And now I know my two favorite channels with their Knight Rider Projects Officially confirmed to know each other :) I wonder if there will be an episode with KITT Tesla in the back in the semi-distant future? :D
6:36 - Just to say, I love how supportive you are of your son’s curiosity and of his intuition of the world around him. He sounds like a really good kid.
The mystery item on the roof near the hatch looks to be a spot to connect a coax cable to. Probably where an antenna once was mounted to the top of the trailer perhaps when it was being used as a race car hauler.
7:00 that thing is a microswitch. In the screenshot from The Wrong Crowd, you can see the actuator lever with a roller on the end. This would allow them to tell if the ramp was all the way up or not.
According to what you're seeing there, those trim pieces were added to both corners after the orignal pilot paint job. Since the one on the other side is still in place and probably has been there all along, it seems to me that the original paint should be under it, fully protected from the subsequent blastings and repaintings. So, drilling out some of the rivets and peeking under there might be interesting.
Your son is so intelligent. Keep up the good work you are bringing back childhood memories for so many people in the world. I’m a child born in 1981. Two cars I used to get excited about was the Ferrari F40 and kitt.
This is amazing been watching your channel from the start...I'm 58 and used to watch the series here In the UK when I was younger ..your doing an awesome job keeping everything to the original spec... 👌
I love that you were able to find the semi used on the show. It’s nice that theses iconic pieces were not lost. Just misplaced. I can’t wait to see it all restored and KITT inside
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial I'm sure that some fans, would love for you to have someone come out from a local paint/collision shop, with their color match camera, and publish the paint mixes for the blacks and golds used in the pilot and show liveries. I thought I saw similar lines, near the side door frame, for the show livery stripes. Perhaps, there remains a Show Livery trace that could be used for color camera identification! Also, identifying the primers used, would help those who would want perfect replication, as those do have a effect on the final finish color....
you should definietly put a Paint Protection Film over this Gold Paint you sanded free to preserve it, and not leave it exposedd in any way... even if it should be usually covered with a Panel
Stuff like this just gives me chills finding traces of paint from over 40 years ago it's just beyond amazing. Just like the wine bottles on the Titanic surviving 13,000 ft fall with the pressure increasing to 2000 PSI and large chunks of metal falling around them this gold paint from the original promo pilot somehow surviving despite the fact the trailer was repainted a few times is absolute fluke and beyond amazing
Can you imagine growing up as a Knight Rider fan having a KITT outside and crawling around in and restoring the FLAG semi?? This is the luckiest kid on Earth.
Resurrected a long lost scenic Artist's Work (and there by name it will be in credits), I do question the emblem on the trailer being s "Vinyl decal" (due to the years when this was made), it may have been hand painted. Cheaper and faster to hand paint a logo unless they know otherwise. Because back then the costs and availability , today(circa late to mid 1990's early 2,000's )it will be computer designed then printed on Vinyl Sticker for ease of reproduction. There was brief period of design on computer but then given to hand paint. Working in a scene shop, is amazing how good theses scenic artists would free hand something. I saw them detail small items, up from to taking their guide 8 inch by 11 inch drawing(or photo copy imaged) on a sheet paper. To then paint the same thing to scale on 40 foot and by 60 foot (sizes varied could be larger could be smaller) scenic drops. Painting a logo on the trailer could be a combination of stencil for the shape and size back coats but doing simple lettering could/would be by hand. This series right before a switch in technology.
That hollow "bolt" is actually a female coaxial connector. Maybe a connection point for some sort of receiver. You found gold! If there are any doubters still left then this would be the final nail.
12:12 for the close up of that BNC (entertainment Industry standard for Coaxial cables BNC= initials of "Bayonet Neill-Concelman" ) female "barrel" connector, 2 females ends looks like a barrel or called a turn around" (insert your non P. C. terms here ) for connecting two cables. Video cables tend to be made with both ends male. I don't see the bayonet studs but could be on the sides not illuminated , if threaded that could mean it might be a en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNC_connector A threaded BNC Style connector. As they(Entertainment production) would have preferred to avoid any en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_connector (like your regular home cable company's preferred cheap and poorer quality) Coaxial connectors, if possible due to loss of quality of signal from the connection and for staying with their professional quality equipment standards. No one likes using adapters.... I'm guessing one permanently run behind the structure(scenery inside the trailer) of the "BNC Entertainment Industry video cable connector, that Female stud is a place to attach a lead for in Trailer shot of a monitor(tv screen) The image at the 12:13 isn't the best but at 720p ( the LED lighting and angle makes it hard, can we at least get a "Baby" or "Inkie" up in here please.....) it does look like the center has a hole for the male copper lead to go into it. The question is was this placed there by and for Production use,or added as CB or regular radio antenna or audio use later from the prior owner's race team EDIT. on 2nd watch through, at 12:15 your son nailed the important details, and drew attention to it. Just goes to show you how important every small thing could turn out to be, don't hesitate to use his younger better eyesight to help.... Good Job on the paint, I would try to wet sand where the Knight Foundation's Logo was just to see if it was painted on instead of a decal applied, then if lucky it was just painted over. Although the paint, if hand painted, will be a softer type paint (less hard and durance quality) then what they used for the trailer, so if/when you see it, go even more gently with that wet sanding.
@@ablemagawitch The trailer was soda blasted to bare metal, (All Paint Removed) the only original paint left on the outside is the 4 inch that was covered by a piece of thin sheet metal that was installed by the studio crew somewhere during the various changes they made to the trailer throughout production runs. It very well could have been trim used around the rear door after the installation of the original, (movable ramp door) that is no longer on the trailer and is gone forever .
@@SteveTheFordGuy985 Thanks for the clarification on the Soda Blasting method and location reference lines on the trailer. With all these guys have done & found for impossibly lost items before, that ramp door may show up one day some how.... The Knight Rider Historians do seem to pull off miracles time and time again. I wish them the best in there future searching endeavors, and them taking us along during such is a nice treat.
