[Astra]

When I was 16 years old the Berlin Wall came down and I (having grown up in East Germany) finally was able to watch West German TV. The first thing we ever saw was "Knight Rider". I fell in love with the show and wanted my own K.I.T.T. In East Germany it was usual to just make the things you could not buy. So I did.

Of course it is totally not in scale but all I had were videos and pictures from books. And I realized that the buttons were different in every episode. But still I am very proud of it to this day with all the thought that I put into it.

The model in it's full glory. The tires are from an old toy car of my little brother, but I made everything else myself:





The bottom side:



I drew all the little lines and such for the displays (and the red/white/green buttons next to the steering wheel drove me crazy, as the arrangement changed from episode to episode - for whichever special features they needed).
The monitors are made that way that I can insert different pictures:





The number plate is just a sticker from a bubble gum - anyone interested in a few extra stickers of Devon, Michael and Bonnie?



Of course also the doors and roof top can be opened. You also can turn the wheel and move the gear shift. The seats are just a bit of paper wrapped with wool, and when I figured I could not put them directly onto the bottom or there would be no room for legs I used part of a cork.







And the side mirrors even have little mirror foil in them, another thing that happened to be left over from the things in a surprise egg.



I don't know anymore what kind of plastic I used for the windows and windshield (the back window was a bit tricky to bring into the rounded form), but it may be from the wrapping of a praline box or something.

So, basically, since I was a child, I collected all kind of things and stuff, with the intention of "one day I might have a use for it". And one day, several years later, I usually have. At other times I look at something and immediately have an idea how to use it.

Of course I also made the lamps so that they can be turned in and out. (Sorry, the shot is a bit blurry)



The lamps are made from the inside of a "Surprise Egg". You know these? Chocolate egg with a little toy inside?

I even invented an action figure! Without knowing anything about them, I realized that I need joints. Pretty good, eh? I just can't sew so Michael never got clothes:



Research:

[Sender]

THAT is outstandingly awesome, Astra! Well done, indeed.

[TheBlueMarvel]

This is so amazingly cool, Astra! The background story makes it that much more wonderful! lol

[Astra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sender

THAT is outstandingly awesome, Astra! Well done, indeed.

Haha, thank you Michael!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlueMarvel

This is so amazingly cool, Astra! The background story makes it that much more wonderful! lol

Thank you! I remember it clearly. It aired on Tuesday evenings and re-runs on Wednesday afternoon. We came into it on the afternoon in the middle of an episode and had no idea what was going on. A car that talked and drove by itself? Crazy!

Loved it. David Hasselhoff also is known as a singer in Germany, I saw him in concert twice at the time.

I forgot to say, I also was able to study all the buttons from the real K.I.T.T.!

[ludovicotek]

This is so utterly charming. You put some serious work into this thing. Your ingenuity is impressive. Great job!!

[TheBlueMarvel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra

Thank you! I remember it clearly. It aired on Tuesday evenings and re-runs on Wednesday afternoon. We came into it on the afternoon in the middle of an episode and had no idea what was going on. A car that talked and drove by itself? Crazy!

Loved it. David Hasselhoff also is known as a singer in Germany, I saw him in concert twice at the time.

I forgot to say, I also was able to study all the buttons from the real K.I.T.T.!

Being around the same age as you, I remember the collapse of the Berlin Wall and you sharing your experience (thank you) really drove home what it meant for you and, potentially, so many others.

Back then, I didn't appreciate the significance of the event. Perspective would come later in college after choosing poli-sci as a major. Your story made me smile as a direct example of what happens when we dismantle both the figurative and literal barriers between cultures. This is a concept that is currently under assault by people determined to turn the clock backward in my country (and abroad) serving as a source of frustration for many...but I digress.

Nice job, I'm glad you kept your handmade memento of history....and, yes, I'm quite familiar with Hasselhof's (The Hof!) singing career and popularity in Germany!

[Astra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ludovicotek

This is so utterly charming. You put some serious work into this thing. Your ingenuity is impressive. Great job!!

Aw, thank you so much! It certainly was a labour of love. I have done a lot of things like this, it's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. I may be hung up on details a bit too much but that's who I am!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlueMarvel

Being around the same age as you, I remember the collapse of the Berlin Wall and you sharing your experience (thank you) really drove home what it meant for you and, potentially, so many others.

Back then, I didn't appreciate the significance of the event. Perspective would come later in college after choosing poli-sci as a major. Your story made me smile as a direct example of what happens when we dismantle both the figurative and literal barriers between cultures. This is a concept that is currently under assault by people determined to turn the clock backward in my country (and abroad) serving as a source of frustration for many...but I digress.

Nice job, I'm glad you kept your handmade memento of history....and, yes, I'm quite familiar with Hasselhof's (The Hof!) singing career and popularity in Germany!

I have become a bit desillusionated now. Back then there was so much hope that the world would come together. Now suddenly the Russians are the bad guys again, how did that happen?

Honestly, at the time I was still young and innocent and not really interested in politics. A lot of people felt fenced in and unfree, I never questioned the way of life. It's all I knew all my life. It was just what it was. A lot of people also yearned for stuff they couldn't have but saw in Western TV all the time. Well, since we didn't have that comparison... we were happy with what we had?

