1/18 Die Cast KITT Coming In December

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Post by Skav » Fri Dec 24, 2004 11:13 am

i think i remember reading somewhere on this thread about the pedals just clipping on?

if not, how do you put them on once you have them?

if that was me, being the greedy git that i am, i woulda asked them to send me a whole new car WITH pedals :P lol, joke.
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Post by pewter 02ws6 » Fri Dec 24, 2004 1:55 pm

should i be brave??? i have two KITTs in my possession. i was actualy pondering the thought of tearing one down to make a KARR. i plan to pick up some yellow LEDs to make the scanner the correct color unlike the one by aoshima that has an amber colored one and ertl will probably just paint the bottom silver for their release later in 2005 and leave the scanner red. it is only speculation but i don't feel like waiting to find out. also, does anyone know what brand paint would be best to paint the bottom and what color i should use? i know KARR has a silver bottom but it looks more white or light grey than it does silver.

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Post by pewter 02ws6 » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:00 pm

for those who bought from "Diecastmart".
i was just looking through the guys feedback and it looks like his ebay business is going downhill as of late. he now has 38 negative feedbacks within the last few months. it looks like the majority are because he sold stuff he didn't have in stock but claimed to and some are for late deliveries. i was also shocked because these were for other cars with none of them being for the 1:18 KITT.

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Post by sarfraz » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:49 pm

HondaSiR wrote:A black base?!? That certainly is strange. Hang on to it, perhaps its an error in production which may fetch a high sum one day. Or it may just be the second batch production run. I wouldn't mind it, I think it looks cool when KITT is displayed on it. Please provide some pics.
...dunno about that, my ERTL KITT has a black base. Does look really nice like that but I have no idea why the change.

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Post by Knight Racer » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:52 pm

I actualy gave him some positive feedback,and told him in my final email I understand how some people rip you off on ebay and some claim to have in their posessions items which they currently do not,or shipments crash.I was wondering how he would feel knowing he never told any of this to me.

I was wondering,any of you guys know enough about the electrical scanner of the ertl kitt to be able to stop the scanner from pausing when scanning?I want it to be continuous instead of slur,stop,slur,stop.I want a continuous scan.

Kitt is now in his plastic display case where he will reside.Hope he doesn't feel like kittnap in there.I unscrewed the bottom part of the setting from ertl to just the center to easily get to the scanner button.

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Woohoo

Post by Tarmac » Fri Dec 24, 2004 4:05 pm

I literally just got my KITT from diecastmuscle.com 2 minutes ago, I pre-ordered it in Sept or late Aug and it's here, on X-Mas eve, woohoo!!

Oooh look at that scanner, back.......... forth, oooh, haha. :lol:

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Post by pewter 02ws6 » Fri Dec 24, 2004 4:24 pm

well, i decided to tear one down to see what needs to be done. in all, this is going to be a very easy project to accomplish. the LEDs are mounted on a board. all i will have to do is heat them with the soldering gun,remove them and replace them with yellow ones.
while i was at it, i removed the amber fog lights and replaced them with custom made ones made by yours truly. this was actually another simple task that took about 20 minutes to complete. all you have to do is pry the amber lights out with a fine needle,trace them out on a thin piece of clear acrylic and cut them out. i used my drill press with a dremel cut-off wheel. you can use the dremel to cut them but having a drill press makes it much easier as you only have to hold the acrylic sheet instead of trying to steady both to cut them exactly where you need to. i traced them a bit larger and then smoothed them down with the fine cut-off wheel after i cut them out. it made a perfectly smooth edge. the only thing you will have to do is remove the excess melted build-up. this is easily done by using a razor blade or utility knife. just make sure you use the back side of the blade. if you don't, you will end up cutting into the lights and causing an uneven edge. i also found that they will fit much better if you taper the backside of the cut that will meet with the body of the car. i have some acrylic sheeting that would have worked but instead i used one of those "johnny lightning" acrylic display cases for the 1/64 scale cars because i had a few laying around but it is the same stuff. the fit is so snug that it actually takes some effort to remove them. the stock lights have a tab/prong that inserts into a hole in the back part of the lights. (they are made of two separate pieces. you have the lenses and a chrome plated plastic backing that holds the lenses in from the inside of the body.)instead of trying to craft a prong like the stockers, i plan to use testors modeling cement to mount them as it will dry clear and not haze the lenses.
i took some pics and will post them once i get a chance to download them.

