SUPER PURSUIT MODE KNIGHT RIDER PROJECT

For the fans of Knight Rider of the 80’s,
there is more than one “holy grail” when it comes to star cars. First there was the “pilot” KITT, then the 2 TV dash cars with the new nose, then there came the 1 TV KITT, the two tone silver and black KARR with orange/yellow scanner, and in the last season there was the Super Pursuit Mode aka transformer KITT and the magic convertible.
In the age of transformer cartoons and toys, the SPM version with vents and wind wings popping out all over was a kids dream. Well, Jennifer has taken up the challenge, with the help of the Star car central.com team. Jay Ohrburg kindly allowed all of the knight Rider fans to crawl all over his static replica (meaning, the stuff doesn’t go in and out mechanically) and Brian U. was up to the challenge to do the design for Jennifer. Now all she has to do is build it and pay for it!

Jennifer is a long time KITT fan, in fact she owned one before, and had to sell it years ago, but now she has the fever again to get her SPM car. I am just glad she is going to build it (and pay for it!) so I don’t have to!

Nate Truman and Jennifer confer on details comparing her “stunt KITT” with the SPM replica of Jay Ohrburg. Lots to do, but I think she is going to do it!

KNIGHTS OF THE WEST COAST

Once the word got out that Jen Brian and Nate were going to crawl over the SPM car for measurements, all the Knights of the West Coast decided to stop by!

After we all got our fill of the SPM car, we looked around the place and found a few other starcar gems sitting around!
This is Dennis, and he has “inked” his allegiance to KITT and the General Lee on his arms! Now that’s fan dedication! He was just a kid when he met Jen and sat on her first KITT years ago. Vintage TV bringing people together. Awww.

Of course my roots are with Batman, so I headed for the replica Batbike or Batcycle in the back corner for a photo op! Holy no Bat symbols!

After a twilight zone moment we reliazed that all the star car guys were a stones throw from Jay’s secret hidding place when we stopped for lunch coming home from Charger Steve’s show a few weeks earlier, we had a good lunch and talked Knight Rider and SPM over cheeseburgers. No, Brian did not put a french fry up his nose, but he almost turned down a chance to drive Jen’s KITT home! With a little encouragment from Nate, Brian got behind the wheel. I think the photo tells the rest of the story!

I look forward to driving Jen’s KITT and hitting the SPM button in 2010? Stay tuned starcar fans….

Next: Holy Bat Party, and Parades! Jurassic Park Jeep found! Black Beauty Green Hornet visit? Keaton Batmobile graveyard?

Batmobiles and BBQ’s and a bunch of Star Cars!

Sometimes it’s “who you know” that gets the star cars to come out, who it’s for, or what you feed them! Lou and Lynda had all three: the inside track as a dependable star car attender, a great BBQ and a fund raiser for Lou’s High School team!

We had a good line up again, and we all got comfortable discussing star cars…. and Oscar’s hair, and Brian getting 18 inches….

Here Paul shows Brian where he inserts the cookie dough to make his special cookies.

Herbie shows his team spirit and is convinced to buy some raffle tickets.
(He’s such a marshmellow when it comes to charities…)

Lou got the prime spot up front, (well he was there first…. and it’s his show….) and Paul was next in line.

Herbie tried to make friends with Eleanor, but after the show, Eleanor was gone in 60 seconds….

The luxury cars had to hang together, Brian’s BMW and Oscar’s Ferarri, they are even swapping parts now…

Coming in at the end, and the last to arrive, Nate’s Batmobile and jennifer’s in process SPM car AKA the “Stunt KITT” with new “matte” paint job….

I still have to teach Brian some tips for his “action pose”…. Show ended, and we hit the streets to go EAT!

Here’s a shot that you have never seen before, A Bond BMW, batmobile, and KITT as seen through the window of a Herbie….

Jennifer had some trouble with her accelerator on the freeway, and kept passing everyone….

Lou tried to hold back his Torino Horses but he just can’t drive 55….

Jason pulled ahead of all of us, to get some “on the go shots” good job!

“NO MEAT FOR YOU!” Jason tring to use his camera to get the first burger…

On your mark, get set…. EAT!

Thanks Lynda! Good vittles!

The Amazing Paul did magic, that was so amazing, jason didn’t take any photos, or he did, and Paul made them dissapear!

Next up, a secret trip to a secret star car lair….
SATY TUNED, STARCAR FANS!

Adam-12 and Capt. Sully meet!

Mark G. got a special treat at work, he met up with the famous Capt. Sully who did a nice bit of flying and landing in a New York River! Mark got to hook up the training co-pilot equipment, so Sully could get some “stick time”.
Way to go, Mark! One Adam-12, see the man…. in the helicopter…..

Getting there is most of the fun… VEGAS!