Joe, another great update. Kudos to Andrew's observations. The trailer really is a gift that keeps on giving. Thank you as ever for sharing with us. Ps. I like the new video graphics and other intro tweaks, very cool.
Seriously, your restorations and discoveries almost leave me with tears in my eyes... The memories of being with my mom and dad at my grandparents house watching cable TV and watching every episode there gives me goosebumps. Knight Rider is such a basic part of my childhood and your dedication and willingness to share your hard work brings me right back to such awesome times and exceptional TV. Thank you, thank you thanks you!
Loved the reveal of the original paint job (go on, uncover just one more gold stripe! 😀). It's fun to be along for the ride, to see that the validation as to this trailer's authenticity to Knight Rider's history just keeps mounting.
that little block you pointed out that was only on 1 side where the ramp closes is a micro switch. most likely used to cut power to the winch or to an indicator when the ramp was closed. if the controls are in a location where you can't physically see if the ramp is closed or not you would need to have some kind of indicator to let you know.
Wow! I literally just had goose bumps seeing the original pilot paint since I was a kid. I can imagine you running around your garden screaming when you found this, I know I would have been. So glad I found you guys on TH-cam. All the best 👍 Tony
my Dad and I prospect for gold here in Australia and its hard to explain to people the buzz you get when finding and digging up a nugget. it was funny to get the exact same feeling watching you uncover that gold. :) So cool.
Never thought seeing that gold start to show through after wet sanding could be so satisfying. So awesome, pretty sure there will be more surprises along the way and I for one look forward to seeing them.
It makes complete sense that the “white” trailer from the first 12 episodes was actually cream colored. White tends to blow out on film, so to avoid the trailer looking like it was glowing in sunlight, it would have been painted off-white instead. Just more evidence of that being the original ‘82 white paint.
yep , chrome bumpers on film cars are often painted silver/grey to stop the glare. likewise they avoid bright white if possible as it used to blow out on film.
Such a neat Find! Wow! ... Paintjob from the Pilot still beeing on that Trailer... after all those years and going through different owners... ...frickin' cool!!
That is SO COOL Joe, to find the black & gold paint from the pilot presentation, and then the white paint from the first 12 episodes, and then the all black with gold trim from the remainder of Season 1 until the end of the show, it just doesn't get any cooler than that, I wish you could have gone further down the trailer to see if it still has Knight Industries with the logo from the pilot presentation, I'm sure that is still there as well, I would LOVE to see that again in 2022
Seeing the Gold come through actually brought a huge teary eyed smile to my face. I am so glad you guys found this piece of history so it can be saved. 😊
Wow, you guys really have come along way since i last regularly watched your channel. You literally were travelling to inspect the Tractor unit and at the end were asking for any leads on the Tailer. Now i see this episode! Well done to everyone in the Knight Rider fan community that helped, little or small, to get all these show props back together again like long lost family members. Keep up the great work everybody. Black and Gold 🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎
Hairs on the back of my neck bristled when I started to see the gold paintwork. Would gold paint be the same automotive blend as used on the original Pontiac vehicles. Be interesting to see how far back and accurately you can match the paint. Thanks for sharing Joe and KRH.
The channel that ran length wise in the middle of the roof was probably for a camera mount. Likely used for filming KITT driving into and out of the trailer.
Actually it had a bar that went through that slot to make the hook latch, the hook stuck out the back and latched the door when it closed. The bolt hole is what it pivoted on. the pulley above it is where the wire was attached to pull it to release the door. From the pics you have shown that was what I saw from it. Those 3 bolts are probably from some cross member that went across the trailer for the original door winch assembly.
Was totally going to say that.... also I was going to say that the beam that ran down the roof rafters might have been some kind of light duty ceiling crane rail that would have been to aid in loading and unloading. You may want to reach out to your trailer manufacturer contact, and ask them if they did many like that. It could also have been a mounting rail for a line of fluorescent lights that would have run the length of the trailer... again, from the factory.
my guess for the 3 uncut bolts on each side would probably be the original roll up door stops. given the location and the fact that they look like part of the trailer before the show. I would make a door when you replace the side trim so that you can open it and show off that part of the paint. it gives you definitive proof that is the real trailer
"Archeology is necessary destruction," to paraphrase Time Team, the UK archeology TV series. Just as you did, layers have to be removed in order to tell the full story, to reveal the history underneath. And just as you did, there comes a moment where you stop in order to preserve that story, then you cover it back up. This is what professional archeologists do by necessity, so don't feel too bad about removing a few layers of paint to get to the very beginning of the trailer's Knight Rider history. It was necessary and worth it to see those layers and that brilliant gold. The Time Team would approve, I feel! Well done, sir.
What is amazing to me, is that they did such a nice paint job for the pilot, and then just covered it up with the white. That was a huge step backwards.
That creamier white, looks like GM Code 40C which was used from the early 80s and later replaced with WA # I believe is was 8554 and it was literally the same color. I owned several Chevy’s that color, mainly Beretta’s and I always hated how “creamy” it was not and not freaking WHITE lol
OMG!!! Original paint job aka WE STRUCK GOLD!!! That is so awesome man. I'm excited like a child on Christmas morning!!! Only people that love KR as much as we do, understand that...
Now with seeing the spots where that rail was along inline with the old little pulley in front of that cut out for lock pin. My bet is that original trailer cable& spring tension system for the original roll up door. Also the lock pin was probably used for rollup door so it wouldn't come crashing down during driving scenes. Imagine Kitt getting it's windshield smashed driving into trailer.
Here's the question of the day...when you restore and repaint, are you going with the pilot scheme or the later mostly black scheme? I think it would be interesting to do one side pilot and the other side the later design.
