1991 Knight Rider Replica Car KITT Pontiac Firebird

I bought this car in April of 2013 to convert it into a KITT replica from the classic 1980's television series Knight Rider. I have enjoyed it ever since, specially watching it come together. Through Facebook and other public outlets, have made many new friends and made contact with hundreds of fellow replica builders around the world. It has been agreat experience! There is nothing wrong with the vehicle and it is fully paid off, o I am not in a hurry to sell it. Also, ou can check out my FaceBook page The Knight X Project if you want to learn more about the car.

There are many parts to list, oo many in fact. So in order to answer some common questions, have created a Question and Answer section below with lots of pertinent information. If I've missed anything, lease feel free to contact me and I can better answer your questions.

Q: What year and model is your car?

A: My replica is a 1991 Pontiac Firebird, ase trim model.

Q: What made you decide to use this particular vehicle and not an earlier model?

A: I felt more comfortable driving around in a 90's car than an 80's car. Primarily because of advances that were made during the 10 years Pontiac produced the Third Gen Firebird; engine, uspension, mpact zones, onding agents, tc.

Q: Is your car 100% screen accurate compared to KITT in the television series?

A: Since my car is a 1991 model, t does not have the Trans Am side vents near the front wheel fenders. It also retains the ground effects that only were produced during the 1991 and 1992 model run. If you watch old episodes of the series and look carefully, ou'll spot countless variations of the car throughout the show. Many different cars were used for a variety to shots. Therefore it is impossible to find a replica that is 100% accurate!

Q: Why did you keep the 1991/1992 ground effects on your car?

A: I was inspired by another replica out there that was built using a 1992 Firebird base model with a V6 engine. In my opinion it was one of the finest KITT's ever produced by a conversion enthusiast. It's still my favorite! Plus the ground effects make my KITT stand out.

Q: What have you done so far to your replica?

A: All new paint, new headliner, new carpet, epainted center console from a 1982 Trans Am, new center console cover, MD seats with new upholstery, nd of course the infamous 4th season front nose with top of the line quality LED scanner, nd a high-end blackout taillight cover (partially installed). Also, he heavily sought after 15" Turbocast wheels with matching bowling ball hubcaps. But that's just the tip of the iceberg! Oh, nd new tires. Less than 500 miles on them!

Q: Where did you have your carpainted?

A: My car was painted by a company in Northridge, alifornia called Picture Car Warehouse. They are a motion picture car supplier that has been building cars and props formulti-million dollar films for decades, uch as The Fast and the Furious series, he Judge motorcycle from the movie Dredd, ehicles from the films Argo and Rush Hour 3, ust to name a few. You can go to their website and seesome of their work. You can also google the owner Ted Moser and view a short film made about him and his process. They did a stellar job on the car, hich cost close to $8000 to complete. I had another source value the paint job at $10,000! The result is a finish that looks like a black mirror when you look into it! The paint was a two-stage application and was wet-sanded afterwards in order to remove ripples and orange peel. You could literally use the reflection of this car to get ready in the morning it's that clear!

Q: What is your favorite part?

A: I would have to say besides the super cool scanner, he Turbocast wheels. They are the accurate 15x7 size and are hard to come by. They're almost like the holy grail of Knight Rider conversion parts. Once you put them on your car, ou immediately see KITT materializing before your eyes. And they're expensive!

Q: Why did you choose a car without T-Tops and a manual transmission?

A: I bought my car in original condition. It was a great price and didn't require any real TLC to function. Not having T-Tops was a trade-off for a car that had not been molested or modified with questionable aftermarket parts. Same with the stick shift transmission! The only part of the car that is not original is the Formula/Trans Am hood that was added during the painting process. It is the bulge hood with the scoop running down the center. And it makes the car look menacing!

Q: What vendors did you use to build your replica?

A: Lectric Enterprises (Brenon Fulbright), ay Ohrberg, night Designs (Billy Gunter), nd Advanced Designs in Automotive Technology (Don Colie). These are all high quality vendors.

Q: How does the front scanner work?

A: Very simply! There is a control box inside the car that you can operate the scanner with. You can adjust the speed at which the scanneroscillates, he pattern, nd there are even sounds built in which filter out through a waterproof marine speaker mounted underneath thechassisof the car.

Q: Who designed your scanner?

A: A company called Lectric Enterprises. One of the best vendors in the business. The cost was close to $700. It came with the control box mentioned above! Eventually I changed out the scanner with another vendor because it fitmy fiberglass bumper better, ut I was able to use the original control box with. As a bonus the new owner will received a spare scanner built by a vendor named Joe Huth. This scanner is considered one of the most screen accurate available!

Q: Why should I buy your unfinished replica when I can build one on my own for less?

A: If I had to do it over again, would buy a finished replica instead of building one from scratch. Getting a car painted is easy (albeit expensive), nd doing maintenance is not overly challenging. But wait times for parts, specially the highest quality, an take a long time. Unless you have access to a body shop, iberglass materials, lectronics components, pholstery, wealth of high-end tools and machinery, uilding a car for under $20,000 on your own will be very difficult. Plus you have to have the knowledge to do it all!

Q: How much has been invested in the car?

A: A good friend and fellow replica builder oncesaid to me: "I stopped counting after $10K!" Honestly I don't know the exact amount, ut so far somewhere in the neighborhood of $25K, xcluding the high quality dashboard I have on order with Knight Designs.

Q: What does a completed Knight Rider KITT replica cost?

I estimate that a fully-functioning KITT replica with all the bells and whistles would cost at least $35K. And the price can only go up from there! I once saw a KITT that could back out of the driveway on its own!

Q: Does your car have a clear title?

A: My car has a 100% free and clear California title! I will include a detailed Auto Check report for free for your piece of mind. The registration and tags are paid up and are good till March of 2016! Also, he car recently passed California's strict emissions test, ne of the fiercest in the nation.

Q: What else does the car need to be a complete replica?

A: The exterior is 99% complete. It just needs the rear blackout installed over the taillights. That piece is included in the sale. Other than that, ne of the front passenger hubcaps needs to be refinished because I scratched it on a curb. But that is an easy fix.

Q: If I have any other questions can I contact you directly?

A: Absolutely. Building a replica is a commitment and not cheap. If you buy this car, lot of the hard work has already been done for you! So ask away as much as you want. I know I would! You can call 323-481-8972 to speak to me in person. I am located inCalifornia, ST.