KITT will always be the original smart car! Happy Birthday Buddy!
Monday, September 26, 2016
Happy 34th Birthday KITT!
Knight Rider debuted on September 26, 1982 and as a result KITT was born!
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Installing KITT's Engine And Transmission
Here is a slideshow of KITT's engine and transmission being installed. A special shout out and thank you to Troy, Joel, Myron, and Rudie at Hub Auto! I couldn't do this without you guys! I was not able to be there for the install, but Troy's wife Kerri took all of these pictures for me. Thanks Kerri!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Sizzlin' Summer Nights 2016
We entered KARR in the local car show in Aberdeen yesterday. They estimated there were between 7,000 and 8,000 people in attendance. KARR was a hit and I got to talk a lot about Project: K.I.T.T!
KARR was his usual mouthy self and randomly muttered his classic lines. One gentleman was talking to me about the Fiero when KARR asked, "Now, may I take you somewhere for food?" and the guy laughed and said "Sure, I would like a Big Mac, a large fry and a Coke". We continued to talk when KARR interjected, "I have no eggs. Perhaps you can direct me to a chicken." The guy chuckled and said, "Your car may talk, but it's not very bright. Big Macs don't need eggs." We both laughed to which KARR replied, "There, did you hear. He is becoming abusive." I thought the guy was going to pee his pants he laughed so hard!
There were a ton of kids that loved KARR and took a lot of pictures and videos. One little boy with a disposable camera used the entire camera taking pictures of KARR!
There were also a couple of young women that asked if they could sit in KARR and have their picture taken. I was shocked, but agreed. :)
The show was a lot of fun, and I cannot wait until the day KITT is able to make an appearance...who knows, maybe KITT and KARR will face off!
KARR was his usual mouthy self and randomly muttered his classic lines. One gentleman was talking to me about the Fiero when KARR asked, "Now, may I take you somewhere for food?" and the guy laughed and said "Sure, I would like a Big Mac, a large fry and a Coke". We continued to talk when KARR interjected, "I have no eggs. Perhaps you can direct me to a chicken." The guy chuckled and said, "Your car may talk, but it's not very bright. Big Macs don't need eggs." We both laughed to which KARR replied, "There, did you hear. He is becoming abusive." I thought the guy was going to pee his pants he laughed so hard!
There were a ton of kids that loved KARR and took a lot of pictures and videos. One little boy with a disposable camera used the entire camera taking pictures of KARR!
There were also a couple of young women that asked if they could sit in KARR and have their picture taken. I was shocked, but agreed. :)
The show was a lot of fun, and I cannot wait until the day KITT is able to make an appearance...who knows, maybe KITT and KARR will face off!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
KARR's First Car Show
If you are in the area today, KARR will be on display on Main Street in Aberdeen, South Dakota for the Sizzlin' Summer Nights car show. We are just finishing up prepping him now. The show starts at 2:00PM and runs until 8:00PM. We have a spot reserved in front of the Ward Hotel. We'd love to see you there!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 Pictures
I took a ton of pictures at Southern Knights Atlanta, so advance warning: this post is very image-intensive.
These were the signs directing us to the convention:
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - The Real KITT Showing Off 30 Years Later
The Knight Rider Historians, Joe Huth and AJ Palmgren, decided to let KITT stretch his wheels after 30 years and let him show off a bit. KITT still has it!
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - Screen Used KITT
The Knight Rider Historians, Joe Huth and AJ Palmgren, brought a screen used KITT from the series Knight Rider. This car was also used as one of two display cars for Universal Studios. This was better than a dream come true for me. I always wanted to drive KITT, which I will be able to do with my replica, but to actually see, touch, and sit in the real KITT was just too cool! Thank you Joe and AJ for making this possible! You guys rock!
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - Replicas And The Real KITT
First, a walk-through of all the attendees and replicas on display at Southern Knights Atlanta. Then, we watch as the real KITT rolls out of his trailer and joins the party!
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - Julie's Ride In KITT
This is our friend Julie. Julie has loved KITT since she was four years old. In 1999, she made a special trip to Universal Studies to see KITT, but was told he was no longer on display (he was removed in 1998). She was pretty bummed! Fast forward to Southern Knights Atlanta 2016. The Knight Rider Historians, Joe Huth and AJ Palmgren, brought a screen used KITT from the Knight Rider series that was also used as one of the two display cars at Universal Studios. Julie missed seeing KITT in 1999, but she got to ride in him in 2016! Way to go, Julie!
