Friday, December 12, 2014

Gasp...An Update!

This year has been different... I am not sure really how else to describe it. Project: K.I.T.T. has really taken a back seat to everything this year has thrown at us, and as a result we really have not done much on the Project.

Troy has been working on the engine rebuild as he has time in between jobs in his shop. I stopped down recently to see how things were progressing. 

He has the injectors cleaned up and ready for install. He said he still wants to swap some parts and use the better parts between the original and the replacement crossfire set I bought.


The intake manifold has been thoroughly cleaned and painted silver.



The rest of the brackets and pulleys were painted semi-gloss black.



The exhaust shield and EGR valve have both been painted silver. They should look pretty sharp against the red engine block. 



I know this is not much of an update, but I do promise that we will be getting back to work on KITT very soon. I am not going to promise an update before the new year, but soon. 2014 is closing rapidly. Stay tuned...

Saturday, November 15, 2014

The Passing Of Glen Larson

Project: K.I.T.T.​​ observes a moment of silence for the passing of Glen A. Larson.

He is proof that One Man Can Make A Difference!

Glen A. Larson created Knight Rider and so much more....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_A._Larson

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

KARR's First Snow Storm

Sunday we were hit with our first snow storm. KARR sits outside so he got the brunt of it. We only got about five inches of snow so it wasn't actually that bad, but it was windy so that caused the snow to drift.



I am going to get snow tires for KARR, but I am still researching my options and have not ordered them yet. I spoke to a few Canadian Fiero owners who daily drive their Fieros all year long. They said with the proper snow tires Fieros get around just fine in the snow and ice. :)

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

If You Think KARR Is Cool...

Let's face it: my daily driver KARR attracts a lot of attention. I am constantly being asked about him and about Knight Rider. One thing leads to another and I always end up talking about Project: K.I.T.T. 

I wanted to find a way to spread the word and also provide people with an easy way to find out more about the Project. I decided vinyl stickers would be the way to go and I intend to put them on either side of the third brake light on the rear window.


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

KARR's First Road Trip

On Saturday we took KARR on his first road trip to Sica Hollow State Park. What we hadn't planned on was the 8 1/2 miles of gravel road leading up to the park.

Or this:


Monday, October 20, 2014

How KARR Came To Be

I needed a new daily driver and I could not pass up a 1987 Fiero GT...it just looked so cool! For an already 27-year-old car, it was in remarkable shape both inside and out! However, there were a few things that needed to be addressed. 


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Introducing...

Finally! Here is what I have been busy working on the last two months. I am sure some of you have guessed already, but here is a video introducing KARR! This is my tribute to the Knight Automated Roving Robot. We kept KITT in the dark about this whole side project until the filming of this video. You can hear him having a fit over my Comlink...I do not think he is impressed. He'll get over it.

If you would like to know more about KARR's back story and why I decided to create a tribute to him, let me know in the comments and I will do another post.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Happy 32nd Birthday KITT!

Please join us in wishing KITT a Happy 32nd Birthday!

Knight Rider debuted on September 26, 1982 and as a result, KITT was born!

KITT will always be the original smart car! Happy Birthday Buddy!


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Help Rebuild The FLAG Semi Trailer!

Fellow Knight Rider enthusiast +Danny Nasiff is rebuilding the F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit and needs your support. Please visit his Kickstarter page for more details. Just a little $ can go a long way!

http://goo.gl/MCCDYw

The F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit is a semi-trailer truck owned by the Foundation for Law And Government. It functions as a mobile garage for K.I.T.T. and Headquarters for Devon. The Mobile Unit was usually parked or driving around somewhere near Michael's and K.I.T.T.'s current location. The Mobile Unit is also known as The Semi, The Rook, Mobile Office, and Mobile Base.



Monday, September 8, 2014

Surprise Reveal

As you have all probably guessed, I've been busy working on a surprise...just not quite ready for the big reveal....however I can say that Zeno's paradoxes should be a factor.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Not Just A Car...

I know that posts have been scarce as of late, but I promise there will be an update or at least an explanation very soon...