It's also very interesting to me that we've seen the semi in so many different looks. How it looks in the pilot is stunning and then it was later white and then just black before it got the chest piece painted on the side.
The three holes mid trailer on both side may have been camera mount for the drive in shots. Think of the bolts as place for a bar to reach across with a camera looking back to doors with kit pulling in either parked on side in early seasons as car pulled into trailer. Best guess
Instead of cutting out the vent opening there, if I where you I would drill out the rivets first. So you would have to go on top and have someone inside and someone on top so you know where to find the patch pice is at to take it out to put the vet cover back in, that would be a better way of doing that.
I love this Trailer series! My guessings for the 3 small bolts are probably 3 pulleys that holds the steel cables that holds the ramp, and might be a winch in the other end with an extended axle that winds both cables a the same time, that could explain, why one of them is bent, because a sudden traction force KITT did when climbing into the ramp, (I guess) as the other big pulleys were well attached to the body. I still making my mind on what is that central rail for... Could be for a sliding camera as you previously told, and that antenna fitting maybe can be the output port of that camera to the filming crew. Another thing that port will be for is a radio antenna, for either the filming crew or the drag racing crew, to give instructions to the driver... Another thing might be a third pulley that will pull both ends of the cable from a winch attached from the middle, and that pulley goes in that rail to keep it center and pull both cables even all the time... Who knows... Love the work and passion of this channel... I've been following you guys for quite a while, but I think I never commented yet... Awesome job you do!!! Congrats! I'll keep an eye on what the oncoming news are!! Greetings from Spain!
I think it’s great that you found this piece of Knight Rider history and the fact you want to keep it intact as is your a true historian. Keep up the work
Your hard work, determination and attention to detail is incredible Joe. Who would have known that the trailer still contains a part of the original paint work from the pilot presentation 40 years on. I am so happy for you guys to have finally found the missing piece to the puzzle after all these years :D
Personally I'd sand that think line you started in the middle to the top and bottom, that way you uncover the whole original paint job whilst keeping the other resprays intact, best of both worlds and being able to see the pilot paint job from top to bottom in person for you and on camera for youtube with be an amazing sight.
It would be nice to see all 3 paint jobs all the way from top to bottom as 3 stripes. Seeing a section of the original paint job would be priceless, at the point we thought it was long gone. Also i think you'll find the same if you remove the left panel.
Really liked this episode. So nice to see your son participating, he must be KITT enthusiast for sure! A small donation to the trailer project to show my appreciation! Keep it up
Realy i'm speechless after so many years to find the original Paintjob from the Presentation, the White of the First Episodes and the black from the Rest of the Show, it's so amazing. Greetings from Germany
You are literally glued? That must be painful. I mean, is your face permanently adhered to the screen? How do you go to the bathroom? Just kidding...VERY glad to have you here! I just had to give you a bit of a hard time... ;)
This is an amazing discovery!! Since the trailer is being restored to a blend of actual production exterior appearance and stage interior, it might be really great to do one side like the pilot since you now have original gold plus location thereof, and the other side like the later mostly black design. It would still be externally "correct., for different phases of the show. Probably never know the actual gold decal color so the next best thing is use the gold paint color, which is most likely not the same.
In one small spot, 3 different versions are together,... wow,.. so nostalgic,....imaging this trailer was Really with all the crews of making the show for those all days...
First off…your son Andrew is awesome! Second off…keep all those original paint chips from the ceiling that have fallen off, will you be doing semi restoration shadow boxes like you did for KITT during your restoration…third off…I’m glad you guys are doing this and not someone else. Because the fact you are going to restore exactly as much as possible to how it originally was…like the slide down door that was always up…technically it doesn’t really do anything in terms of “knight rider stuff” but that fact it was there and you are going to replicate it is amazing. I love it! Keep it going and I will keep supporting.
Hi Joe. Another discovery within the FLAG Semi, you say? Gold found?! Seriously?! Well, not literally gold, but golden moments from the very first episode of the show! Awesome! Thanks! Oh yeah, and I'm waiting for that other video about the insert effects from the series. Thanks!✌
Depending on the paint job you want to go with, you should get ahold of a body shop paint person to see how to bring the original gold paint job out and the black and get it refreshed up, there might be a way to do that.
Better yet, they can get a paint shop to use their camera to identify the exact colors, so that they can get the correct colors for the restoration paint job! They won't have to simply guess what they originally painted it, they have original paint to get a perfect color match!
@@doctordeath.5716 a lot of hardware stores have a special camera and software so they can match a color sample with the paints they carry. Automotive paint shops and a lot of collision shops have them too... due to batch variations there are usually a couple variants of car paint from the factory (my focus had the second variation on the list for the factory color - found out when I wanted to get a factory spoiler added to it after several years). The paint matching cameras can identify the pigments and particulates (flake/sparkles) and provide the mix ratios so you get the exact same (less oxidation and finish degradation). It's why they generally tell you to spray the entire panel, but even then the variations can be visible (like my focus). If you use the color match cameras you can usually be able to blend in a small repair, especially if you have the car buffed/polished. In this case, blending the finish isn't the goal, it's to do a restoration to it's on camera condition, which could be color accurate because the have a surviving sample of the colors that were actually used. Most people don't realize how many different blacks there are, let alone the rest of the colors. I hope they get the paint id'd for the pilot livery as well as the show livery and publish them for those building tribute trucks and those building scale replicas. Also if they identify the primers used that would be good to, because primers do play a role in the final color appearance. Unfortunately they have stated repeatedly that the majority of the trailer had been stripped to bare metal after the show. So other than a few places, there is no show/pilot paint to restore.
I dont know how this would work, but I was thinking, it would be cool if that panel could be covered in something clear like plexiglass. That way when you take it to shows fans could still see it but it would be protected. It would be cool to get a picture with that panel, I think. So much show history in that one little piece of metal.
