Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Shifting Things Back Into Gear

As more and more vendors seem to be leaving the Knight Rider conversion parts scene, I have been keeping my eye out for last chance deals. That's exactly what I was able to score with Billy Chingas's billet aluminum black anodized shifter knob! He has painstakingly recreated the iconic shift knob from the '82 Firebirds, but in aluminum. I managed to get one of the last three he had. :)

It arrived today and I couldn't wait to get it opened!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UHLPJM_UN1NeqotwjClmmlX5-hzVRoqaGcOpl5hltI_vbGyNJuW4PXb2Lr04u3vCFVD9qlVXnpIxxU6LgwnwNnXiPzPNLLkAGPjEHuORO3NCBAXuFIhDnnsVsxbclSR3O1oNjHf7jQl_KOtaIR6PEDSijVKgKieUoPSvfPjO5ZRGj7wdzGnKxBAg8tokbxQqZwpMZvk32CTYDVy_Z2m0P13IcXrlVkG4HgtWpvLx_mnJRn3cERBIiX4ooe4hDLQ1Pi4-5TfmuJlCKL3n5yDmoePVo_trRQK7Os1dJ9UM6f-giZAWLrhkOc1DS0fkNGjuVn2k6JOhVx0WrjW9oqR8fGwZPPZ3vj1EyDrGXIiE5R5qniO2vdk-gezVn4xWdBkLpbjU_XTNDiwG8N4CKU564vIK9-rjCFXCexOIV_sG_UKbLIQQ2JP8MqUop1lBUOfGHCuPPo-vszHYsnSzxVNnof3p0YRCak_oUSU67-RXij5m7PUXMCl5pyP2lTWj16fgoqbHNFF54mF0MdtJ02JQqrHnf-_CT-B3mmt2lSoFqjE10lhUkCuZPgOVAJni8_juB93Ij8uWuqyAX43mTTDrmv9AD6rLTAUWC6qgtVmIId0b1Z_aecsBqjBhin7UlIrbPZW2onG79alOIZxDFxYbr55dAw3uDdiBcRdjqi48upU=w1675-h942-no

Monday, May 29, 2017

Wait, I Never Finished This?!

I decided this weekend to dive back into working on KITT, and realized I never finished the taillight harness.  Just for curiosity sake I pulled up the blog post where I started on the taillight harness, and realized it was in July of 2012.  That's insane!  I really need to get back to work on this Project!

I started this weekend by putting a new section of wire loom on the section of the harness I had already cleaned and restored.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P57N1JAsebHwMCY5ZXq5i1E-MLoVgCemci3V1iZbwn3nqFUcNZv0wsP0gSKUZaq9-E_j54WdxNPoUMr497LybFwwUpYSlbNIkxNieg61wIcpTViVUQOvfHFEp9cLT5uh24hQOOWrYFi4RNlN3IiPrJx-eAG9poyeJqO9oK1OaLrOXjI-_eLd-GYHdcjNnfUnkKjL9kvhcH3mprCcD9Pidu5X5pI1E8HMBHGFstLKryOfRPbhkjrdZdPm5384ftWudMhO-phmBimofoUxDqpfZNcD1snZzghlvOroRBgikenWINco4mEEufIV1dzz4l6scl73MG33gCrhCjIOI5a83LFBbSSkDdRycQdYKOEunxYJPSXmiM_mopdSylFSf25H_sNk9f_JiFeaB8yRV7jV3AV5FlHZGS7NlaGr4C724wfe0jGvKvTx1zSR7BYEEIvl65DHUH_uOIlbk2PBf3CZzmmdz3UASetP3D7sVr65clwTOYSSJ7Tmv1qMAKnDO2YTN_HLJ3F57MvmNAnwz2bZHeJtb8_tvmvyYQZrYPTVmVm6FXP1cEY35aG6XGXCedf6eIoGNXuk65mktqu76DSvdUVLYLY5UCEdsNbHoRjyVHd9rxQLbToT8og7CXo8Q7cwogBdrt-6NvfSWcBSBMBYn0SWfXhS1jq_XgzZwT0Qiqw=w1675-h942-no

New Garage Floor

I had been looking for a way to improve on our cracking and salt-eaten cement garage floor for a while. I saw some Craftsman garage tiles at Sears a couple of years ago, and had been thinking about them ever since. Sears no longer sells the Craftsman tiles I first saw, but I was able to find an online source for PVC garage tiles.

These are twenty inch square interlocking tiles. They sit on top of the floor and require no adhesive. They are water, chemical, and solvent resistant. I chose black tiles with a leather-like look.