Keep Your Scanners Peeled!
 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Celebrating 600 Followers On Google+

Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page hit 600 followers today! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support!

If you have not had a chance to check out the Project: K.I.T.T. page on Google+ you really should. It's a great way to stay updated, leave comments, or even ask questions about the Project. It will even notify you of new blog posts and videos.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Celebrating 500 Followers On Google+

Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page just hit 500 followers today! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support!

If you have not had a chance to check out the Project: K.I.T.T. page on Google+ you really should. It's a great way to stay updated, leave comments, or even ask questions about the Project. It will even notify you of new blog posts and videos.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Switching Gears: Replacement Strut Tower Caps And A Little Padding

I ordered some more replacement parts from Shawn (OhioKARR) and they arrived yesterday. Yeah...I know, what would I do without this guy?! 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aiB7_7qrNko/U6y6k61kSrI/AAAAAAAAmn4/2OfbxQhqHM8/w1506-h848-no/IMG_20140625_210830162.jpg

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Lower Control Arms Go From Red To Black

Today's focus: the lower control arms. I needed to remove both wheels to gain better access.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BofoxyxXcfA/U6cjZa1FgKI/AAAAAAAAmR0/guT2dJGfFI0/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140622_114812010.jpg

Friday, June 20, 2014

No Rain...All Gain! It's POR-15 Time!

I got off work early this afternoon and could not wait to get started on the Panhard/track bar and the subframe connectors. There was no rain in the forecast and the humidity was more normal for this time of year. I started by sanding the parts with 320 grit sand paper as recommended by the tech support at POR-15. This stuff is tough though and it takes a lot to scuff it. 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pLbAJwjvOiI/U6Tbb6RbQWI/AAAAAAAAmCc/FUdz2Vx_oI8/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140620_141846892.jpg

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

POR-15 When It Is Pouring Out...Not A Good Idea

I started Monday with the intention of getting the subframe connectors and the Panhard/track bar coated with POR-15. It was raining when I got out to the garage, but since the car was inside and I could still crack the door open without getting water in the garage, I figured I would be fine. We have applied POR-15 a few times already when it was raining outside and never had a problem, so I proceeded as planned.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sYE7Eqvmzq4/U5-phA7pIBI/AAAAAAAAl10/Zkww4iTwNP0/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140616_113200939.jpg

Saturday, June 14, 2014

And We're Back With More Coverage Of POR-15

It stopped raining after dinner, so I went back out to the garage to tackle the rest of the rear trunk underbody.


POR-15 Canceled On Account Of Rain

I wanted to finish the trunk area of the underbody today. It was a partly cloudy day and perfect for painting. I got everything together and got started.


Applying POR-15 To KITT's Underbody (Again)

Yesterday I started reapplying POR-15 to KITT's underbody. KITT had been sitting on all four wheels all week drying. According to POR-15, the metal has to be "bone dry" for it to adhere properly. My mom stopped over early in the morning to spot for me while I got KITT back up on jack stands. Thanks Mom!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hdlydOSiiIk/U5vGMQYm9DI/AAAAAAAAla4/4BATaVcDw5c/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140613_082635537.jpg

Friday, June 13, 2014

Getting Ready To POR-15 KITT's Underbody (Again)

Here is a quick video update on the state of KITT's underbody and my plan for fixing it. Stay tuned for another post about the whole process.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Sara Surprised Me With An Early Birthday Present!

This last week our deep freeze died. Then a couple days later my 8 gallon air compressor went south. It started leaking at the tank by one of the welds and I needed to replace it. We headed to Menards to get another like it and they were out, so upgrade time! I chose a standing 11 gallon air compressor. Then Sara suggested that we look at the mini refrigerators. (I had previously mentioned my cooler in the garage was not keeping my pop cold enough.) Sara surprised me by picking out a counter high 5.5 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer combo for the garage! Thank you Sara, you are the best!! I love you honey!