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Post by Scoth » Fri Dec 24, 2004 4:46 pm

Lost Knight wrote:Hmmm this is giving me ideas to replace K.A.R.R.'s scanner with yellow diodes. I'm worried about taking it apart and taking the diodes out as well as replacing them. I wonder if it will screw up the "trail" sequence in which they light?
It should be somewhere between trivial and easy to replace the LEDs if you have any soldering skill at all. Since all the circuitry is elsewhere, there's not much you could damage. Absolute worst case is if you burn/damage the upright board you'd have to find a new board to mount the diodes on. Just swapping the lights shouldn't affect the sequence either, since that's handled by the circuitry and not the lights.

I'm in the process of getting my computer rebuilt (Switching Linux distributions is a pain, but I like the new one better!) so I haven't e-mailed the Knightlight guy, but I'm going to see about getting an exact measurement of the width of the lights and such and see if/how it'd fit. A 9-volt battery fits in the hatch like it was meant to be there :)

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Post by Skav » Fri Dec 24, 2004 7:35 pm

the sequence at the end where the scanner fades and then comes back is the battery energy saver that is fixed to it.

unless you want your battery power used up pretty quickly, depending on how much you use it, i'd leave it alone and put up with it.
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Post by Knight Racer » Fri Dec 24, 2004 7:45 pm

It just doesnt seem like kitt to me if the scanner cant flow back and forth.If it turns off in the middle it just doesnt seem right.

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Post by Skav » Fri Dec 24, 2004 8:42 pm

I do agree about that. But those batteries are pretty expensive, especially as they are the button cell type...i think they're the ones that you put in watches. and they don't come cheap.
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Post by Squealer » Fri Dec 24, 2004 9:05 pm

sarfraz wrote:
HondaSiR wrote:A black base?!? That certainly is strange. Hang on to it, perhaps its an error in production which may fetch a high sum one day. Or it may just be the second batch production run. I wouldn't mind it, I think it looks cool when KITT is displayed on it. Please provide some pics.
...dunno about that, my ERTL KITT has a black base. Does look really nice like that but I have no idea why the change.

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I prefer the black base actually...

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Post by Scoth » Fri Dec 24, 2004 11:59 pm

Yeah, those batteries are going to be expensive. A quick google shows a 10-pack for $5.25 + shipping. Assuming I don't ever modify the scanner, I'll likely do some modification to use AAA or something. Shouldn't be too hard, and it might be an excuse to use my dremel ;)

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Post by Lost Knight » Sat Dec 25, 2004 12:34 pm

Scoth wrote:It should be somewhere between trivial and easy to replace the LEDs if you have any soldering skill at all. Since all the circuitry is elsewhere, there's not much you could damage. Absolute worst case is if you burn/damage the upright board you'd have to find a new board to mount the diodes on. Just swapping the lights shouldn't affect the sequence either, since that's handled by the circuitry and not the lights. Scott
This is good news! But also don't forget that the diodes have to be placed back in the exact way with the correct ends (positive = long end, negative = short) in the correct way. I'll make a trip to Radio Shack during the week and pick up some yellow diodes. I solder all the time so that shouldn't be a problem...actually I soldered a working AM/FM radio last week for a class I had (technical school). Only thing is the tip of my iron dulled out a little bit and I have to use the sides rather than the tip to melt the solder.
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Post by hamish_macbeth » Sat Dec 25, 2004 2:44 pm

dont know if this has been mentioned before but the forbiddenn planet store on shaftsbury avenue london englandf has this model in stock got it yesterday most pleased with it :D :D :D