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - Eric Wang Tries Out The Blind Drive Seat
The Knight Rider Historians, Joe Huth and AJ Palmgren, brought a blind drive seat (used for making KITT drive on his own in the series) with them. In this video Eric Wang is trying the blind drive seat on for size! Fits like a glove, Eric!
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016 - Danny's F.L.A.G. Mobile Command Unit Semi Replica
Our friend Danny is creating the F.L.A.G. Mobile Command Unit semi. He has found the correct 1980 GMC General and Dorsey trailer. This thing is awesome! Even without the Knight Industries paint scheme, I was just awestruck when he came rolling in with it! Way to go Danny - so glad you brought it down to Southern Knights Atlanta!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Southern Knights Atlanta 2016
Southern Knights Atlanta just wrapped up and we are waiting at the airport in Atlanta for our return flight. Southern Knights was AWESOME! We are so excited to share all the pictures and videos from this year's event!
Stay tuned!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
An Update Between Vacations
What have we been doing since our last post? We have been enjoying life and some much needed time off from work! We are in between our two big summer vacations. Right after we got KITT back from Troy, we headed off in KARR for an awesome week of hiking at Devils Tower! The weather was a little hot, but it felt great just to get away from everything and everyone and just relax. Just getting to spend time alone with Sara will always be one of the highlights of my life! :)
Thursday, July 14, 2016
The Engine Is In!
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Off To See The Mechanic
Troy picked up KITT over lunch and towed him back to his shop so he could install the engine and transmission. It was exciting, yet sad to see him go. We'll be waiting for you buddy!
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Ready To Tow!
Troy called today and wants to pick KITT up tomorrow so he can get the engine and transmission installed. That means we had to get KITT ready to tow. First things first, even though KITT loves his roller skates, the auto dollies had to go.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Preparing For Engine And Transmission Install
When we went through the tubs labeling everything we discovered that the transmission cross-member still had not been treated with POR-15. It was caked with years of road grime and oil! This is what it looked like after I sprayed the majority of the grime off with the pressure washer while it was in a tub to help contain the grease/oil.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Happy 4th Of July 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016
Once More In The Newspaper
Sunday, June 26, 2016
KITT's Tow Bar Unboxing And Installation Video
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Project: K.I.T.T. Made The News!
I was interviewed by the Aberdeen American News for a story on Project: K.I.T.T.! They also did a short video portion to accompany the online story. I even made the front page in glorious color!
The story and video are included below. If you hover over the story you will find controls in the top right corner to pop it out full size for easier reading.
It was even quite popular on Twitter! I have included the tweets below the article.
The story and video are included below. If you hover over the story you will find controls in the top right corner to pop it out full size for easier reading.
It was even quite popular on Twitter! I have included the tweets below the article.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
KITT, We've Missed You Buddy!
Done With KARR Back To KITT
I am finally satisfied with KARR and can move on...
He also got a new ignition module, pick up coil, distributor cap, and rotor. He seems happy, but with KARR that isn't always the easiest thing to tell. He is spoiled for sure, of that I have no doubt.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Fate?...Pieces Of The Past
We had something really amazing happen while reupholstering the seats in KARR. When we were taking the old fabric off we noticed the date stamped into the back of the material. It read 5 29 86 and it was 5/29/2016 the day we were working on them. Thirty years later to the day! Is that not awesome? I mean what are the odds!?
I call it fate.
Friday, June 3, 2016
And Here We Thought We Were Finished...
Today I had to take KARR to Ipswich, South Dakota for work, and got hailed on twice! It was marble sized hail, but did not do any damage that I can see. Still, not cool!
To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. We were really looking forward to taking KARR on the road. :(
I have ordered all the necessary parts, and while I am at it I am replacing the lower ball joints, lower control arm bushings and the spring pads, too. I am going with polyurethane parts, so they will last, and also help to stiffen up the front end. Since I was blowing money like the Aberdeen wind lately, I decided to also order some chrome valve stem caps with the Fiero logo, a Fiero "We Drive Excitement" t-shirt, and a fender gripper mat that has the Fiero logo on it.
I did get some good news today though...my new shift knob from Matt arrived!
So how was your day?
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Video Update: It's All About KARR
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Memorial Day Weekend 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Project: K.I.T.T. Is On Facebook!