Now I can reward anyone who comes over to help with ice cold beverages! ;)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-379ava4tZSQ/U5ZFeKurLiI/AAAAAAAAkys/SF39pqp79sE/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140608_111753348.jpg

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Redoing What Has Already Been Done

The plan for yesterday was to MarineClean, power wash, and treat the underbody with Prep and Ready. First I needed to clean up the paint dust from the interior. It seems that none of it was masked off and the dust settled everywhere. Just as a note for anyone who is having someone paint their car: Make sure to specify everything you want masked off, even if it seems blatantly obvious to you. And if the painter is not willing to do what you want, find a different painter.


Saturday, June 7, 2014

KITT's Chrome Is So Bright, He's Gotta Wear A Shade

I had been in search of chrome coat hooks for KITT. They were chrome in the series and it is a little detail, but one I wanted to get right. Shawn (OhioKARR) had not only the chrome coat hooks but the chrome door lock sliders as well. He also had a mint privacy shade for the trunk area. I had previously purchased a shade from Dave (TheTurbocastKing), but it was broken and had paint overspray on it. I knew this ahead of time, but I did not think I was going to be able to find one in better condition. This was before I met Shawn.

The package arrived yesterday evening and Shawn's packaging was excellent as always.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5-4Li2YYW74/U5PB5D83dKI/AAAAAAAAkeY/BToa4mt324w/w1504-h846-no/IMG_20140607_202011845.jpg

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Man, That's Rough

While going through the pictures for the blog, it occurred to me that the pictures so far have really made it hard to tell just exactly what I am having a fit about with the red parts. :/

I removed the Founders Performance sticker from the Panhard/track bar and I think this picture finally shows how badly the primer overspray affected the red color. Keep in mind that the Panhard/track bar was one of the least affected parts.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-leqOPmrgCAY/U4ZtozNGmEI/AAAAAAAAjsQ/qSR0Rn1K9OE/w1506-h848-no/IMG_20140528_093329472.jpg

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

KITT's New Friend

A young robin decided it would be cool to hang out in KITT for awhile today while I was working in the garage. He was very content to just sit inside KITT and watch me. I talked to him quite a bit and he would hop over to see what I was doing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rxDphNtkT_k/U4U48DynW2I/AAAAAAAAjfA/hm8i_iszUxA/w1369-h770-no/IMG_20140527_175537516.jpg

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Great Underbody Dilemma

I need your help in deciding what to do with the Wonderbar steering brace, the only remaining red part, on KITT's underbody. My original idea was that all of the upgrades that were done to KITT's underbody and suspension would be in red. I wanted them to stand out as an upgraded part. This is no longer possible as the primer has destroyed the red powder coating on the subframe connectors and the lower control arms. Only the Wonder Bar on the front appears completely untouched by the primer.

The red Wonderbar steering brace in the front.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i8cJA49-L_8/U4OP5j-vr5I/AAAAAAAAjK8/SmOO-4BjCPw/w1520-h855-no/IMG_20140526_135105384.jpg

Friday, May 23, 2014

Primer: It's Not Supposed To Come Off...

I wanted to tackle the subframe connectors today and see if I could get the primer off of them. I am also working on refinishing a coffee table, so I was working on that on and off throughout the day, too. I figured it would be best to start with all the red parts because I wanted to keep them red. If I can remove the grey primer I would just mask them off really well so that I could reapply the POR-15 Black to the underbody.

I had noticed that when Sara and I had put KITT back up on jack stands to inspect the damage we did not quite have him sitting level and the passenger side seemed to be about four inches lower. You can kind of see that in this picture. I did not want to start working under the car with it sitting like this. I asked my friend Jessica if she would come over and spot for me while I jacked the car back up and readjusted the stands. 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8QJbnAVv6ow/U4J0bbwuPMI/AAAAAAAAjDw/JAX-1LI8mxE/w1520-h855-no/IMG_20140523_131911335.jpg


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Life, Love And Hope


Life, Love and Hope...That's the title of Boston's latest album and appropriately enough it also sums up this year so far for us. LIFE has definitely reminded us how not in control we really are and although there have been several setbacks and challenges, throughout it all we have witnessed and felt the LOVE of friends and family. It has been a difficult year but it's just when things seem that they will never turn around, something happens to give you HOPE.