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Post by Scoth » Sun Dec 26, 2004 2:18 am

haha. You guys ate all my bandwidth ;) If there's an interest in the internal pictures and someonw wants to put them somewhere more permanent, drop me a line and I'd be happy to get them to you. Otherwise they'll be back at the first of next month :)

By the way, I'm currently working on investigating the potential of making this thing an RC car. I've the remains of a cheapy RC plane I got awhile back. I'm a bit stymied on the propulsion but the steering should be trivial. My goal is to do it in a way that is either completely reversible or makes no modification at all. I currently have a slightly modified hex wrench in place of the steering shaft which I hope to attach to one of the servos. I'm a bit stuck at this point but as soon as I have a bit more time I should be able to work up an adapter. It would be easier to attach something to the original wheel, but I'd rather not risk it. Should be fun when/if I manage to make this work ;)

Edit: Okay, got bored and went ahead and dremeled and drilled up an adapter. At the moment I've removed the driver's seat to make room but I have ugly, if functional remote steering. Still no ideas on propulsion short of rubber banding the motor on the back with a wheel stuck on it :)

Scott

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Post by MIKEMAC » Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:53 pm

Does anyone know if they will release the car in stores like Toys R Us or Wal-mart. Cause I know that Kmart and Walmart have Joyride stuff just like Kitt and I figured it better to wait so I don't have to pay online shipping and hanling.
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Post by JimmyPSHayes » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:17 pm

I don't know if this helps anyone,but the KITT just shipped to comic stores this week. If you have one locally,you can ask them to order it for you. It was $40.

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Post by HondaSiR » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:21 pm

Scoth wrote:By the way, I'm currently working on investigating the potential of making this thing an RC car. I've the remains of a cheapy RC plane I got awhile back. I'm a bit stymied on the propulsion but the steering should be trivial. My goal is to do it in a way that is either completely reversible or makes no modification at all. I currently have a slightly modified hex wrench in place of the steering shaft which I hope to attach to one of the servos. I'm a bit stuck at this point but as soon as I have a bit more time I should be able to work up an adapter. It would be easier to attach something to the original wheel, but I'd rather not risk it. Should be fun when/if I manage to make this work ;)

Edit: Okay, got bored and went ahead and dremeled and drilled up an adapter. At the moment I've removed the driver's seat to make room but I have ugly, if functional remote steering. Still no ideas on propulsion short of rubber banding the motor on the back with a wheel stuck on it :)

Scott
That's a pretty hard project! I doubt if this KITT would make a good RC, the weight of the diecast will probably overwhelm the engine and the tires (you have to replace them with soft ones to make them stick to the ground when spinning). But Good Luck!!
MIKEMAC wrote:Does anyone know if they will release the car in stores like Toys R Us or Wal-mart. Cause I know that Kmart and Walmart have Joyride stuff just like Kitt and I figured it better to wait so I don't have to pay online shipping and hanling.
It's still a mystery why the model is very hard to find in your neighborhood toy stores. You will probably find them there later when the factory increases their production. But this is a big "maybe". If I were you, I won't gamble. I would buy it online now considering the fact that they don't cost that much there (ebay) anyway, including shipping. If ERTL elects to stop production (whatever their reason, and it is possible), you will certainly pay more later when the value increases and you can't find it anywhere anymore.

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Post by TurbomanKnight » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:37 pm

Scoth wrote:haha. You guys ate all my bandwidth ;) If there's an interest in the internal pictures and someonw wants to put them somewhere more permanent, drop me a line and I'd be happy to get them to you. Otherwise they'll be back at the first of next month :)

By the way, I'm currently working on investigating the potential of making this thing an RC car. I've the remains of a cheapy RC plane I got awhile back. I'm a bit stymied on the propulsion but the steering should be trivial. My goal is to do it in a way that is either completely reversible or makes no modification at all. I currently have a slightly modified hex wrench in place of the steering shaft which I hope to attach to one of the servos. I'm a bit stuck at this point but as soon as I have a bit more time I should be able to work up an adapter. It would be easier to attach something to the original wheel, but I'd rather not risk it. Should be fun when/if I manage to make this work ;)