We finally did it! Project: K.I.T.T. is on Facebook! People have been trying to get us on Facebook since the Project started and we finally gave in.
Since we do not use Facebook for anything else, we are not sure how active we will be on there. However, we will for sure post all of our blog posts on that page.
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectKITTblog/
Since we do not use Facebook for anything else, we are not sure how active we will be on there. However, we will for sure post all of our blog posts on that page.
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectKITTblog/
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
KITT's Tow Bar And An Update
Today I found out that Billy of Knight Designs is changing the way he will be selling his products and is discontinuing everything except his fiberglass parts. Here is the update in his own words:
I have to have a tow bar if KITT is to look authentic, so I added my name to the list tonight. Here is what the the tow bar looks like.PLEASE READ ALL.....twice. lol
Hey guys I hope everyone is well.
I have some announcements to make. Please share this with friends so everyone can be informed of the changes.
I am wrapping up the last of all my paid orders. After those are complete I am shifting the way I sell parts. From that point on I will no longer be taking orders. I will simply build parts and put them up for sale auction style right here on facebook.
This means there will be no long wait times for those who have the funds. So here is the example, I build a pilot bumper, I post pics or vids of it here, I say the start price is 1250, I let it run for a posted time, when the time is up the best offer gets the bumper.
This eliminates the long list, the long waits, and most of all the stress of a long list and long wait. Granted all my guys are good customers, and are very respectful. However I stress myself out because I don't like making people wait. It is what it is though, because it is only me building the parts. If I sub it out, it just won't be the same, the quality would suffer and I just can't have that.
ALSO
I am scaling back the options. I am running one last set of towbars and blackouts. After that, once ALL my stock is gone for fab, and miscellaneous parts (overlays, plastics,switches, etc) I will only be offering fiberglass parts. Many but not all of the things that I was the first to bring to the hobby can now be found in other places so not much use in me buying tons of stock to sell here and there. I have knight rider stuff coming out of every nook and cranny and I am a bit tired of it.
So to rehash I am gearing up to run one last set of blackouts and towbars. I will make a separate thread request so I know how many to build.
Thanks guys, if you have any questions please ask.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
KARR: This Is How I Roll
As promised, here are KARR's new wheels and tires. I think there are very similar in style to the old low profile wheels, but the difference in ride is nothing short of amazing!
Friday, March 11, 2016
Revisiting The Taillight Harness, Part 3
Over the last few days I have been working on cleaning the contacts. I started with the contact that was in the worst shape. As you can see, this one was very heavily corroded.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Revisiting The Taillight Harness, Part 2
Next up: The taillight sockets. I decided it would be impossible to try to judge the condition of the contacts in these sockets without taking them apart and seeing just what was inside.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Revisiting The Taillight Harness
The last couple of days I have been working on restoring the taillight harness. Although I am completely redoing all of the wiring in the car, the taillight harness is one section that will have to be reused. I had previously removed the plastic loom and marked the position of all the breakouts as I cleaned the wires.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Happy Valentine's Day From Project: K.I.T.T.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Removing The Window Hardware
After work on Monday I removed the hardware from the driver side window. There were four rivets that needed to be removed in order to get everything off of the glass. I am used to being able to just drill out the rivets, but these rivets are not traditional rivets. They have a long threaded shank protruding through the rivet head. I knew that I would have to use my high-speed rotary tool to cut off the shanks before I could drill them out, so I started with that.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Windows, Maintenance And Some Bling
We changed the oil in both the Freestyle and KARR today and also took care of a few items that have been on the to do list. I cleaned KITT's old door glass so we can remove the hardware as it will be needed on the new glass we have. I took these pictures more for future reference than anything.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Knight Rider Revolution
Project: K.I.T.T is a member and proud supporter of the Knight Rider Revolution! The Revolution is the premier forum for replicas and all things Knight Rider.
Stop by, check it out and you too can join the Revolution...
Stop by, check it out and you too can join the Revolution...
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Celebrating 1,500 Followers On Google+
Project: K.I.T.T.'s Google+ page hit 1,500 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.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Happy Birthday Sara!
