservations with mine because it has been running rich as and reeks of fuel since I bought it. I have had to replace the vacuum hoses and plugs and now told my carb is toast. I was interested about your edelbrock carburetor because my mechanic has recommended putting in a 500cfm edelbrock, and it had not occurred to me I might have to change the dizzy. Luckily I can rip all the EGR stuff out in this country so I hope that's not a problem. I was thinking about putting in a edelbrock performer manifold to match.

But after reading about your experiences I am quite keen to save up for a 350 SB chevy crate engine, maybe brand new is the way forward.
What sucks about this country is no gullwing steering wheels, no red scanner lights, so at best I would have KITT replica with a scanner that I could hardly use.
It's looking like a KARR replica, he was pretty bad a** and the yellow scanner always appealed to me, and is still street legal here...
Anyway all the best with completing your KITT mate I hope your luck will make a change for the better!

 

[Knight_Rider]

Hi there, I know many people have expressed this already, but I want to commend you on a mammoth effort few would undertake.
When I was a kid, I adored Knight Rider. I pulled apart a tape decks buttons and attached them to my chopper bike so I could crudely emulate pursuit mode, KITT wouldn't talk back to me though lol
Now I recently bought a 1982 Trans Am and love the feel of the car despite its old age and mechanical problems I've had to deal with already. As much as I resist the temptation to relive my childhood dream of having my own KITT I find myself researching on the web and hence I came across this inspiring thread!
Sorry to hear about your most recent problems with the engine. I have had reservations with mine because it has been running rich as and reeks of fuel since I bought it. I have had to replace the vacuum hoses and plugs and now told my carb is toast. I was interested about your edelbrock carburetor because my mechanic has recommended putting in a 500cfm edelbrock, and it had not occurred to me I might have to change the dizzy. Luckily I can rip all the EGR stuff out in this country so I hope that's not a problem. I was thinking about putting in a edelbrock performer manifold to match.

But after reading about your experiences I am quite keen to save up for a 350 SB chevy crate engine, maybe brand new is the way forward.
What sucks about this country is no gullwing steering wheels, no red scanner lights, so at best I would have KITT replica with a scanner that I could hardly use.
It's looking like a KARR replica, he was pretty bad a** and the yellow scanner always appealed to me, and is still street legal here...
Anyway all the best with completing your KITT mate I hope your luck will make a change for the better!

Thank you very much for the kind words mate it has indeed been a mammoth effort lmao

Right......carbs. The guys at KIRAD who are pretty much supplying ALL my KR parts, have repeatedly told me that the edelbrock carbs are pretty crap and throw themselves out at the slightest thing. They have recommended a Holley carb as they have a lot more life and reliability but in turn are a lot more money!
I'm guessing your running same as me (Chevy 305 small block) which tbh is a good easy to maintain engine in the most part. The 350 doesn't give you that much more power so if your engines good I'd just keep it
The knight rider thing can be done cheap you just have to do a lot of hunting for bargains. Most people would have spent 10k to get to the point I'm at now. I've spent about 5k (including the car!)
Where are you based mate? I'm assuming England? If your ANYWHERE near me I'm more than happy to help and have a LOT of spare bits I've acquired if you need anything! With regard to gull wings, they are perfectly legal here as long as they are solid and reliable and not the cheap crap you buy from eBay lol. Knight passions do the best one. If you want a normal wheel though do a quick release gullying and just swap like I do?
Dash is all fully legal too as its fully functional
I'd love to see some pics of yours mate! Feel free to pm me and we can exchange notes etc, having made very good friends in the KR Comunity I've learnt a lot in the last year I'm more than happy to help if a Kitt replica is the way you want to go

 

[koi]

Wee bug looks great, get a thread up for it too

 

[Rusty74]

It's late and I can't be bothered educating myself on how to set up a url lol
I hope its ok to use these!
This is my 82' Recaro edition Trans Am

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158985001725&l=d878f70bfc
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158984681717&l=dbf9b2ce00
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158985601740&l=9476bbf56a
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158985561739&l=1582a60dcf
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158985361734&l=01fab29fb5
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158984881722&l=32837ffc9a
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200158985201730&l=4595c82d17

 

[Knight_Rider]

Very very very nice is that the hardtop or the t/top? Hardtop has its bonuses as wont bloody leak ha ha ha!!!
That car is SCREAMING out for KR conversion! Cowl hood, turbo casts with caps! You have all the ridiculously rare original parts on there already just need to dye the interior panels, add pmd seats and then do the knight rider bits and paint it or wrap it gloss black!

 

[Rusty74]

Thanks mate Yeah I know its hard to find the bowling ball hubcaps, the turbo casts, and the cowl hood especially in New Zealand! It is a hardtop however, so it wouldn't be a true replica. I've put a weak magnet over it to find bog, but haven't found any yet so i'm stoking about that!
Hopefully a good place to start the project.

 

[Knight_Rider]

 

[Knight_Rider]

 

[Knight_Rider]

Wee bug looks great, get a thread up for it too

The beetle developed huge engine issues too sadly so it has been replaced by a beautiful 91 toyota celica convertible. 100x rarer than the beetle and a LOT more comfortable and reliable

 

[banther]

Quite like that!

 

[Bubbles]

The angle of the rear wheel of the Celica looks interesting!

 

[Knight_Rider]

The angle of the rear wheel of the Celica looks interesting!

Wondered when someone would notice that being a JDM car, it comes with 4 wheel steering! Very peculiar sensation but certainly quite cool

 

[DaveDreads]

You bought a Beetle as a cheap reliable run around? lol

The beetle developed huge engine issues

KITT's looking good these days, you sorted the engine issues?

 

[Knight_Rider]

KITT's looking good these days, you sorted the engine issues?

Still trying to find the time to drive the 300+ miles to go get his new "heart transplant" from down in Cornwall, but he's running, maybe not perfectly at the moment but he's fine for local shows and cruises so at least he's not just locked away anymore! Hopefully gonna go get the engine and new shocks in August fingers crossed! Then I can get back to Kitt'ing out the interior again

 

[Knight_Rider]

Took a few pics as just washed em both today

 

[Chip-mk1]

I'd go for an LS2, so much better for economy!

 

[Knight_Rider]

Made it into the local paper after attending a car show

 

[Chi]

Cool