Unless the carpet in your replica is already the correct color (doeskin) and is in good condition, you will probably need to replace both the carpet and the underlay.The underlay acts as a barrier between the frame and the carpet, insulating it from outside temperatures, moisture, rust, oil, and noise.
It is a good idea to replace the underlay when you replace the carpet, as it will help keep your carpet stay looking new. Newer underlays also provide additional noise reduction.
1982 Pontiac Firebirds (like KITT and KARR) had cut pile carpet, and it is best to have it pre-formed to make installation easier. Carpet is very hard to work with when it is cold, so make sure to warm it up a bit before trying to work with it. Leave it in the sunshine or use heat lamps to make it pliable.
Many carpet kits come in two sections: the passenger area, and the cargo hatch area. Make sure you order both at the same time from the same company. This will ensure that their hue and brightness will match. If possible, ask that the supplier match both before they ship them to you.
These were only available in 1982 and 1983 Pontiac
Firebirds. In 1982, they came standard on the Firebird SEs and as a popular option on all Firebirds, except those with the Recaro Trans Am package. In 1983, they were still available as an option. They are easy to identify, due to a plastic emblem with the letters PMD sewn into the fronts of the seats.
The rear seats in KITT changed from a solid-back rear seats (shown in this picture) in the 1st and 2nd seasons, to the split-back rear seats of the 3rd and 4th
seasons. KARR always had solid-back rear seats.
KITT only had seat belts briefly during the first episode "Knight of the Phoenix". In fact, during the racing scenes of that episode,
KITT also had two black racing harnesses (for the driver and passenger seats).
Neither KITT nor KARR had
a rear view mirror. Since removing this poses no real safety threat or legal problems (as long as you have side mirrors), many replicas owners remove this item.
Both KITT and KARR both had the round gear shifter knobs that can only be found in the 1982 Pontiac Firebirds with automatic transmissions. This knob is almost always shown shifting into gear whenever KITT starts up and drives by himself. They can easily be made to fit a later year.
If your donor car did not come with a tan interior, finding and replacing your interior plastic trim will be quite a big part of restoration. Pontiac dealers still stock plastic trim for 1982 Firebirds, but they come unpainted, so you are better off painting your old trim or
buying whatever good trim you can find in salvage yards.
Like the carpets, its a good idea to order these all at once from the same company and have them match them before shipping. Otherwise, the fabric hue and brightness will not match.
This newly designed item replaces the original cardboard T-Top headliner boards, which are made of fiberboard and prone to sagging. This board is made from fiberglass, so it is strong and durable, which means no more sagging.
Pontiac Firebirds are notorious for T-Tops that leak, rattle, and let in wind noise . If your replica has any of these problems, it is time to
replace the weather stripping.
Door panels suffer a lot of abuse from the inside and outside. Scuff marks and tears on the interior and rotting from moisture caught in the doors can make them look old beyond their years. Luckily, there is now a company which makes replacement door panels, with plastic backing so they will never hold moisture and rot again.
Both KITT and KARR have black Pontiac Firebird 1982-1988 door arm rests. If your replica has a later model
arm rest, or a different color, you will need to replace it.
There are two main types of dashes: Dual Monitor (from
the 1st and 2nd season) and Single Monitor (from the 3rd and 4th season). In addition, each manufacturer produces a slightly different variation on each type of dash, since there are no original molds from which to copy.
This item hangs over the steering column, with the pods to the left and right of the steering wheel. On each pod are arrays of lighted buttons for the amazing and famous functions, like "TURBO BOOST" and "OIL SLICK".
Unlike the switch pods, the gull wing steering wheel is not normally dependent on which dash you buy (but check with your dash supplier to be sure)..
This often overlooked item can be seen in the
series when KITT drives himself. It has LEDs on both sides of the pedal which light up (in pairs) from the bottom to the top as the pedal is pushed.