Flat gray or silver, and what kind of car is that?

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 5:54 pm

Okay, I figured I'd go ahead and post this here. As you know, I'm working on my die-cast version of a modernized KITT. Well, I've decided to go ahead and make it KARR instead. Why? Because there are a few mistakes on the model that is to come that was not my intention. In other words, I'm making the die-cast version of KITT to be KARR instead because its a basic building block in my modeling skill. KARR is a prototype, right? Well, due to some of the mistakes I made (nothing really big and noticable, like the fact that I have the cut for the scanner a tad bit further forward than intended for example), I have decided to make it KARR for the fact that it would be a prototype. I mean, I'm learning from the mistakes I made on the first car, which when I go to the second car, I won't make the same mistakes twice. So, it's prototype to production line model, much like how KARR came before KITT.

Now, to the first question I have to ask: Seeing that opinions may vary, the lower portion of KARR's two-tone paint job is most likely a flat gray or a silver color. Seeing that I do in fact have these two colors (flat gray by Testors and silver by Dupli-color), I am wondering, which one would people here prefer I use on the model? Keep in mind, the lower color will be painted onto a universal black colored model, which I will then add glossicoat to make sure that the paint is protected after it dries. So, which one should I go with: Flat gray or silver?

My second question is in reguards to "Knight Rider 2010". Now, I know in the movie, it appears that they took a 1969 Ford Mustang (either a Boss 357 or a Mach 1) and made it over to the car we see during the later half of the TV movie. However, according to the article on Bonedigger's website (which I posted about in my "Model Kar Converstion" post here on the board), it says its a late 90s model Thunderbird (most likely for the last half of the TV movie). My question is this: Which car is it really? Is it a Mustang? A Thunderbird? Or is it some other car?

R.J.1984 · Post by **R.J.1984** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:11 pm

CB2001 - from what I can remember - the car has a grey bottom. It is the same type of car that was used in the third smokey and the bandit film. However - the only was to figure it out for sure would be to watch the episode that shows Karr with that paint job - get a still of the frame and look at the bottom of the car. But I am pretty sure that it is grey - not silver. But I could be mistaken.

KTfanfic · Post by **KTfanfic** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:13 pm

I think you should go with silver, mainly because that is what Karr is described with having in the script.

The quote below was taken from the Knight Rider archive http://web.archive.org/web/200209042011 ... ts/306.htm

It's early AM as K.A.R.R. slides out of an alley in the
morning light and pulls into a parking lot next to a small
bank. There's no one in sight except a little Old Lady
punching buttons at one of the windows marked, "Quick-Cash
-- 24 Hours". K.A.R.R., we now see, has been repainted
with John's help; black top, silver side panels. He looks
sharp.

Sith · Post by **Sith** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:14 pm

Are we referring to this beast?

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:18 pm

R.J. 1984- I've seen a little bit of "Smokey and the Bandit 3", and know what you're talking about. The car in that one actually has a gold bottom.

KTFanFic- That's a good bit of info to know. So far, that's Silver: 1 Flat Gray: 0. And silver is looking a little bit good too.

Sith- Yeap, that's the one I'm talking about from KR2010 for the "what kind of car is this?" portion of the post.

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:48 pm

I used to build model cars, lots of them. I know about some of the differences between flat, glossy and metallic paints. Usually, you don't want/need to clear coat over metallics. It's ok over flat or glossy. But that's just my experience and opinion. Maybe I didn't even let metallics dry long enough (they seemed to take longer for me).

Personally, if I were building one (and I hope to make one of each some day), I'd go with GLOSS lt. grey and ONE coat of clear-coat rather than metallic (which is too "flecky" and wouldn't properly match the black anyway) or flat (which even with clear-coat still would be rather unmatched with the original black). Gloss with a coat of clear-coat would best match the original black. And don't forget to clear-coat over the black as well.

That's my advice. But it's your model so do as you like. Here's an idea: try each type of paint on scrap pieces the parts were taken off from if you can, and then a clear coat on the scrap pieces. Then hold the scrap pieces to the black of the car and see what seems to look best with the black.

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 7:00 pm

Thanks for the tip, FuzzyDice.

So, with the tip that you posted, I take it that you recommend flat gray for the model?

HondaSiR · Post by **HondaSiR** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:20 am

In the series I remember KARR as having a sort of a flat grayish tone. If I were to build a KARR model (I plan to build one but in the far future), I would probably go for semi-gloss gray (if it is available)...just to have the best of both worlds. My second choice is flat gray sprayed over by clearcoat.

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 6:38 pm

CB2001 wrote:So, with the tip that you posted, I take it that you recommend flat gray for the model?

Well, like I said it's your car and you decide.

If I were doing it, yeah, I'd go flat gray with a coat of clear-coat after the paint dries well.

cloudkitt · Post by **cloudkitt** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:40 pm

Sith wrote:

Are we referring to this beast?

kinda fresembles the back to the future delorean, lol

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:02 pm

I would go with silver for accuracy. The script says K.A.R.R. was repainted black with silver side panels. Silver can look like grey or white in different angles and different lighting. In night shots it will look flat grey, day time it may look white, and in just the right angle it will give a sparkle in the light.