A Message From KITT:
Tomorrow is Sara Imberi's birthday. Not only is she my favorite technician (no offense Bonnie) but she is also part of the team responsible for rebuilding me. She is always so thoughtful and loving. Even in my rather incomplete state (I'm afraid I am showing more parts than I care to at the moment) she always cleans me up and makes sure I look my best. Have a very Happy Birthday Sara! Please join me in wishing Sara Imberi a Happy Birthday !
Tomorrow is Sara Imberi's birthday. Not only is she my favorite technician (no offense Bonnie) but she is also part of the team responsible for rebuilding me. She is always so thoughtful and loving. Even in my rather incomplete state (I'm afraid I am showing more parts than I care to at the moment) she always cleans me up and makes sure I look my best. Have a very Happy Birthday Sara! Please join me in wishing Sara Imberi a Happy Birthday !
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Painless Performance Wiring Harness Unboxing, Part 2
As promised, here is a more detailed unboxing of all the Painless Performance wiring harness products we ordered. Since I have not yet had a chance to read all the literature that comes with them, I am not going to go into a lot of written detail. I think the pictures speak for themselves and I would I hate to identify something incorrectly.
KITT's chassis harness - Painless Part #10201 28 Circuit Classic-Plus Customizable Chassis Harness -GM Keyed Column
KITT's chassis harness - Painless Part #10201 28 Circuit Classic-Plus Customizable Chassis Harness -GM Keyed Column
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Four Year Anniversary
This anniversary feels a little bitter-sweet. It is always exciting to celebrate another year gone by for the Project, but this time I feel like "Man, has it really been four years?"
Setbacks just happen with any project, I know that, but I think I let the painting fiasco affect me more than it should. I lost motivation as a result. I distracted myself by getting caught up in other things and just did not put a priority on KITT. I tried several times to reestablish the pace Sara and I had at the start of the Project, but so far it just hasn't been the same.
Right now I am all fired up about starting on the wiring, and with the added "kick in the butt" this anniversary delivers I have something to announce:
I am back in the game! :D
We got KITT's 1983 Pontiac Trans Am body four years ago today. Here is what he looked like on January 14, 2012...
Setbacks just happen with any project, I know that, but I think I let the painting fiasco affect me more than it should. I lost motivation as a result. I distracted myself by getting caught up in other things and just did not put a priority on KITT. I tried several times to reestablish the pace Sara and I had at the start of the Project, but so far it just hasn't been the same.
Right now I am all fired up about starting on the wiring, and with the added "kick in the butt" this anniversary delivers I have something to announce:
I am back in the game! :D
We got KITT's 1983 Pontiac Trans Am body four years ago today. Here is what he looked like on January 14, 2012...
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Great Memories
Project: K.I.T.T.'s anniversary is just around the corner and it has me feeling a bit nostalgic. Remember back, about a year and a half ago, when we brought KITT online for the first time?
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Painless Performance Wiring Harness Unboxing Video
Thursday, January 7, 2016
KITT Under Wraps
It has been awhile since I have posted a picture of KITT. Well, here is what he looks like right now.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Getting A Harness On The New Year
It has been far too long since there were regular updates on Project: K.I.T.T. That is going to change starting now! We decided to dive right back into the project with something big, so we ordered KITT's new wiring harnesses. This is truly where all the magic begins. KITT would not be KITT without a solid electrical harness powering all his awesome systems and electronics.
Painless called me today to verify my order, and told me it should ship out today. I am really looking forward to receiving it, and I will do an unboxing video when it arrives!
As previously discussed, we have decided to go with a new harness entirely and wire KITT from scratch. There are just too many variables when trying to reuse an old harness. We will still need many of the connectors from the old harness, but all the wiring will be new.
We decided to go with harnesses from Painless Performance. I have done a lot of research and Painless Performance seems to have the highest quality custom harnesses, offering the most flexibility and great support.
KITT's chassis harness will be Painless Part #10201 28 Circuit Classic-Plus Customizable Chassis Harness -GM Keyed Column
KITT's Fuel Injection harness will be Painless Part #60101 1982-93 GM 4.3L V6; 5.0,5.7 and 7.4L V8 TBI Harness Std. Length
PowerBraid is a flexible, semi-rigid material, with a tough woven texture and appearance to enhance the look and protect the insulation of any electrical wires. I use something similar to this at work for all of our computer cable management. This stuff is awesome and much more resilient that the old plastic style sheathing.
Painless called me today to verify my order, and told me it should ship out today. I am really looking forward to receiving it, and I will do an unboxing video when it arrives!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)