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A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:20 am
by Joe Huth
Hey guys,

Some of you may have seen this picture taken of the Universal Studios display car in 1984:

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Here's why I mention this...I now OWN this very switchpod! A genuine, studio made season 2 switchpod!

A quick history...the picture above was taken in 1984 and it's of the VERY FIRST KITT that Universal put on display at their park in Hollywood. This particular switchpod and buttons were ONLY in this car in 1984. By 1985, the switchpod was damaged, so it was cut out and replaced with a season 3/4 switchpod.

Here it is in 1984:

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And here it is in 1985:

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Also take a look at the lower console in the 1984 picture. The buttons aren't accurate by any means...but I own those now too!

And here are the pics!

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The cluster of 6 white buttons seen on my pods above can also be seen in the 1985 pic above, on the season 3/4 pods!

These next two pics aren't for the faint of heart! One of the pod arms broke off, so they had to replace the entire switchpod. Since the pods were connected to the dash, they used a DRILL to remove them! They then did a crappy job repairing the one arm by sticking a metal brace inside and screwing it in.

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Now on to the other goodies. Some of you remember a "K" speaker on the steering wheel (as can be seen in the 1985 pic at the top). Don't ask me how, but this piece has survived as well!

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The purchase of the pod also came with a number of series INCORRECT buttons, but buttons that WERE used on the display car. Refer to the 1984 pic above and you'll see some of these yellow/black/white computer keys:

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I also obtained a few overhead console buttons, the same used on screen:

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Notice anything funny with any of the buttons?

That's right! The yellow one is made of WOOD!

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Next, I decided to mate my original steering wheel from the OTHER Universal display car with these pods:

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And finally, the COOLEST thing of all.....ORIGINAL POD BUTTONS! These are not dummy buttons but actual working 3 LED buttons from the studio! And before people PM me about them, no there is no part number on them! If you look at the very first picture I posted in this thread, you'll see these very same buttons mounted on the pod.

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Hope you all enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving!

Joe

Re: A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:19 am
by ws6air
I love those wood buttons! Killer.... Definately nice present for Thanksgiving, what's for Christmas?

Marc

Re: A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:26 pm
by nee716
AWESOME STUFF!! Amen to what Marc said what is for Christmas!? lol

Re: A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:01 pm
by roDa
Were those buttons used by the Hoff? Besides, I love the handwritten turbo boost :lol:
And isn't the blue button wooden just like the yellow one?

Re: A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:50 pm
by hoffman95
I already replyed on Knight Rider Uk but I have to say how cool it was again!!!!!!!!

Re: A Special Thanksgiving Treat for You!

Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:11 pm
by PHOENIXZERO
That poor car. :( But I can't be surprised.

I found a picture from when I was little with "KITT" when my mother and I went to Universal Studios, can't remember but it was somewhere between 1987-1989. I don't remember it all that well besides the disappointment with how KITT didn't sound anything at all like KITT. You would think they could have had someone who could at least remotely sound like William Daniels.