Project 3: Kitt

the scanner is illegal ( local and federal law) - so is the dash ( entertainemnt displays facing driver , per ntsa) , the gullwing steering yoke ( wheel must be circle of certian diameter per ntsa) , ect.... these cars are a rolling violation , but most cops are cool when they realize its knight rider - i was let go on tickets several times
 
the scanner is illegal ( local and federal law) - so is the dash ( entertainemnt displays facing driver , per ntsa) , the gullwing steering yoke ( wheel must be circle of certian diameter per ntsa) , ect.... these cars are a rolling violation , but most cops are cool when they realize its knight rider - i was let go on tickets several times

Wow, I thought just the scanner would be a problem... no idea the whole car is one. If I ever complete it, I'd only be able to drive it around the block, or during the day..
 
10155333_10152276662885211_756487632_n.jpg


It has arrived.. Now if I'm lucky, only a five month wait for electronics
 
The scanner is definitely illegal. Imitating an emergency vehicle.

In talking with several Police officers while I had my cars at shows, I had them do some
checking for me on the other stuff.

Since most cars now have monitors in them, you are fine, as long as they are not playing videos
towards the driver. Using them for navigation is fine. I left mine off until I got to shows.

The dash itself is not illegal.

The rules for the steering wheel are as follows. It must be at least 13 inches in diameter but there
is no law stating the wheel must be round. It just needs to be a sturdy replacement. (so stay away from
the wheels on ebay). ALL JUNK!

Actually most of the parts on eBay tend to be sold by recasters and are usually copies of copies of copies.
So they are ususally shrunken to the point where they wont fit. Especially Dashes and Noses! They are
also made very thin and therefore are extremely fragile and crack easily.

Last thing that could be considered illegal is the tail light blackout. They must be able to see your taillights
during the day at a certain percentage. My was deep smoke and my lights were barely visible during the
day but I rarely took my car out so it didn't effect me much.

I was always one to say when I built my car, I would drive it everywhere but in reality, when my project was
completed and having over $30,000.00 invested in it, I feared taking it out do to all the other idiots on the road.

It sat in the garage most of the time unless it was a show that was fairly close to me. I ended up selling it because
of it sitting all the time. It now resides with a new owner (from this board) who is enjoying the heck out of it).
 
Ok guess I can also Chime in now, since I've got a KITT also. Mine needs just the dash, consoles and electronics only.
I take my car to quite a few shows, He's a smash hit every single time. and occasionally I get joined by other TV show rides in my area. Smokey and the Bandit, Starsky and Hutch, General Lee , even have had Herbie the love bug tag along on some of these cruises..

I too have spoken a number of times with police and fire-rescue about my car. Not a single one of them has ever had an issue with the scanner. Driving with it on, is illegal, Most people today do not know KITT, or even recall Knight Rider. If your scanner has several modes, Like those that flash to the right, then the left, or have emergency flash abbility, keep the scanner on the simple model of right to left, left to right, slower or faster pace only. Attach a toggle switch for on and off, Do not drive with the scanner on, specially at night. Most law enforcement know the car. There have been issues with the steering wheel? yes. Do I have an issue? no. I do get asked quite a bit'' Chopped wheels are illegal" Since KITT does not sport a chopped wheel, he does have a unique wheel. I've gotten asked a few times on the handling of the vehicle.. I do not have any issues driving with the wheel. Mine was made by Knight Inspirations. And I love how the car handles with it.

Parts in my TA are from Knight Designs. Black Out panel from Billy is top notch, well worth it. Stone guards, also well worth it. His wait time is around a couple months, he's a great fabricater. Be wary of those across seas, less you're dealing with Knights of England and Knight Passions. boh trust worthy. I'm not roasting the other ebay guys.. but.. stay away from them. Specially their electronics, fires start easily with them I've heard.

Electronics.. Lectric Enterprises have a long wait time. also check out Jupiter electronics, they are pretty decent too.

Good luck!

- - - Updated - - -

Post pics. I'd like to see this scanner of yours. I have a Sid Knight scanner in my car. LED it's a nice scanner.
 
Wait... the KITT red light in the hose that flashes left/right, the 'scanner' is illegal to drive with on?

You can't be serious... unless you guys are talking about something else...

If that is illegal, then how do you explain all the luxury cars that have all kind of light shows going on in their headlights now a day... Heck some states/provinces even have cars with neon lights under and around license plates...
 
If that is illegal, then how do you explain all the luxury cars that have all kind of light shows going on in their headlights now a day... Heck some states/provinces even have cars with neon lights under and around license plates...

last I heard, those where illegal too, but it doesn't stop gear heads from installing them. same stories with tinted windows...last I heard they prefer you not to have those on your car.

scanner pictures possibly coming tomorrow...head cold, so we'll see how I feel about driving to the office.
 