So today on Netflix 8/7/2022 I came across a movie I hadn't seen... Knight 2000... made in 1991... I had no idea this movie existed... I was wondering if you were going to look into anything that might be around from that movie as well.... glad to see both the tractor and trailer were both found... you guys are doing a great job... keep up the good work... and happy hunting for any other missing parts or electronic components... I have really enjoyed watching all your videos of the restoration of the car, and semi, and what you have done to the trailer so far... Good luck on the rest of your restoration process... God Bless
Literally struck gold! Have you guys considered that when you restore it, do one side of the trailer in the pilot colour scheme and the other side the series colour scheme? That would be pretty cool - able to represent all the era's.
It’s pretty cool in the screen shot of that pulley you can see the original sectional pull down garage style door up in the overhead, looks like they just slid it up into the “attic” and left it up there for the show.
Hey my next lifes version of me came back in time and said thanks for these awesome videos, he would do it himself but his tech requires shit we don't got yet. Now life me couldn't agree more, love watching these, knight rider was something me and my father enjoyed watching at weekends when I was a kid, different era, memories👍
I can’t wait to see the cab and trailer completely done. It will be so cool to see KITT next to the completed trailer. I hope once this is completed you will bring car and trailer to car shows.
"Thar's gold in them thar SILLS..." LOL. thanks for the video, Joe. I recommend cataloging the bolts you need, do a "census' of how many bolts you need of each type of bolt, and then buy twice as many as you need. Nuts and bolts are cheap - the surplus pays for itself the first time it saves you from making that unnecessary trip to the hardware store. You may want to buy these in person at a brick and mortar location. Don't Amazon these. You'll have to pay for shipping, and there's no guarantee you won't get cheated with cheap, worthless, Chinese steel that will snap the first time you put a load on them. There's not much that doesn't get made in China, but thankfully, American steel is usually still a pretty solid, quality and affordable buy.
Crazy cool. It would be neat if you could sand down to each paint job gradually all the way down and clear coat it to protect it. Doesn’t usually work well but would be super neat.
I hope as you restore the trailer that somehow some of these little historic paint reveal sections can be preserved and still visible in the final product. That was really something to see. Very cool.
Do you know when the trim piece was added? At 14:28 you mention it was on there the entire time, but yet there is evidence of all 3 Universal paint jobs under the trim piece. I'm unclear on the timeline of when it was painted the different times and when the trim piece would have been added.
The sheer odds that are being defied with this project is insane. Forty YEARS with absolutely no attempt at preservation, and not only were both the original Semi Cab AND the original trailer located and obtained, but both still maintained physical evidence that will allow for perfect restoration of the original paint down to the detail work. The only thing not preserved is, ironically, the original hatch door with the slide-out ramps which was originally the only piece Universal made any attempt to preserve. Also, I personally think it would be more impressive to do the pilot paint job - you've got to repaint the whole thing anyway, might as well go for the gold. You already have the 'main' paint scheme on the small trailer so you would have representation of both memorable versions of the FLAG trailer (no white trailer but lets be frank, there are white trailers all over the place so that's not unique to Knight Rider). The split-style where you have a representation of the two versions also would be appropriate for what you have - the Pilot episode scheme on the right side, where the original paint was rediscovered, and the 'main' scheme on the left/driver side where the stuff for 'The Wrong Crowd' was mounted. Whatever you choose as caretakers of the trailer will look great, of course, since you've earned that right with your hard work and dedication. I predict tears of joy when the day comes and the restored trailer and semi cab are finally reunited at the hitch and after 40 years, KITT can return to the FLAG trailer proper through the back.
That small pulley on the roof might be for a cable for the lock so you wouldn't have to go up a ladder to unlock the door. Maybe a spring loaded locking latch?
Congratulations on finding gold paint. It's not the horse, but it's something. I said in another video that you could try sanding to see if the horse appeared. "where there was fire, embers remain" 😋😍😍😍😍😍
Hr already explained the trailer was completely soda blasted to bare metal since it left Universal. The area he wet sanded had a plate covering it that protected it from the soda blasting process,
Hey Joe, been following along. Great project! There's a high likelihood that the original rollup door would've had a cable-and-spring system of some type to help with opening the heavy door. That's probably what that track was for along the center of the underside of the roof. A small curved arm attaching to the top panel of the roll-up door likely followed the track and had a cable that followed inside the track toward the forward end of the trailer where it wound onto a spring-loaded capstan or something similar. Just a thought...!
Great video, such finesse with the sanding. Those short bolts could be a mounting bracket for a winch or winches, that spanned the width of the trailer. I know if the screenshots you shared the cable goes horizontal from the pulley, maybe the cut off bolts were for another set of pulleys to guide it.
That strange little pulley is probably for the 'counter weight' mechanism for the roll up door. It could be a spring that countered the weight of the door so it could be lifted with one hand.
Now this find is like giving me a nice piece of chocolate! And again - you know every bolt and nut in the semi and you demonstrate everything to us very clearl. Also I am really impressed by Andrews clever observations and remarks, of course. And unbelievable it is - uncovering actually three levels of the original paint!!! I wonder -what else will you uncover????!!!!
You’re now officially an archaeologist. Absolutely incredible to unpeel the past like this.
Thank you Peri!!
And now I know my two favorite channels with their Knight Rider Projects Officially confirmed to know each other :) I wonder if there will be an episode with KITT Tesla in the back in the semi-distant future? :D
I agree!! This is absolutely incredible & awesome 👏 😉👍 Keep up the great work guys!
Joe needs to present the next video in a brown fedora and leather jacket
My favorite TH-camrs commenting on my favorite TH-camrs always makes me smile.
6:36 - Just to say, I love how supportive you are of your son’s curiosity and of his intuition of the world around him. He sounds like a really good kid.