Edit: Okay, got bored and went ahead and dremeled and drilled up an adapter. At the moment I've removed the driver's seat to make room but I have ugly, if functional remote steering. Still no ideas on propulsion short of rubber banding the motor on the back with a wheel stuck on it :)

Scott
GOOD LUCK! And I'm looking forward for some pics of your project. If It does work I'll give you $100 for it. Think About it. LAter Man
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Post by Scoth » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:38 pm

HondaSiR wrote: That's a pretty hard project! I doubt if this KITT would make a good RC, the weight of the diecast will probably overwhelm the engine and the tires (you have to replace them with soft ones to make them stick to the ground when spinning). But Good Luck!!
Well, the existing motor is meant to drive a propeller for an RC Plane so it's plenty powerful. It's also plenty big, which is the problem ;) With the current setup it only spins in one direction, but eh. I'll either figure something out or get bored, one or the other :) It's not so much about whether it'd make a good RC or not, just something to do. I'd love an RC KITT this accurate, maybe someday they'll make one but in the meantime I'm going to see what I can rig up.

I suppose I could dig up a functional rear differential and do it that way, but it seems like that'd be adding a lot of complexity.

Scott

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Post by pewter 02ws6 » Tue Dec 28, 2004 12:32 am

no offense but for the time,money,and hassle you are going to have to deal with to acheive this task... wouldn't it be better to just buy the r/c that is already manufactured?at the very least,i think you would be better off using the voice car as a starting point as it is light weight and plastic.

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Post by HondaSiR » Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:54 am

TurbomanKnight wrote:And I'm looking forward for some pics of your project. If It does work I'll give you $100 for it. Think About it. LAter Man
And I thought you were broke. :roll:

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Post by pewter 02ws6 » Tue Dec 28, 2004 2:53 pm

for those that are interested, i just got done replacing the red leds with yellow ones. the scanner functions just as it did with the red ones. the only thing i don't like is that the leds are a solid yellow lens unlike the clear ones that light up red that came with the car. i'm going to see if i can find clear ones that light up yellow online after this post. i found the leds that i used at radio shack in an assorted pack of 20 PN# 276-1622 for $2.39 a pack. the only bad thing is that you must buy 3 packs to get enough to complete the job. if you plan to get them from r/s, i recommend that you do not order these online as they are an assorted mix therefore you might not get the correct ones.you'll be better off going there in person if there is one in your area. i'll post some pics after i get him painted and put back together.

i forgot to add, i believe the correct size is 3mm. the most common size LED they stock is 5mm. there were no sizes listed on the variety pack but 3mm is the only other size i had seen advertised on their site.

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Post by Scoth » Tue Dec 28, 2004 4:53 pm

pewter 02ws6 wrote:no offense but for the time,money,and hassle you are going to have to deal with to acheive this task... wouldn't it be better to just buy the r/c that is already manufactured?at the very least,i think you would be better off using the voice car as a starting point as it is light weight and plastic.
I agree whole-heartedly :) This isn't intended to be practical in the least. Thus far my expenses have been $0 since I've just been playing with parts I have lying around already.

I have, however, managed to create the world's dumbest RC car. The steering I already had working. Anybody remember that episode where KITT got his engine disabled near an airport and Michael rigged up that system with the airplane engine and propeller? Well... I don't either... but I did make the world's dumbest-looking RC car out of it. Steering is working acceptably, and my solution for the propulsion thus far was to stick the motor on a cardboard boom stuck through the t-tops with the original prop on it. It looks hideous, stupid, and dumb, but it actually works. I have driven my KITT now, completely remotely ;)

As for selling it, I'm a bit flattered by the offer but it's definitely not in a saleable condition now (unless 'hack-job' is your interest) but we'll see :) Thus far I've managed to avoid any undoable changes to the model. The only change at all is swapping the steering rod for a modified hex wrench. I'll get some pictures taken and up once my bandwidth resets so you all can laugh at me :) . I run a local webserver but with my puny upstream it'd be slow.

Scott

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