Here's a story for you: I was a fan of Sherlock Holmes stories. I once read that you get a reply from "Sherlock Holmes" if you write a letter. I took all my school English (which wasn't much at the time) and sent a letter. Never got a reply. I wonder if the letter even made it out. That's all I wanted, a simple letter with a real British stamp. Years later I was able to travel to London and go to the Sherlock Holmes museum in Baker Street. Back then I had never imagined this ever being possible. I knew it was out of reach so I didn't even think about it.

We have the 30th anniversary coming up which is crazy. Where has the time gone? Children now learn about it in history class. Even my little brother does not remember much of the time. The older I get the more I see the differences and I start to question some things in Capitalism. Having lived in both systems, you get a different look on things. Plastic bags is just one of them. We didn't have those and we still survived. One thing is for sure, we can't go on like this forever.

If you are interested, I have written up a bit about how much life has changed literally overnight. How many things we lost - food of my childhood, TV shows, all gone. Felt like moving to another country. Just send me your e-mail and I'll send it to you.

Thank you! I could never throw something like that away even though I have long moved on to other things.

[TheBlueMarvel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra

Aw, thank you so much! It certainly was a labour of love. I have done a lot of things like this, it's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. I may be hung up on details a bit too much but that's who I am!



I have become a bit desillusionated now. Back then there was so much hope that the world would come together. Now suddenly the Russians are the bad guys again, how did that happen?

Honestly, at the time I was still young and innocent and not really interested in politics. A lot of people felt fenced in and unfree, I never questioned the way of life. It's all I knew all my life. It was just what it was. A lot of people also yearned for stuff they couldn't have but saw in Western TV all the time. Well, since we didn't have that comparison... we were happy with what we had?

Here's a story for you: I was a fan of Sherlock Holmes stories. I once read that you get a reply from "Sherlock Holmes" if you write a letter. I took all my school English (which wasn't much at the time) and sent a letter. Never got a reply. I wonder if the letter even made it out. That's all I wanted, a simple letter with a real British stamp. Years later I was able to travel to London and go to the Sherlock Holmes museum in Baker Street. Back then I had never imagined this ever being possible. I knew it was out of reach so I didn't even think about it.

We have the 30th anniversary coming up which is crazy. Where has the time gone? Children now learn about it in history class. Even my little brother does not remember much of the time. The older I get the more I see the differences and I start to question some things in Capitalism. Having lived in both systems, you get a different look on things. Plastic bags is just one of them. We didn't have those and we still survived. One thing is for sure, we can't go on like this forever.

If you are interested, I have written up a bit about how much life has changed literally overnight. How many things we lost - food of my childhood, TV shows, all gone. Felt like moving to another country. Just send me your e-mail and I'll send it to you.

Thank you! I could never throw something like that away even though I have long moved on to other things.

Certainly, there is always another perspective and I'm interested to know more about your experience...Pm'd.

[kenm2474]

That looks awesome bro. That was one of my Fav. shows. Now make K.A.R.R. K.I.T.T'S Evil Brother.

[Lance Quazar]

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your incredible story!

That vehicle is worth more than any toy you could ever buy in the store!! Bravo!

[Vamp]

Damn, im impressed. you are talented.
Im a big Knight Rider fan myself.

[Astra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vamp

Damn, im impressed. you are talented.
Im a big Knight Rider fan myself.

Thank you! This was my first fandom. Where you know all the episode titles by heart. Obviously that has been lost a bit now over time with many other shows. Also at the time there was no internet, no fanclub, not really anyone to talk about it.

So I consider my proper first fandom "Stargate SG-1" where I also discovered conventions, learnt English by reading fanfictions and was introduced to action figures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance Quazar

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your incredible story!

That vehicle is worth more than any toy you could ever buy in the store!! Bravo!

Thank you! Exactly my sentiment!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenm2474

That looks awesome bro. That was one of my Fav. shows. Now make K.A.R.R. K.I.T.T'S Evil Brother.

I'm a sis, not a bro
And I don't know, K.A.R.R. looked pretty much the same? There wouldn't be much difference. Also, the days when I was still in school and had time on my hands...

I never really measured how much time I spent on it overall. I sadly also I did not take any in between pictures as I do now. There was no digital camera yet.

[kenm2474]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra

Thank you! This was my first fandom. Where you know all the episode titles by heart. Obviously that has been lost a bit now over time with many other shows. Also at the time there was no internet, no fanclub, not really anyone to talk about it.

So I consider my proper first fandom "Stargate SG-1" where I also discovered conventions, learnt English by reading fanfictions and was introduced to action figures.


Thank you! Exactly my sentiment!


I'm a sis, not a bro
And I don't know, K.A.R.R. looked pretty much the same? There wouldn't be much difference. Also, the days when I was still in school and had time on my hands...

I never really measured how much time I spent on it overall. I sadly also I did not take any in between pictures as I do now. There was no digital camera yet.

My Apologies Sis.

[webz]

Fantastic car, and even better story! Absolutely loved reading it! Many in my family were stationed in West Germany during the 80’s. I love true “people stories” that aren’t some embellished Hollywood tripe. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[Dragasses]

that is one of the best customs i've ever seen.

intra-web high five!