The mystery item on the roof near the hatch looks to be a spot to connect a coax cable to. Probably where an antenna once was mounted to the top of the trailer perhaps when it was being used as a race car hauler.
it looks like a DX27 base.
I was just about to say the same thing!
This^
7:00 that thing is a microswitch. In the screenshot from The Wrong Crowd, you can see the actuator lever with a roller on the end. This would allow them to tell if the ramp was all the way up or not.
Think Andrew is spot on with his observation that the pulley operated the locking pin, that’s exactly what I was about to say. Smart kid.
Probably locked like a garage door with the cable unlocking it.
@@PiezPiedPy only thing I wonder is where the other end of the cable ran to. Presume it would be inside somewhere…
According to what you're seeing there, those trim pieces were added to both corners after the orignal pilot paint job. Since the one on the other side is still in place and probably has been there all along, it seems to me that the original paint should be under it, fully protected from the subsequent blastings and repaintings. So, drilling out some of the rivets and peeking under there might be interesting.
Your son is so intelligent. Keep up the good work you are bringing back childhood memories for so many people in the world. I’m a child born in 1981. Two cars I used to get excited about was the Ferrari F40 and kitt.
This is amazing been watching your channel from the start...I'm 58 and used to watch the series here In the UK when I was younger ..your doing an awesome job keeping everything to the original spec... 👌
I love that you were able to find the semi used on the show. It’s nice that theses iconic pieces were not lost. Just misplaced. I can’t wait to see it all restored and KITT inside
Thank you!!!
So cool to see what you found.Absolutley amazing that some of the gold paint has survived from the pilot in 1982.
Agreed!! WOW!
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial I'm sure that some fans, would love for you to have someone come out from a local paint/collision shop, with their color match camera, and publish the paint mixes for the blacks and golds used in the pilot and show liveries.
I thought I saw similar lines, near the side door frame, for the show livery stripes. Perhaps, there remains a Show Livery trace that could be used for color camera identification!
Also, identifying the primers used, would help those who would want perfect replication, as those do have a effect on the final finish color....
you should definietly put a Paint Protection Film over this Gold Paint you sanded free to preserve it, and not leave it exposedd in any way... even if it should be usually covered with a Panel
a clear coat and the panel i think should have a clear section for this or be made of polycarbonate perhaps.
Stuff like this just gives me chills finding traces of paint from over 40 years ago it's just beyond amazing.
Just like the wine bottles on the Titanic surviving 13,000 ft fall with the pressure increasing to 2000 PSI and large chunks of metal falling around them this gold paint from the original promo pilot somehow surviving despite the fact the trailer was repainted a few times is absolute fluke and beyond amazing
Can you imagine growing up as a Knight Rider fan having a KITT outside and crawling around in and restoring the FLAG semi?? This is the luckiest kid on Earth.
No arguments there!
That is brilliant news that there's oriningal paint still after all these years. Nice find yet again.
Resurrected a long lost scenic Artist's Work (and there by name it will be in credits), I do question the emblem on the trailer being s "Vinyl decal" (due to the years when this was made), it may have been hand painted. Cheaper and faster to hand paint a logo unless they know otherwise. Because back then the costs and availability , today(circa late to mid 1990's early 2,000's )it will be computer designed then printed on Vinyl Sticker for ease of reproduction. There was brief period of design on computer but then given to hand paint. Working in a scene shop, is amazing how good theses scenic artists would free hand something. I saw them detail small items, up from to taking their guide 8 inch by 11 inch drawing(or photo copy imaged) on a sheet paper. To then paint the same thing to scale on 40 foot and by 60 foot (sizes varied could be larger could be smaller) scenic drops. Painting a logo on the trailer could be a combination of stencil for the shape and size back coats but doing simple lettering could/would be by hand. This series right before a switch in technology.
That hollow "bolt" is actually a female coaxial connector. Maybe a connection point for some sort of receiver.
You found gold! If there are any doubters still left then this would be the final nail.
A Female BNC Connector. Easy to find. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BNC_connector
12:12 for the close up of that BNC (entertainment Industry standard for Coaxial cables BNC= initials of "Bayonet Neill-Concelman" ) female "barrel" connector, 2 females ends looks like a barrel or called a turn around" (insert your non P. C. terms here ) for connecting two cables. Video cables tend to be made with both ends male. I don't see the bayonet studs but could be on the sides not illuminated , if threaded that could mean it might be a en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNC_connector A threaded BNC Style connector. As they(Entertainment production) would have preferred to avoid any en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_connector (like your regular home cable company's preferred cheap and poorer quality) Coaxial connectors, if possible due to loss of quality of signal from the connection and for staying with their professional quality equipment standards. No one likes using adapters....
I'm guessing one permanently run behind the structure(scenery inside the trailer) of the "BNC Entertainment Industry video cable connector, that Female stud is a place to attach a lead for in Trailer shot of a monitor(tv screen) The image at the 12:13 isn't the best but at 720p ( the LED lighting and angle makes it hard, can we at least get a "Baby" or "Inkie" up in here please.....) it does look like the center has a hole for the male copper lead to go into it. The question is was this placed there by and for Production use,or added as CB or regular radio antenna or audio use later from the prior owner's race team
EDIT.
on 2nd watch through, at 12:15 your son nailed the important details, and drew attention to it. Just goes to show you how important every small thing could turn out to be, don't hesitate to use his younger better eyesight to help....
Good Job on the paint, I would try to wet sand where the Knight Foundation's Logo was just to see if it was painted on instead of a decal applied, then if lucky it was just painted over. Although the paint, if hand painted, will be a softer type paint (less hard and durance quality) then what they used for the trailer, so if/when you see it, go even more gently with that wet sanding.
