Knight Rider 2000 Knight 4000 (KIFT)

       

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Original Kit:
Knight Rider 2000 KITT 4000
Made By:
AMT/Ertl (kit #8084)
Scale:
1/25
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Knight 4000 (KIFT) from the movie Knight Rider 2000
Knight 4000 interior Knight 4000 scanner Knight 4000 rear

 
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This was one of the older kits in my stash, originally picked up in the 1990s shortly after it was released. I even opened it up more than once with the thought of working on it, but never quite got started. It's probably just as well, because had I not waited I likely wouldn't have enjoyed the build as much.

First, it's a pretty well-known secret that the movie creators had wanted to use Pontiac's Banshee IV concept car in the lead role but were told "no." So the creators turned to Jay Ohrberg, who managed to turn a Dodge Stealth into a similar-looking vehicle. It appears that AMT/Ertl did the same thing, as parts of this kit were clearly based on the Stealth promos that had been released. Kudos to them for the accuracy, but it made some awkward parts fit between the glass, interior, and body. Not terrible or frustrating, just...awkward. It's one of those assemblies that you're going to have to eyeball to get right, so having experience with vague assemblies is a huge benefit.

Second, the kit was formed with the nose and rear fascia as separate pieces. Given the shape of the car, the nose seam is especially egregious and really needed to be filled in and smoothed over. Younger me would not have had the patience, skill, or materials for this. Again, not that there was anything really wrong or difficult here, but it did help to have more experience and better tools available.

Finally, 30 years ago we didn't have the options for adding a scanner like we do today. There are a few lighting kits available, but I went with the one from Evan Designs. Had I waited a little bit longer I would have purchased their 3V option, but at the time they only had a 5-12V option with a 9V battery tail. There's no place to fit a 9V battery inside KIFT's shell, though, so I did some math and revised the circuit with a resistor and the same type of battery I had used in my '89 Batmobile. The switch was placed on the chassis behind the engine, and I can access the battery through the now removable fuel tank.

The interior was done in several shades of gray to reflect the '90s aesthetic, with the screens picked out in blue and the various buttons in white. The body was painted Tamiya TS-86 Pure Red over pink primer and TS-14 Black, then wet sanded and polished.

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