Just a few photos of the trek to Vegas that a team of SCC members took Oct. 23rd. Paul BTTF from the north (Bakersfield) Steve Bandit and Mike Towmater from the south, (San Diego)
and the rest of the team from the west (Oscar Magnum, Lou Starsky, Bob Fast and Furious, Paul Mad max, Obishawn Starwars and Jerry Tuxedo Herbie) had a good time GETTING to vegas. After meeting outside Vegas, and some trouble with Steve’s Bandit, the SCC guys helped each other all get there together. Oscar pulled his Ferrari off of the trailer he rented, and they got Steve’s Bandit up on it for the last leg of the trip. Good team work guys!

On Saturday the Vegas star cars joined up, a Bumble Bee Camaro, Catherine Hickland’s KITT and Paul Casey’s General Lee along with a vintage police station wagon all rumbled onto Freemont street.

The star cars assembled in front of the main stage, to the tune of their own theme song!

 

A few old TV stars were in attendance (That’s the actor that was “Cousin IT” in the Addams family, chatting up Obishawn)
Mike Towmater with his connections in Vegas set up a great dinner for all the SCC guys (Well, Obishawn went to go see and hear U2) and dispite the challenge of keeping drunks away from their cars, and trying to get food and trips to the bathroom with out any protection for their cars the SCC contingent made the best of it. That’s what I like about these guys, we have a good time where ever we go because of the company!

Next, Semi Valley and Lou’s BBQ and fundraiser car show Nov 7th! The year ain’t over yet! Two Christmas parades, a visit to Jay Ohrburgs garage to check out the only Super Pursuit mode KITT in the world, and …? 2009 has been a big year for Starcarcentral.com and all it’s members!
Truman…. OUT!

Transformers, A-Team, CHiPS, and Tuxedo Herbie!

You just never know with our events who is going to show up.  This one was a lone email asking us if we could bring some star cars to a CHP event, on a Wednesday morning.  Now most people have to go to work, so I sent out the word, and one SCC member, Jerry, and his Herbie was able to get there.   So was “poor Jerry” all by himself with his lone star car, surrounded by CHP? Uh, no.

Who’s that behind Herbie? Look Familar? That’s Eric Estrada from the TV show Chips.

Here he is again, hugging some guy, who he seems to know pretty well. He had just arrived on a motorcycle.

Yep, it’s Larry Wilcox, his on screen partner, on a 80’s style CHIPS bike!
That’s pretty cool, right? But wait, look who Jerry parked his Tuxedo Herbie next to!

Yep, the ONE star car I have been hunting for years, sat in when it went up for sale, pulls up and parks next to Herbie! The A-Team van!
So officially, they are on the team, now that I know they take the car our for events!
So that’s pretty cool too! Now if there were only a few other star cars…..

You might have spotted Bumblebee from Transformers in the photo with Eric Estrada greeting Larry Wilcox, oh, and that one of a kind Silver Concept Corvette behind BB is also a Transformer.

The only Transformer star bigger than Bumble Bee would be Optimus prime. Too bad he didn’t show…. oh wait!

Toss in the Govenator, a few other celebrities and VIP’s and you have a pretty cool event! I guess we should have taken the day off.

PUMPKIN FEST day 2, Cooler day, cool cars! KITT takes a hit for the team!

Well after the Horace update, now back to the other half of the Pumpkin Festival!  As I write this most of the Star Car Central core members are on their way to VEGAS to be a part of a Star Car Show there, and I am sitting here blogging.  How is this fair? I started the dang group!?!?   Actually, I know they will have a good time caravaning out to Vegas, a pile of Star Cars is just plain stupid fun!     As long as they take photos, I will be there in spirit at least!

As I have said before, wherever two or more starcars are gathered in my name…. it’s a SCC event!

Now back to the the Pumpkin Festival report, day two!

We had a smaller group on Sunday, but a rare appearance of Paul and his Mad Max Interceptor car joined Jason’s Herbie, Paul’s BTTF Delorian and my KITT for a second day.  

Jason’s Herbie attracted a few other celebrity look-a-likes!

As for Paul’s BTTF car, he just needs to stop adding stuff to his car to attract attention!

 

 My star car day  did not start like I wanted.   First I started up KITT and heard a weird “pop pop” sound, looked all around and decided that what ever I had run over on Saturday had made an opening in my manifold gasket.   It didn’t sound great, but I had two special kids who have ocular cancer and thier families that I didn’t want to dissapoint, so I hit the freeways.  It was not as hot as the day before, but I still had the A/C on the whole way.   Well at some point (about where I hit something the day before I think) I hit something else!  My best guess is some sort of  “L” shaped metal that when you drive over it it kicks up, but I didn’t see anything.   When I got to the fest, I finally got to see the damage to the nose and fender.  Nothing I could do at that point, but enjoy the day!  (Although I did over hear one woman say “wow, there’s KITT, that car has seen better days….)   

 

 

 

Here Paul is listening to an amazing story of mine, with rapt attention!  After I finished, Paul, dumb struck at my facinating story, decided he wanted

to perform a karate demonstration in the street!  It was actually nice to be able to sit with different members of the SCC and catch up and learn more about the “cross-geeking” each member enjoys.  (i.e. Rock bands and Disney pins Paul – Herbie and Horror Jason and his dad…)  My parents got to meet KITT for the first time, and they both blended right in, but my mom thought my dad fit in a little TOO well….