That brings us to today, and although I have let this year affect me more than I care to admit, it is time to move on and get back to living life and doing what we love.

I want to thank you all for your support and continued encouragement during this time. I am going to get back to working on KITT starting today and I promise there will be more regular updates.

I visited with my high school electronics teacher this morning about the Project. We discussed some ideas and it did not take me long to realize again just how endless the possibilities are! I have a ton of great ideas and I am anxious to get back at it! Thanks Mr. Taylor!

Stay tuned...

Monday, May 12, 2014

Knight Designs Tow Bar

Project: K.I.T.T. has chosen Knight Designs for all of the Knight Rider related conversion parts needed for KITT. Billy's parts are absolutely the best money can buy! Here is another video highlighting the tow bar that will be going on KITT in the near future. Just another item to make KITT screen accurate. If you haven't already be sure to visit his website at www.KnightDesigns.com

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Project: K.I.T.T. Store Closing

With much regret, I am closing the Project: K.I.T.T. store due to a conflict with the vendor and NBC Universal.


Thursday, May 1, 2014

Celebrating 400 Followers On Google+

Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page just hit 400 followers today! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support!

If you have not had a chance to check out the Project: K.I.T.T. page on Google+ you really should. It's a great way to stay updated, leave comments, or even ask questions about the Project. It will even notify you of new blog posts and videos.

Friday, April 25, 2014

General Lee

Look who I spotted while filling up the daily driver!  I have no idea whose it is, but I have never seen one in Aberdeen, South Dakota before today...

I am not sure that KITT would be impressed...  In fact, I am sure he would have some smart remark about it being an insult to automobiles or something, but I thought it was pretty cool. :)


Thursday, April 24, 2014

Celebrating 300 Followers On Google+

Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page just hit 300 followers today! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support!

If you have not had a chance to check out the Project: K.I.T.T. page on Google+ you really should. It's a great way to stay updated, leave comments, or even ask questions about the Project. It will even notify you of new blog posts and videos.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Knight Shield Pins

The Knights of the West Coast and Nick Nugent of NRN DESIGN have teamed up to create an official one of a kind pin. The pin features a raised, die struck, and polished gold shield design with baked on black enamel paint.

Of course Sara ordered me two right away. :) I love you honey, you are the best!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ily56xxiieg/U18Hhl00OsI/AAAAAAAAgjA/PqEnbdjpo_4/w1520-h855-no/IMG_20140423_171340506.jpg

Friday, April 18, 2014

Happy Easter 2014

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter from Project: K.I.T.T.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Here's The Plan

Thank you to everyone that voted and helped me choose between LED and halogen. The overwhelming response was that the halogen could not be beat. In one last attempt to give the LEDs another shot, I disassembled all of the surface mounted LEDs on one of the LED replacements and re-soldered them as one front facing board. You can see in the picture below that the overall brightness increased, but still cannot compare to the one halogen bulb two chambers over. There just is not enough light to fill the chamber the way the halogen bulb does. Halogen it is, or as one follower put it, "Halogen For The Win"!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6rFB5oP_Ls8/UwqRZEicgcI/AAAAAAAAaus/lEjWTSAX0PI/s0-no/IMG_20140220_163655947.jpg

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

KITT's Hybrid LED And Halogen Scanner

The H3 halogen replacement LEDs and capacitors I ordered for the scanner arrived yesterday. I decided to do a direct side comparison since I could not find where anyone online had done that. I replaced four of the eight bulbs with their LED equivalents and wired the capacitors inline to provide the proper fade out and trailing effect.

The LEDs ended up being disappointingly dim compared to the halogens. I also did not care for the the trailing effect in comparison to the halogens. There is just something artificial about it. Here is a video comparing the H3 halogen replacement LEDs versus halogens.



Monday, February 17, 2014

KITT's Halogen Scanner

I know it seems like ages ago that I promised a video of KITT's scanner, but for those that have been patiently waiting...the wait is over. This scanner looks fantastic, especially with the screen accurate scanner bar!