@@ablemagawitch The trailer was soda blasted to bare metal, (All Paint Removed) the only original paint left on the outside is the 4 inch that was covered by a piece of thin sheet metal that was installed by the studio crew somewhere during the various changes they made to the trailer throughout production runs. It very well could have been trim used around the rear door after the installation of the original, (movable ramp door) that is no longer on the trailer and is gone forever .
@@SteveTheFordGuy985 Thanks for the clarification on the Soda Blasting method and location reference lines on the trailer.
With all these guys have done & found for impossibly lost items before, that ramp door may show up one day some how.... The Knight Rider Historians do seem to pull off miracles time and time again. I wish them the best in there future searching endeavors, and them taking us along during such is a nice treat.
Joe, another great update. Kudos to Andrew's observations. The trailer really is a gift that keeps on giving. Thank you as ever for sharing with us. Ps. I like the new video graphics and other intro tweaks, very cool.
Thank you!!
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial ささは
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial cute kid Andrew is does he have Xbox so we can be freinds?
Seriously, your restorations and discoveries almost leave me with tears in my eyes... The memories of being with my mom and dad at my grandparents house watching cable TV and watching every episode there gives me goosebumps. Knight Rider is such a basic part of my childhood and your dedication and willingness to share your hard work brings me right back to such awesome times and exceptional TV. Thank you, thank you thanks you!
Thank you for the fantastic comment!
I feel the same....makes me miss my childhood home life. Laying on the floor in front of the TV
Loved the reveal of the original paint job (go on, uncover just one more gold stripe! 😀). It's fun to be along for the ride, to see that the validation as to this trailer's authenticity to Knight Rider's history just keeps mounting.
that little block you pointed out that was only on 1 side where the ramp closes is a micro switch. most likely used to cut power to the winch or to an indicator when the ramp was closed. if the controls are in a location where you can't physically see if the ramp is closed or not you would need to have some kind of indicator to let you know.
That makes alot of sense. The attached wiring is probably long gone but there sits the sensor, all these years later ;)
That migth be just a magnet like in a garage door the sensor goes on the trailer and the magnet opens de circuit, think old garage door.
Wow! I literally just had goose bumps seeing the original pilot paint since I was a kid. I can imagine you running around your garden screaming when you found this, I know I would have been.
So glad I found you guys on TH-cam. All the best 👍 Tony
Oh yes, we freaked out a bit for sure!!
my Dad and I prospect for gold here in Australia and its hard to explain to people the buzz you get when finding and digging up a nugget. it was funny to get the exact same feeling watching you uncover that gold. :) So cool.
Never thought seeing that gold start to show through after wet sanding could be so satisfying. So awesome, pretty sure there will be more surprises along the way and I for one look forward to seeing them.
It makes complete sense that the “white” trailer from the first 12 episodes was actually cream colored. White tends to blow out on film, so to avoid the trailer looking like it was glowing in sunlight, it would have been painted off-white instead. Just more evidence of that being the original ‘82 white paint.
yep , chrome bumpers on film cars are often painted silver/grey to stop the glare. likewise they avoid bright white if possible as it used to blow out on film.
Wimbledon White
Such a neat Find! Wow! ... Paintjob from the Pilot still beeing on that Trailer... after all those years and going through different owners... ...frickin' cool!!
You got that right!
That is SO COOL Joe, to find the black & gold paint from the pilot presentation, and then the white paint from the first 12 episodes, and then the all black with gold trim from the remainder of Season 1 until the end of the show, it just doesn't get any cooler than that, I wish you could have gone further down the trailer to see if it still has Knight Industries with the logo from the pilot presentation, I'm sure that is still there as well, I would LOVE to see that again in 2022
Seeing the Gold come through actually brought a huge teary eyed smile to my face. I am so glad you guys found this piece of history so it can be saved. 😊
Wow, you guys really have come along way since i last regularly watched your channel.
You literally were travelling to inspect the Tractor unit and at the end were asking for any leads on the Tailer. Now i see this episode!
Well done to everyone in the Knight Rider fan community that helped, little or small, to get all these show props back together again like long lost family members.
Keep up the great work everybody.
Black and Gold 🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤🤎
Man, I wished I lived closer...👍
My mind was blown when that metallic gold finally popped through. An amazing find after four decades!
There can't be a single skeptic left by now.
This is the internet...theres always skeptics! Haha
Hairs on the back of my neck bristled when I started to see the gold paintwork. Would gold paint be the same automotive blend as used on the original Pontiac vehicles. Be interesting to see how far back and accurately you can match the paint. Thanks for sharing Joe and KRH.
The channel that ran length wise in the middle of the roof was probably for a camera mount. Likely used for filming KITT driving into and out of the trailer.
Actually it had a bar that went through that slot to make the hook latch, the hook stuck out the back and latched the door when it closed. The bolt hole is what it pivoted on. the pulley above it is where the wire was attached to pull it to release the door. From the pics you have shown that was what I saw from it. Those 3 bolts are probably from some cross member that went across the trailer for the original door winch assembly.
Interesting! You are probably right!
Yup Andrew got it right.
Exactly! The pin was similar to the emergency releases on garage door openers.
Was totally going to say that....
also I was going to say that the beam that ran down the roof rafters might have been some kind of light duty ceiling crane rail that would have been to aid in loading and unloading. You may want to reach out to your trailer manufacturer contact, and ask them if they did many like that. It could also have been a mounting rail for a line of fluorescent lights that would have run the length of the trailer... again, from the factory.
@@bigtrucker26 Or a track to run a camera on,
my guess for the 3 uncut bolts on each side would probably be the original roll up door stops. given the location and the fact that they look like part of the trailer before the show. I would make a door when you replace the side trim so that you can open it and show off that part of the paint. it gives you definitive proof that is the real trailer
"Archeology is necessary destruction," to paraphrase Time Team, the UK archeology TV series. Just as you did, layers have to be removed in order to tell the full story, to reveal the history underneath. And just as you did, there comes a moment where you stop in order to preserve that story, then you cover it back up. This is what professional archeologists do by necessity, so don't feel too bad about removing a few layers of paint to get to the very beginning of the trailer's Knight Rider history. It was necessary and worth it to see those layers and that brilliant gold. The Time Team would approve, I feel! Well done, sir.