Because of this, this is where all the different opinions come in about what color K.A.R.R.'s lower half is. The problem that developed of this is the same about the discussion on K.A.R.R.'s scanner being either yellow or amber- the more people look at it, the more confused they become and the more they question it.

His scanner is yellow, his top half is black, his bottom half is silver, his voice modulator is yellow.

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:51 pm

The votes so far:
Silver: 2
Flat Gray: 3

I've already got masking tape placed where I need it so that the model's bottom will be painted. I'm going to wait a little while more before finally going for the best recommended.

However, I looked at my paint supplies again and realized something. I have Primer, Flat Light Aircraft Gray and Dark Aircraft Gray. But don't worry, I am heading over to Valdosta on Wednesday to pick up my new pair of glasses at Wal-Mart's vision center, which means I'm not too far away from the model section. That is if the gray turns out to be the most recommended.

KARR's scanner will be yellow. I still have a whole can of gloss yellow that I used on the motorcycle for the Kat model (which I also had planned on using for another model later on). I'm going to be using a yellow Diet Pepsi bottle cap (from one of the previous contests) and painting it with gloss yellow.

And the die-cast model I'm working on is strickly an exterior mod. The interior will remain stock and leave plenty of room for me to work on it later on (including painting it the interior tan and plotting out the design of the dash, unless someone knows how to make 1/25 scale KITT dashes and hope that it fits into a 1999 Trans-Am).

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:10 am

I went to Valdosta today and picked up my glasses from Wal-Mart. I didn't find any regular flat gray paint, but I did buy a Cranberry purple paint by Dupli-Color for my Niobe's Firebird model.

Any more votes on flat gray or silver for KARR's bottom?

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 3:02 pm

Monday will be the day I do the painting, after I get home from class. If anyone else have any suggestions for the model's bottom, let me know. So far, flat gray is in the lead.

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 9:02 pm

Update: I have decided to hold off the painting of the model until Tuesday.

But back to the second portion of the topic: What car was used for the vehicle in KR2010? I mean, the base vehicle that was altered to make it look as it does in the movie?

R.J.1984 · Post by **R.J.1984** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:42 am

I Can't say for sure due to the fact that I haven't even seen the movie - however looking at the car in the picture above - I would have to say it looks like it is three cars that have been put together. The rear end looks like it may have come from a dodge charger or something and the door area looks like it comes from a ford thunderbird - 80's style. as for the front - thats anybodys geuss.

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:58 pm

R.J.- That's a good guess. From what the film showed, it was made out to be a 1969 Mustang (possibly a Mach 1 from the way it was shown) before it was altered (however it is apparent that the vehicle after the make over is not.

And you might find this hard to be believe, but I am actually considering on painting the lower half of the model silver, to go with what the script says. But for tomorrow, I've decided to do a test on each of my flat gray colors and the silver color to see which one would be the better on the universal black.

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:46 am

If I had to guess as to what the real car was, I would say a 90s Toyota Celica. I don't know why but I saw one in the street tonight and thought that it could fit the profile underneath all that crap. And you guys thought the car in that link for the 2,000HP car l posted looked ugly!

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:53 am

Guessing what car it is underneath is just as hard as guessing what kind of car was underneath the Knight 4000 if we didn't know it was a Dodge Stealth. When I first saw Knight Rider 2000 back in 1991, I would have never guessed it was a modified Stealth, as I always thought that it was a Banshee until a couple of years ago.

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 1:48 pm

Yeah, tell me about it. If only we can find out where the car is now, so we can get information on it.

BTW, does anyone remember the license plate numbers for the TKR vehicles? Was it just their names or were there a specific way they are presented (like BEAST1 or DOM INO)?

KnightRiderGirl · Post by **KnightRiderGirl** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:41 pm

*shivers* Knight Rider 2010....truly horrible movie

CB2001 · Post by **CB2001** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 9:22 am

Even still, the car would be a challenge to construct as a model.

trvsglr · Post by **trvsglr** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:23 pm

The Car on the movie Knight Rider 2010 Is in fact a Thunderbird. I only know this cause when me and my brother saw the movie he noticed the inside of the car and the door jams and such and said he thought it might be a thunderbird. Well it turns out it is cause now we are a little older and look at the inside we can tell it's a Bird.....not to metion i have 1 Thunderbird and my brother owns 6 of them. So if were wrong we don't deserve to drive those nice cars!

andy-kitt · Post by **andy-kitt** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:21 pm

All you can see is the roof & door profile, the rest of the body is covered up so can't tell what it is, I'd agree and say it looks like the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe (later version).

Ref KARR, I paint mine in a flat silver (no gloss coat, use a silver that doesn't have the metalic flakes) and no-ones moaned i've painted it wrong. Looking at the pictures it looks silver, as the colour reflects against the surrounding colour, therefore against the dark road surface it looks grey, but on the sand shots it looks lighter.

Flat gray or silver, and what kind of car is that?

Flat gray or silver, and what kind of car is that?

Silver!

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