Garage floor before tile installation:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PX6O9ZeR_unc_A9Yk77EHObC8V8iAMYHi7ROMd6xoeE2J8nEPv0mV7kcvDh9lUEwtnbhvCi2KSa65uMEebpNhQWHv1jdHdmo_HnS41QH3u-f8ZSTp1TFmtZ_IBr1dJHk1ywz1Uc35Q0BzqWIcu1ZyDWKz7cqozpoto39HLkizK6FHoVeTJrNHDXSotzufSw2NRwF1-Am20WRAKkdMm7MGhr6oPtraC3LhXBFAOGy5E2P3OxS6D7tffnM3V0UQi1y0zWxLhvwBEUfQfTOCur9bL1OwHCFu3XM6c_M-k1yELzMZ4rr3eveKd-r7VLdNJZ2u80t-akfpfYqp5AuuQ8uE0lzxKgD2DWs5FOnu4VTShhHhiOp9bww9RH_jx70ftXcqEaiFQ4-RkjGPAeDoRlP5SslQCN0gCXMUOUgVGNaJeaZhIgPQxPcP1gwdGOuucLjx2oeIxmCsM2Y4r62qT4Mn_kfEoDQdj0UQz1ExSIkEiAbccUjNQiWWLBSdydo7CGfpMj13QAng-R82VPsMfw5kTHM69rZyAUPeuTJk47TGjlM5_XeFRpBlnnXVVUnVNP95EEymgdKZriXKAxVwkLwH6rJZ6ZjnzZ7H2iRR5ORl6ZA3viGEfOiVnHMXyLUP1fwOU8oNI3wGdlQqjVoOXB4Vc_Ks_uJvlacogpk8IuzWa4=w1675-h942-no

Saturday, May 6, 2017

KITT's Rear Bumper Video

Knox Rides In KARR

This week KARR had a special passenger. We dog-sat for our friend Jill's Dobermans. KARR took Knox and I to the dog park so Knox could burn off some of her puppy energy.


Friday, April 14, 2017

Five Year Anniversary, An Afterthought

What good is an anniversary if you forget about it? Yeah, that's what Sara said to me just the other day. So here it is three months late to the day...

We got KITT's 1983 Pontiac Trans Am body five years ago. Here is what he looked like on January 14, 2012...

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

How I Spend Money

Owning a couple of classic 80s cars is a lot like having children, with one exception (I'll get to that in a bit). We spend an extraordinary amount of time with them. We can't imagine life without them. We post about every little thing they do on social media. They tend to consume all of our attention. We enjoy spending time playing with them and watching them slowly develop into everything we have always wanted for them. When they misbehave we're upset, but we still love them. We spend a lot of long nights up with (working on) them. When they get sick we do whatever it takes to fix them up. We remember fondly what it was like when it was just the two of us before they came into our life. Did I mention we spend an insane amount of money on them?




Monday, September 26, 2016

Happy 34th Birthday KITT!

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!


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!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QYaG19IkURtOnVcOfkdXDHbpI4VGPHNrjHTIiKn2YJyAhnMxtKh9f6KCmsK2iVS4fOjIekqYrE5IbLqf3QwG8e3ZGkhkBAk-mIUJmfZNxfkhSwr_e9EBPp40ZTH5D2bpX7YZH0nOCnz0FASHxn1Ofb7S3w0x1vwSTKHNgSsJn4FOP2l65D72jX2WL6-pEcOAAXwfACQe-KqaVcIATzC1LvWXvihbXGKz3wQOQf_dsGqvDGI0__h2fs1oq_Hf13BucjjJm5SnpHx5JGHp6lIEdYgbO2ZblLZ3IJqWhf-1wbbVc5KnVXRf7GiPSLeZb8cJrVWfrIOYqL8IG34idc0xJyrQhykwqyYMqg0JKS6X9ILXPi80usT8Qb6Cwr1kcDGNtiW6gvWjCRjQx9FRk6BcmSZmD-N6Tk3Ol9LVxGuowjf9ESH2xhw3Y_PKI1vUeOtdGQek3qec2CmDDsig15BNOA9QCggBSkGducGrZdYx_TJhYxBxWDMC6ZdwbSuadvH26lnd5YZCN_1G54McL_eGFr707R61g7BA_Z6lpeCRVKFq5onXXTiQZUAFmr1hkPIBD9JNyJb3Cgo1wIyBuNcMX_qTtZiXOyN1VOg70YQfmJfvGM17Tw=w1258-h943-no

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!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/anjd9bpB5tX15EqNhzIwojsSKDvULxhZuhW36QypUnLbLsOOgpBtozEtcLMWbsN9hYPfwabpzQhxIw2ap1UWwPmmOtzHKwcAOfOULO2avTz1pQWApTCJNCIwDu33o7GE_WHMaEuAkhg4NvadVz02mZBsuoC6UJ3rywKuE_2fh64k9uDwdLiR1RjVjFFatQsQ65oQ1fRJyeszjuKZwgr-skoEG2B7YIabwpo_-kSU7oFhQxh8NHuFcou7HToroX6toalili_wcAB_gPHUwnqfmRsYv2QZjR2EEo7krAQbevfmNmUoiuYT6m0QAzevb-JLvKLbg1jrhf5WEHoNNy8B8-szQepBXBarr0dQZZl7IP0oQdlQ_ZNQCPGiRaZtqBsjZP75ynsuL5Xa_ii8y53GkEARVnrVaBONgX4o2QNkSYyskhK3NGu3SZXYX-RpwZ8Ac21NL-5ifX-fjj6RNkhNRF205XUBmF3JZFCMf2-XWeOFazkBWjgjUExCoD9h06Z_KcYrnp8hD6tpg1VjWzn_8-1e-Wa5UYyKHAgAeKm1OvzTJ8iWtRnPt6Ex3U78I64oW0tdRsxCtxLQSKIYHmN0M3XnPyzXVsODHs07iCt_W_jCoKlN2w=w1258-h943-no

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:

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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! :)

We have a week before our next trip, so when we got back we needed to get KITT and the garage back into shape. We put all the plastics, that were literally all over the garage, back into KITT.


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