Very nice…keep them coming. Your voice is perfect for this project…very calm and respectful.
What is amazing to me, is that they did such a nice paint job for the pilot, and then just covered it up with the white. That was a huge step backwards.
I would guess maybe the pully on the roof was part of a spring loaded latch instead of a pin manually put in. Pull on a cable to release the latch.
That creamier white, looks like GM Code 40C which was used from the early 80s and later replaced with WA # I believe is was 8554 and it was literally the same color. I owned several Chevy’s that color, mainly Beretta’s and I always hated how “creamy” it was not and not freaking WHITE lol
You may be right!
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial I would just about bet on it lol 😂
OMG!!! Original paint job aka WE STRUCK GOLD!!! That is so awesome man. I'm excited like a child on Christmas morning!!! Only people that love KR as much as we do, understand that...
I always love watching Knight Rider my whole life
Wow, that paint reveal was so cool! Original indeed! Just fantastic!!!
Glad to see an original piece of another knightrider coming back to life.
Now with seeing the spots where that rail was along inline with the old little pulley in front of that cut out for lock pin.
My bet is that original trailer cable& spring tension system for the original roll up door. Also the lock pin was probably used for rollup door so it wouldn't come crashing down during driving scenes. Imagine Kitt getting it's windshield smashed driving into trailer.
Yet another amazing find Joe, not just the gold paint but also the proper hatch door that Hasselhoff used in Goliath 👍
Here's the question of the day...when you restore and repaint, are you going with the pilot scheme or the later mostly black scheme? I think it would be interesting to do one side pilot and the other side the later design.
I believe they are doing it to season 4 specs. Not sure if they are adding the ladder from the wrong crowd though.
Very interesting and good idea, since it is the actual trailer used for both and you can only see one side at a time anyway
So awesome, glad your keeping the original paint, this is amazing 👍
It's also very interesting to me that we've seen the semi in so many different looks. How it looks in the pilot is stunning and then it was later white and then just black before it got the chest piece painted on the side.
So Cool... Its like it knows what you are trying to do and is leaving you a trail of breadcrumbs on how to do it.
EXACTLY! I feel the same way too. You must come see it!
The three holes mid trailer on both side may have been camera mount for the drive in shots. Think of the bolts as place for a bar to reach across with a camera looking back to doors with kit pulling in either parked on side in early seasons as car pulled into trailer. Best guess
Instead of cutting out the vent opening there, if I where you I would drill out the rivets first. So you would have to go on top and have someone inside and someone on top so you know where to find the patch pice is at to take it out to put the vet cover back in, that would be a better way of doing that.
I love this Trailer series! My guessings for the 3 small bolts are probably 3 pulleys that holds the steel cables that holds the ramp, and might be a winch in the other end with an extended axle that winds both cables a the same time, that could explain, why one of them is bent, because a sudden traction force KITT did when climbing into the ramp, (I guess) as the other big pulleys were well attached to the body. I still making my mind on what is that central rail for... Could be for a sliding camera as you previously told, and that antenna fitting maybe can be the output port of that camera to the filming crew. Another thing that port will be for is a radio antenna, for either the filming crew or the drag racing crew, to give instructions to the driver... Another thing might be a third pulley that will pull both ends of the cable from a winch attached from the middle, and that pulley goes in that rail to keep it center and pull both cables even all the time... Who knows... Love the work and passion of this channel... I've been following you guys for quite a while, but I think I never commented yet... Awesome job you do!!! Congrats! I'll keep an eye on what the oncoming news are!! Greetings from Spain!
I think it’s great that you found this piece of Knight Rider history and the fact you want to keep it intact as is your a true historian. Keep up the work
Amazing! Cool to see the history! I was just watching The Wrong Crowd last night, cool to see this after that.
Your hard work, determination and attention to detail is incredible Joe. Who would have known that the trailer still contains a part of the original paint work from the pilot presentation 40 years on. I am so happy for you guys to have finally found the missing piece to the puzzle after all these years :D
Personally I'd sand that think line you started in the middle to the top and bottom, that way you uncover the whole original paint job whilst keeping the other resprays intact, best of both worlds and being able to see the pilot paint job from top to bottom in person for you and on camera for youtube with be an amazing sight.
It would be nice to see all 3 paint jobs all the way from top to bottom as 3 stripes. Seeing a section of the original paint job would be priceless, at the point we thought it was long gone. Also i think you'll find the same if you remove the left panel.
The golden discovery had me happier than you can imagine. Absolutely fantastic!
Really liked this episode. So nice to see your son participating, he must be KITT enthusiast for sure! A small donation to the trailer project to show my appreciation! Keep it up
Realy i'm speechless after so many years to find the original Paintjob from the Presentation, the White of the First Episodes and the black from the Rest of the Show, it's so amazing.
Greetings from Germany
Been having some good fun watching this channel and wandering through memories of the 80's.
Absolutely amazing.. Silences all the doubters we got the original!
This is awesome!!!! I'm literally glued to these Semi Restoration videos
You are literally glued? That must be painful. I mean, is your face permanently adhered to the screen? How do you go to the bathroom?
Just kidding...VERY glad to have you here! I just had to give you a bit of a hard time... ;)
@@KnightRiderHistoriansOfficial LOL ok maybe not literally glued😂
This is an amazing discovery!! Since the trailer is being restored to a blend of actual production exterior appearance and stage interior, it might be really great to do one side like the pilot since you now have original gold plus location thereof, and the other side like the later mostly black design. It would still be externally "correct., for different phases of the show.