Before we jump to the video I wanted to share some observations about the halogen bulbs. They are insanely bright, equally as hot, and eat your battery for a afternoon snack. I had not given any thought to the heat these bulbs would generate. After just a few minutes with the scanner on, the bar is almost too hot to touch and definitely too hot to hold comfortably. It is so hot that it honestly has me concerned about safety while operating the scanner in the summer.

I searched online for others who may have had issues with heat or documented how hot these scanners get, but I could not find anything. I decided to take some temperature readings of the bar at five minute intervals while in use over a period of 15 minutes. I took these temperature readings with an infrared temperature gun in our heated garage. The temperature in the garage was 61°F with 24% humidity. Here are the results:

 Scanner State  Temperature
 Powered Off  60°F
 Five minutes of runtime  167°F
 Ten minutes of runtime  178°F 
 Fifteen minutes of runtime  189°F
 Five minutes powered off   112°F
 Ten minutes powered off  95°F
 Fifteen minutes powered off  86°F

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i6D77m_uax0/UwLJ4eQbl2I/AAAAAAAAaRc/Nyn09yM5YaI/w1519-h855-no/IMG_20140217_155002145.jpg


Thursday, February 13, 2014

Celebrating 200 Followers On Google+

Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page just hit 200 followers today! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support!

If you have not had a chance to check out the Project: K.I.T.T. page on Google+ you really should. It's a great way to stay updated, leave comments, or even ask questions about the Project. It will even notify you of new blog posts and videos.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

More Parts For KITT

Mark Scrivani of Mark's Custom Kits Inc. has changed his focus and is no longer going to be in the Knight Rider replica business. As a result, the large collection of Trans Am restoration parts he has amassed over the years is up for sale.

I ordered the following from Mark: Tan rear passenger roof trim, a lower dash trim panel without cutouts, a headlight switch, a New Old Stock (NOS) Glove box cover, and a new turn-signal, cruise stem, with wiper delay. The parts arrived on Monday.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GSq_2sg5kUU/UvQxR9D8aRI/AAAAAAAAZ8o/kQjLXAgKlAU/w1519-h855-no/IMG_20140203_173610103.jpg

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Project: K.I.T.T - What's Been Going On

I dug out KITT's schematics from where they have been packed since we insulated the garage and hung them back on the garage wall. You know what that means... It is time for Project: K.I.T.T. to get serious again. No more anger, no more moping, and no more excuses.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Damage Assessment

Since today was the warmest day in quite a while, Sara and I checked out the extent of the overspraying damage.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B6l80a7nX7c/UtyXEG6jnLI/AAAAAAAAZCU/zTzI8_vFFbk/w1431-h855-no/IMAG4695.jpg

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Two Year Anniversary

I got KITT two years ago today. Here is what he looked like on January 14, 2012...



Monday, January 13, 2014

OMG, WTF!

Just as I finished the door hinge bolts and was putting stuff away I noticed what I thought was a paint run on the driver's side rocker panel.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NPQdSoqy9Jw/UtSkGInuyNI/AAAAAAAAYc8/7ndf4lL1L2w/w1429-h855-no/IMAG4672.jpg

Getting Started Again Working On KITT

Today after work I was determined to get back to KITT. The next thing I want to do is get the doors, fenders, and hood back on the car. With those back on the car it will allow us to clean up and reorganize the garage. Frankly it has been a pain trying to work around these parts. We also have an indoor storage now, so we are going to move some of the parts from the garage into that. We love organizing, if you have not figured it out by now. ;)

I started by cleaning up the hinge bolts for the doors. They needed to be wire brushed to remove some mild surface rust. You can see that I left all of the door hinge bolts turned into their respective spots (I had already removed one before taking this picture).


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

KITT Is Back From The Body Shop!

This evening Troy and I went out to Mario's shop to trailer KITT home. I have been attempting to do this since the week before Christmas, but both Sara and I got really sick and the weather got really, really cold. Monday it was -27 degrees with the wind chill making it -52 degrees, just for example.

Troy picked me up about 5:45PM.