This Flawless $50,000 KITT Replica Is 1980s Homage Perfection

The unbelievable lengths that this replica KITT owner went to while building his dream car are out of this world, and the results are stunning
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The world of building car replicas is as dark and murky as a mole’s basement. It’s full of horrors; of terrifying attempts to mimic Bugatti Veyrons and Ferrari F50s. All of these should be killed with fire to make way for this: the most perfect replica car we’ve ever seen.

This is, of course, a replica of KITT, the Knight Industries Two Thousand from the iconic 1980s action series Knight Rider. Built by childhood super-fan Chris Blasius, from Homestead Falls in Ohio, the lengths taken to turn a regular 1982 Pontiac Trans Am into a perfect replica – including an ‘intelligent’ KITT talking computer – are insane.

Image: YouTube/Wonder World
Image: YouTube/Wonder World

Born of his younger self’s need to own this car, Blasius has spent two and a half years, 2000 man-hours and $50,000 to make it what it is, sourcing parts and expertise from all around the world. It’s an incredible, astonishing build.

Starting with a hard-top 1982 Trans Am, he converted it into a T-top as per KITT’s proper spec, using the bar from a 1987 Trans Am. Apparently, all the actual T-top cars he could find had rusted badly through the floor, owing to design flaws that allowed water into the bodywork pretty much from day one.

Image: YouTube/Wonder World
Image: YouTube/Wonder World

KITT’s unique front bumper, which is usually wrong in one way or another on replicas, was painstakingly reproduced from freeze-frames from the show, mapped into Photoshop and then turned into a 3D model from which a bodywork specialist could produce an exact copy.

The steering wheel, dashboard trim, completely functional interior electronics, wheels and $12,000 paint job are all correct and perfect. Even the seat fabric, having long since gone out of production, was recreated from scratch. The story of this car’s creation makes for a fascinating 11 minutes of video. Tuck in.

Source: CarScoops

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Comments

K.E.L

When The Hoff was in Estonia while on the Gumball3000 rally he said that the only replica made here is the best one he had seen 😎

04/11/2018 - 19:51 |
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Windscape 🇺🇸

In the future i can try to make a replica with this maybe

04/11/2018 - 21:41 |
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adam thompson

Look, if KITT’s voice doesn’t sound like Mr. Finney then it’s not worth it

04/11/2018 - 21:50 |
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Anonymous

Your son gonna be like: dad, my car has the same function, it talks too! Look at my lights!

04/11/2018 - 22:49 |
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Matthewg371

Seen one that looks the exact same at a cars and coffee in Perth, Australia

04/12/2018 - 00:06 |
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Jeremy S.

I live in Ohio so I could see this in the wild!

04/12/2018 - 10:59 |
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RodriguezRacer456 (Aventador SV) (Lambo Squad)

What job does he have that give him the free time to do this!?

Also, I hope he does get the Hoff to be in a pic with him and the replica. If the Fast-N-Loud guys managed to get Burt Reynolds’ autograph for their Bandit Trans Am build, then he should be to get a simple picture.

04/12/2018 - 11:28 |
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Jamz

My nerd senses are tingling…

04/12/2018 - 16:49 |
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Kris Amill

Me and my dad used to watch Knight Rider all the time when I was young and seeing this right now is making me so happy
Props to this man for actually putting in this much time and effort into something so beautiful and perfect in every way, shape, and form.

04/14/2018 - 00:05 |
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