KITT - season 3 & 4 replica

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About this Collectable

KITT made its debut in 1982, when the year 2000 still stood for The Future. A total of about 25 KITT cars were made for use in the filming of the series. All but five of the remaining cars were destroyed. Press releases regularly appear claiming that 'original on-screen' cars are being sold. Some reports say Michael Jackson bought an original KITT and former NSYNC band member Joey Fatone also claims to have bought one of these authentic original KITTs at auction. More 'original' cars have now been auctioned than were built for the show in total.

Replicas come in various shapes and sizes. This is, of course, one of the - if not the best - that we could find. The basis is, just like the original, a Pontiac Trans Am. In this case, it was not only visually overhauled but also technically. This KITT is based on the car from seasons 3 and 4. The owner chose this because he could get an original bumper from a stunt car from the fourth season. This was completely adjusted so that it fit neatly on this car.

A similar replica was recently auctioned for USD 300,000, including delivery by David Haselhoff himself. Nerd fact: KITT's scanner is comparable to that of Cylons from the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. Both series were created by Glen A. Larson.

KITT is actually a predecessor of Tesla, but with a V8. Just look at the options that KITT already had more than 40 years ago:

• Voice input and talking function 
• Turbo Boost (0-100 in 2 seconds, soon on the Tesla Roadster)
• Surveillance Mode (monitor the vehicle's environment)
• Auto Cruise (self-driving level 5)
• Silent mode (driving without engine noise)
• Flamethrower (available separately from Tesla)
• Comlink (video calling and communication with the car remotely)

There is no need to state that the owner and builder of this car was a Knight Rider fan. He worked on this car for more 7 years and spent over € 50,000 on parts. And we're not even talking about the hours. But the result is impressive. A working and properly driving KITT which you can use to get an ice cream in the weekend. The car has been copied down to the smallest details, but the great thing is that it is road legal with a Dutch licence plate. Thumbs up guaranteed and thanks to the 5 liter V8 with 215 hp you will still be able to keep up with modern traffic.

This KITT replica staged at AutoRAI in 2011, starred in an ING commercial, TV programs, magazines and appeared at festivals many times.

The car is perfectly driveable and mechanically in order, but given the conversion it is mainly a show car (the original speed, temperature and fuel gauge from the Pontiac have been removed in exchange for the KITT dashboard). The car was largely finished in 2009 and has driven only 2,000 km since then.

Like in the TV series, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am has been used as a base for this car. This third generation Pontiac Firebird was introduced by Pontiac in late 1981 along with its cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro. The Trans Am body would continue to improve aerodynamically over the years, and by 1985 it would be the most aerodynamic vehicle ever released by General Motors with a drag coefficient of 0.29. The side mirror housings were almost cone-shaped, the windshield wipers were hidden under the hood and retractable headlamps provide a sharp nose. The all-new suspension design was more advanced and aggressive than anything Detroit had offered before. The engines ranged from a 90 hp 2.5L 4-cylinder to the 5.0L V8 in this Trans Am.

Equipment

The base of this KITT (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am) is equipped with:

• 305 V8 TPI automatic with overdrive
• Electric windows
• Manual mirrors
• Electric door locking
• Power steering
• Cruise control
• Air conditioning (not connected, freon no longer available - the targa roofs can be taken off in the summer)

Modifications

Everything. A complete report is available upon request for serious bidders. Among other things:

• 4th season front bumper copy of original
• Hella fog lights
• MCK scanner light
• Cowl bonnet (original '82 -'84 style)
• Side screens with ventilation grilles (‘82 -‘84 style)
• Rear stone chip protectors (‘82 -‘83 style)
• 15 inch original turbo cast wheels (‘82 -‘83 style) (powder coated)
• Original turbo cast wheel covers ("82-" 83 style).
• Polyester rear bumper with additional light hole for number plate (‘82 -‘84 style)
• Original '82 -'84 taillights with KITT taillight cover
• Original ‘82 -‘84 rear spoiler
• Blinded rear window
• Medium doeskin tan carpet, front and back
• Original PMD seats, freshly cut foam and reupholstered ('82 -'83 style)
• Original 1-piece rear seat, newly cut foam and reupholstered (‘82 style)
• New polyester t-top roof console, newly upholstered
• 3rd and 4th season style dashboard (early style MCK)
• 3rd and 4th season pod unit attached to the dashboard (MCK)
• 3rd and 4th season style handlebar (MCK)
• 3rd and 4th season arm console (Knight Passions)
• 4th season roof console (Knight Passions)
• 3rd and 4th season dashboard electronics (Jupiter)
• 3rd and 4th season switch pod electronics (MCK)
• 3rd and 4th season arm console electronics (Jupiter)
• 3rd and 4th season roof console electronics (Jupiter) (buttons self made, some are missing)
• Flat screen TV with DVD player (not connected)
• Original ‘82 style arm console with ‘82 style shift knob.

Remarks

The car is in very good condition. There are only some minor cosmetic points of attention, captured in the photos:

• A few minor damages on the dashboard, and a few minor damages in the carpet
• Small crack in the windshield where the interior mirror was minted
• Air conditioning has been dismantled (freon gas is prohibited in NL)
• Belt buckle flap broken
• Arm console cover is missing (no longer available)
• DVD player is not connected

Recent maintenance history

Fresh oil change in 2020, no further maintenance required (car is in new condition). Replaced during restoration:

• New radiator with new hoses
• New water pump
• New thermostat
• Overhauled steering pump
• Overhauled wheelhouse
• New power steering hoses
• New coolant tank
• New air filter
• New alternator
• Overhauled starter motor
• New injectors (Hawke) with adjustable fuel pressure regulator
• New edelbrock valve covers
• New spark plugs with new cables
• New distributor cap with rotor
• New oil pump
• New sump pan (chrome)
• New flywheel
• New door seals
• New aftermarket t-top rubbers
• New TH700 filter
• Support new engine
• Very many hoses replaced
• Many metal parts powder coated
• Many bolts recessed, in blue-silver
• Exhaust blasted and painted in heat resistant paint
• Goodyear GT tires
• New petrol filter
• Many parts on the car have been renewed.

The car was completely resprayed in 2009 and the entire interior was reupholstered. A complete report is available upon request for serious bidders.

Included with sale

• DVD player (belongs to the built-in TV)
• Original set of keys and copy set
• Complete history including invoices (+/- 100 documents, available on request)
• Original air conditioning compressor
• USB stick with +/- 2,000 photos of the conversion

About the seller

The owner bought this Firebird Trans Am in 2003 as the basis for his replica. The Trans Am was imported to the Netherlands in 1992 and was already largely refurbished to be used on car shows (as a Firebird).

The conversion was largely finished after 7 years, although he has continued to make small improvements since then. A total of 3 (!) Trans Am's were used to build this KITT replica. The owner has been educated a car mechanic, but has only this background as a hobby. The result of his work is impressive.

In everyday life he is a Volvo driver and collector (ranging from V70's, S80 to 960).

He describes this KITT replica as 'The one car that makes the difference', like 'One man can make a difference', the theme of Knight Rider. A true 80's Collectable. A car made from vision, passion and an eye for detail based on the original.

Summary

Location - Netherlands
Seller type - Private seller
Chassis - 1G2FW87F6FL623135
Mileage - 7.147 miles (odometer is no longer working due to the KITT dashboard conversion)
Warranty - none
Engine - 5.0 V8 with 215 pk

NB: due to the unique character of this KITT replica, the auction period will run for 3 weeks. This gives interested bidders ample time to request additional information and / or schedule a viewing or inspection.

The description of this Collectable has been created with the utmost care, based on information from and validated by the seller. The Collectables performs a (pre) selection based on the information provided and consults public sources for any irregularities. However, bidders themselves must ascertain the correctness of the description and can, if desired, carry out a personal investigation or have it carried out. All Collectables on our platform can be subjected to any possible inspection, investigation or appraisal by buyers, of course in consultation with the seller. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.