KITT and KARR Replica Guide :
Exterior Parts

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15 inch Turbo Cast Aluminum Rims (RPO N89)

KITT and KARR also both had these extremely hard to find rims. These rims come in two sizes: 14 inch and 15 inch. Both KITT and KARR had 15 inch rims.

These rims were only an option on 1982-84 Firebirds, so there are not a lot of cars with them, and it is very difficult to find them in salvage yards.

The only type of Firebirds on which these rims will not fit are extremely rare 1989-92 Trans Ams with the RPO 1LE, an option that was made available for racing. The break calipers on these cars will prevent you from installing the rims.

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15 inch Bowling Ball Hub Caps

Even harder to find than the rims and hood are the matching hub caps. There is even a rumor that some people have hoarded stockpiles of these caps, but aren't selling them.

Even worse, these hub caps have a tendency to fall off while the car is in motion, so make sure yours are securely in place.

Fortunately, companies have begun manufacturing fiberglass replicas of the hub caps, and some of them have the added benefit of staying in place better than the originals.

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Rear Deck Spoiler Without Aero Wing (RPO D80)

This was a fairly common option on all the Firebirds (although in later years the aero wing has been much more popular), so finding one is not very difficult and new ones are fairly inexpensive to purchase.

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Front Side Deflectors

These pieces run along the lower edge of the front fender, between the front bumper and the wheel well. Occasionally an older stock footage scene will show them, but it is generally accepted that neither KITT nor KARR had these installed.

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Rear Side Deflectors

Both KITT and KARR had these pieces installed. They are located on the lower ledge of the rear quarter panel, between the door and the front of the rear wheel well.

These pieces are made of plastic, and degrade very quickly on a car that is driven. Rocks and gravel chip away at not only the paint, but at the plastic pieces themselves, leaving cracks and breaks in them. It is very difficult to find unbroken rear side deflectors in a salvage yard.

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Taillights

The flat taillight assemblies came in two options: smoked (shown here) and light plastic (which looked similar, except the reverse light is white instead of grey and it is bordered by red). The smoked type was installed on 1982 Trans Ams, so it is likely that KITT and KARR had these taillights.

If you want taillights that are blacked-out like the ones on KITT and KARR, and you have the newer bubble or bulged-out taillights (found on many 1985 Firebird SEs and Trans Ams, and on all 1986-92 Firebirds), then you will need to replace the taillight assembly. The newer taillights prevent installation of this blackout. Note that you will need to convert the wiring of later model cars to use the older assemblies.

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Rear Bumper

The rear bumper changed after 1984, so if you are converting a 1985 or later Firebird, you will need to replace the bumper for complete authenticity.

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Air Extractors (and Front Fenders)

These air extractors are in the opening in the front fenders between the front wheel and the side door of 1982-84 Trans Ams. Both KITT and KARR had these.

The newer 1985-1990 Trans Am air extractors look similar, but they have noticably smaller vents.

The extractors themselves are fairly cheap, but if you don't have fenders with openings, you will need to do some body work to install them (either cut out an opening in the front fenders, or install fenders that have the openings). Fenders from 1982-90 Trans Ams (except the 1985-1990 GTAs) have the opening..

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Front Nose

Undeniably the most important part of a KITT and KARR replica, the front nose is the first thing that people notice. This means that extra care and consideration has to be used in determining which type of front nose you should purchase.

To complicate things, front noses vary widely between manufacturers and only a few of them are authentic looking, so take a look at photos very carefully before purchasing. Also, make sure that the nose you are purchasing is made sturdy enough.

Wild Copper Automotive Designs and Robert Yancey both sell front noses which have been molded off original prop car noses. These noses are probably the most authentic available.

Don Colie (Advanced Designs in Automotive Technology) has created his own design, but taken a lot of care to make his nose as authentic as possible, and it has been reported that Don's nose is actually better looking than the original prop car nose, due to the fact that it fits the lines of the hood and fenders better.

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Convertible Cover

In the fourth season, KITT was able to turn into a convertible at the touch of a button. When this happened, a very unique convertible top appeared out of thin air to cover the rear of the car.

While the ability to turn a T-top into a convertible at the touch of a button is still quite a ways off in the automotive future, Wild Copper Automotive Designs can at least make that authentic KITT convertible cover a reality for your convertible knight replica.

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Tail Light Blackout

This mounts over the tail light assembly and hides the tail lights when they are not in use.

Both KITT and KARR have one piece tail light blackouts, so the three piece blackouts sold by Mark's Custom Kits are not completely authentic.

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License Plate

These California vanity KNIGHT (used on KITT) and KARR license plates add a little extra pizzazz to your replica when you aren't on the street.

These are not street legal.