With my parents visitng and sitting with them, then my wife and kids showing up and having lunch with them, some where in there I MISSED the kids, but of course my star car cronies stepped up and the families enjoyed the cars and the fair.    They made a cool sign for us too!  Once again, we need a club house to put this stuff on the wall! Until then, it’s in my office at work!  It was great meeting Steven who runs http://www.kidscancerconnection.org/help.htm and I look forward to connecting his families with star cars around the country in 2010!

 

After the show broke up, we all went to COCO’s again, and had a nice meal before dissapearing again to the secret hiding places where star cars live….

maybe there is one next door to you?!?!?

Paul had to head home with an empty stomach, but he was set for Vegas…. HEY! Somebody tell him he is not supposed to drive a car from that side!

So the SCC is headed to VEGAS without me, but I will be visiting my “yard art” of a batmobile tomorrow, and I will try and remember to take a few photos.

If you see a star car, you let me know!   If it was in Vegas this weekend, yeah, I know about all of those…..

Horace Goes Hollywood – and meets his Maker! Who’s Herbie?

Yeah I know, I am trying to catch up, so maybe these are out of order!
Brian all by himself took his screen used HORACE the hate bug to Sunset Gower (my old studio!) to reunite Horace with the original FX guys who built him!

Of course Horace had to be signed (we star car guys like to have the stars of the shows, and the ACTUAL hands on builders of the cars)

 

So why is this on the Star Car Central.com blog? Well it’s cool, and there were SORT of 2 star cars represented that day, as these guys were also working on a certain SHOE PHONE for Sue and her Get smart car!

While at home, Brian’s ROBO-Herbie was feeling like ending it all, as Brian was spending so much time with Horace.

Brian’s actions made Herbie feel like half a car….

OK, now back to our regularly scheduled programming…….

CALABASSAS PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 2009 OCT 17-18 NO BATMOBILE BUT A NEW KITT!

This has been the busiest season yet, for stacarcentral.com and we are nearing the end of the car show season, but we are no where near done yet! Last weekend about 15 star cars showed up over the weekend to support the Pumpkin Festival and car show, as well as show up for
a couple of special kids from a new partner Steven Firestein www.KidsCancerConnection.org. He finds fun activities for families touched by cancer and works all the details to bring a fun day to children and families dealing with childhood cancers.

Obi Shawn took the point on Saturday, along with Yoda, and as always had many fans want photos and to talk with a real Jedi.

Sue “upped her game” and now Maxwell Smart sits in the car, with his new SHOE PHONE!

We set up our chairs, and over the course of the day, were a syncronized sitting team, finding the shade under the big orange arch!

Dave who invited us, is the only one in the sun!

We started in an “L” and moved around the back. I am not kidding when I ask for SHADE for the drivers! It was in the 90’s on Sunday.

We each did an interview for a local TV show, and Paul told the guys it was OK to lean against that Red car to steady their shot…. as their arms got tired and they ran out of tape…. Kidding, Oscar, they didn’t hurt your car…. It belongs to “Mawster Robin” anyway!

See? No one is touching… or looking at your car! (Oscar got intervied too, don’t worry.)

Charlie brought his Bullit Mustang, and even had the original owner in the front seat!

A human Sun Dial!

We didn’t care if we were talking to the back of each other’s heads, no one was sitting in the sun!

On the flip side, Cliff’s Nascar Herbie, and Lou’s Torino teamed up.

Lastly the debut of my KITT with totally redone dash. I can’t say “restored” because it never looked as good! Alex Wong is a Knight Rider GOD! But everyone kept asking why KITT wasn’t talking…. that’s ALEX’s car (Brian, he’s getting a bigger remote for the next showdown!)
I need to check my own flyer to make sure I didn’t miss anyone in the inteview! This was the only time I voluntarily stepped into the direct sunlight!

One of the guys at the fair kept circling KITT and telling stories about the car,  then he brought over the plates he wouldn’t return to the DMV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though it was hot, everyone had cold water and good car pals to sit in the exclusive section behind the fence! (Which moved to include any and all shade!) Maybe it will be cooler tomorrow?

GENERAL LEE SHOOT with DOUGLAS SONDERS

Douglas is a fan of all of our Star Cars, and he was searching for a General Lee to shoot, and also wanted to photograph the Tango and Cash truck, so that narrowed the possiblities down to one star car owner, Bob Hartwig! I think Bob is having a good time, and that is a world class burn out, but you will have to click the link to watch it!

Original “General Lee” Dukes of Hazzard Dodge Charger Photoshoot – Douglas Sonders Photography from Douglas Sonders on Vimeo.

MAD MAX PHOTO SHOOT with DOUGLAS SONDERS

I connected a great photographer/videographer and star car fan Douglas, with Paul who has a great Mad Max Interceptor
BACK IN BLACK! The video says it all!

Paul’s Mad Max Interceptor Replica from Douglas Sonders on Vimeo.