Quick googling found me in a nutshell (varies from states):
Usually any lights that are red and blue = illegal.
Some states they actually state white/amber = legal.
Most states having a third party light ON while DRIVING = illegal.
Some states having any third party light that is flashing/strobbing/scanning = illegal

So basically you can have the red scanning light on only when the car is not in motion.

Again, some states anything like that = illegal.

What a bummer :(
 
Last edited:
Quick googling found me in a nutshell (varies from states):
Usually any lights that are red and blue = illegal.
Some states they actually state white/amber = legal.
Most states having a third party light ON while DRIVING = illegal.
Some states having any third party light that is flashing/strobbing/scanning = illegal

So basically you can have the red scanning light on only when the car is not in motion.

Again, some states anything like that = illegal.

What a bummer :(

Yep, I've been hassled for aftermarket fog lights being on when it wasn't foggy and they were white. You have to be really careful with aftermarket lighting, at least in the states.
 
We we have pretty much similar issues here in the UK with lights on vehicles, it's a pain but if they let TV and Movie replica cars get away with using various different lighting systems then every Tom, Dick and Harry will probably start I guess :(

Yep, I've been hassled for aftermarket fog lights being on when it wasn't foggy and they were white. You have to be really careful with aftermarket lighting, at least in the states.
 
June 6th I'm putting in an order for electronics. Would anyone think a Kick starter would earn enough money to do a complete car? If we could get $10 donations from about 2,000 people ;o)...just not sure what I'd offer for rewards ;o)
 
Just be aware that Brennon's wait time for electronics are YEARS long. I believe he usually quotes people a few months to a year, but there are folks that have been waiting 4-6 years at this point. He was the top dog of Knight Rider electronics but due to some personal problems he got way behind about 4 years ago and has never really caught up. The sets he ships are reasonably-priced and top notch as far as quality, but several folks have placed orders with him only to lose interest in the entire build and Knight Rider hobby during the multi-year wait. Some folks asked for refunds only to be denied. So if you finally say enough's enough after a few years, you're probably stuck waiting for the duration.

Christian Forget at Jupiter usually takes about 1.5 years, and folks don't seem to rave about the quality of his electronics like they do with Brennon's. Mark Scrivani with Mark's Custom Kits' electronics are good, but super expensive. There's a newcomer, Joe Sorenson, that has about a 6-month turnaround, but I don't know if his quality has yet reached that of Brennon's.

Billy at Knight Designs is trying to offer electronics in the near future, Rob Louisell has been in talks with Dakota Digital about making some, and Joao of Knight Passions is also trying to develop some. So all in all, getting electronics for a Knight Rider replica is a difficult decision at the moment.
 
yeah, that's the major thing that worries me. He's quoted me 4 months at least. I CAN wait that long. that's normal. but YEARS? And Marks' price of $8000 is OUT of the question.

sigh. Right now I'd be happy with just a Kitt voice box and completed center setup. But Jupiter never gets back to me about emails
 
Here's a couple threads regarding Brenon/Lectric:

knight rider online ? View topic - Lectric Enterprises stole 1600$ - still owes me 300$

That guy's been waiting 4 years. Brenon told him "he's working through orders" and that "you'll get them when you get them."

That said, he's still supported by some, who say things like "Rome wasn't built in a day" and that the Knight Rider conversion hobby requires great patience. Here's a thread of support by the admin of one replica site (in response to the thread above) who vouched for Brenon by ordering a set himself:

The Foundation » View topic - Electronics and Scanner ordered.. :)

The funny thing is that even on that thread, folks chiming in with support said things like "im now past the 5 year mark, however i chose to persevere after seeing his electronics first hand. They look awesome, and lets say i whinged and got a refund, what would i do then ? i would be back to square one wondering where to get my electronics from !"

He has said for the past 4 years that he's just around the corner with getting caught up, and maybe he uses that belief to continue to quote wait times of several months to folks and continue to take new orders, when his wait time as of now continues to stretch into the years. He has also admitted that he can't make refunds to those that have requested them because he needs money from new orders to pay for the parts for the ones placed years ago, meaning the original funds were spent on who knows what.

So again, his quality is said to be excellent, just be prepared for a multi-year wait unless something magical happens to clear his schedule or augment his finances.
 
Wait... the KITT red light in the hose that flashes left/right, the 'scanner' is illegal to drive with on?

You can't be serious... unless you guys are talking about something else...

If that is illegal, then how do you explain all the luxury cars that have all kind of light shows going on in their headlights now a day... Heck some states/provinces even have cars with neon lights under and around license plates...

yup, you cant have any red lights facing infront of the car, red lights = tail lights only

now if the scanner lights were orange.... you might get away with it, but i doubt it

my friend had a 93 mustang that was used as a high speed chase vehicle by the state troopers, he ended up buying it and restoring it. do u believe he has to cover the lights on top with a custom leather cover he made... even if he doesnt have them on he has to cover them..

i always wonder how the ecto-1 guys make out if they ever get introuble for having the lights on top
 
This thread is more than 6 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top