Probably never know the actual gold decal color so the next best thing is use the gold paint color, which is most likely not the same.
That's a great idea!
I can't believe that gold paint is the same paint I saw on my TV in 1982. That's amazing.
In one small spot, 3 different versions are together,... wow,.. so nostalgic,....imaging this trailer was Really with all the crews of making the show for those all days...
First off…your son Andrew is awesome! Second off…keep all those original paint chips from the ceiling that have fallen off, will you be doing semi restoration shadow boxes like you did for KITT during your restoration…third off…I’m glad you guys are doing this and not someone else. Because the fact you are going to restore exactly as much as possible to how it originally was…like the slide down door that was always up…technically it doesn’t really do anything in terms of “knight rider stuff” but that fact it was there and you are going to replicate it is amazing. I love it! Keep it going and I will keep supporting.
great observation on the lock Andrew. Smart kid!
That is so cool how you were able to get the gold paint back.
Awesome episode. I love your sons enthusiasm with the project. His dad has the coolest truck in his back yard. So amazing
Hi Joe. Another discovery within the FLAG Semi, you say? Gold found?! Seriously?! Well, not literally gold, but golden moments from the very first episode of the show! Awesome! Thanks! Oh yeah, and I'm waiting for that other video about the insert effects from the series. Thanks!✌
Depending on the paint job you want to go with, you should get ahold of a body shop paint person to see how to bring the original gold paint job out and the black and get it refreshed up, there might be a way to do that.
Better yet, they can get a paint shop to use their camera to identify the exact colors, so that they can get the correct colors for the restoration paint job! They won't have to simply guess what they originally painted it, they have original paint to get a perfect color match!
@@bigtrucker26 I did not know that you could get the right paint using a camera
@@doctordeath.5716 A colorimeter measures the light reflected...
@@doctordeath.5716 a lot of hardware stores have a special camera and software so they can match a color sample with the paints they carry. Automotive paint shops and a lot of collision shops have them too... due to batch variations there are usually a couple variants of car paint from the factory (my focus had the second variation on the list for the factory color - found out when I wanted to get a factory spoiler added to it after several years). The paint matching cameras can identify the pigments and particulates (flake/sparkles) and provide the mix ratios so you get the exact same (less oxidation and finish degradation). It's why they generally tell you to spray the entire panel, but even then the variations can be visible (like my focus). If you use the color match cameras you can usually be able to blend in a small repair, especially if you have the car buffed/polished.
In this case, blending the finish isn't the goal, it's to do a restoration to it's on camera condition, which could be color accurate because the have a surviving sample of the colors that were actually used. Most people don't realize how many different blacks there are, let alone the rest of the colors.
I hope they get the paint id'd for the pilot livery as well as the show livery and publish them for those building tribute trucks and those building scale replicas. Also if they identify the primers used that would be good to, because primers do play a role in the final color appearance.
Unfortunately they have stated repeatedly that the majority of the trailer had been stripped to bare metal after the show. So other than a few places, there is no show/pilot paint to restore.
I dont know how this would work, but I was thinking, it would be cool if that panel could be covered in something clear like plexiglass. That way when you take it to shows fans could still see it but it would be protected. It would be cool to get a picture with that panel, I think. So much show history in that one little piece of metal.
Now you have the correct gold color for matching the rest of the planned restorection of the decales. Nice find.
So today on Netflix 8/7/2022 I came across a movie I hadn't seen... Knight 2000... made in 1991... I had no idea this movie existed... I was wondering if you were going to look into anything that might be around from that movie as well.... glad to see both the tractor and trailer were both found... you guys are doing a great job... keep up the good work... and happy hunting for any other missing parts or electronic components... I have really enjoyed watching all your videos of the restoration of the car, and semi, and what you have done to the trailer so far... Good luck on the rest of your restoration process... God Bless
That "hollow piece with a pin" is an antenna mount. Might be related to when it was a race trailer and or could be used for CB radio.
Goosebumps Joe.. just amazing to see ALL 3 paint layers from the trailer's life as the FLAG Mobile Command Centre, from Pilot onward. Fantastic 😎😎😎😎😎👌
Literally struck gold!
Have you guys considered that when you restore it, do one side of the trailer in the pilot colour scheme and the other side the series colour scheme?
That would be pretty cool - able to represent all the era's.
Wow, what a find! Something to be preserved for sure. Well done!
It’s pretty cool in the screen shot of that pulley you can see the original sectional pull down garage style door up in the overhead, looks like they just slid it up into the “attic” and left it up there for the show.
Hey my next lifes version of me came back in time and said thanks for these awesome videos, he would do it himself but his tech requires shit we don't got yet. Now life me couldn't agree more, love watching these, knight rider was something me and my father enjoyed watching at weekends when I was a kid, different era, memories👍
I can’t wait to see the cab and trailer completely done. It will be so cool to see KITT next to the completed trailer. I hope once this is completed you will bring car and trailer to car shows.
"Thar's gold in them thar SILLS..." LOL. thanks for the video, Joe. I recommend cataloging the bolts you need, do a "census' of how many bolts you need of each type of bolt, and then buy twice as many as you need. Nuts and bolts are cheap - the surplus pays for itself the first time it saves you from making that unnecessary trip to the hardware store. You may want to buy these in person at a brick and mortar location. Don't Amazon these. You'll have to pay for shipping, and there's no guarantee you won't get cheated with cheap, worthless, Chinese steel that will snap the first time you put a load on them. There's not much that doesn't get made in China, but thankfully, American steel is usually still a pretty solid, quality and affordable buy.
Crazy cool. It would be neat if you could sand down to each paint job gradually all the way down and clear coat it to protect it. Doesn’t usually work well but would be super neat.
I hope as you restore the trailer that somehow some of these little historic paint reveal sections can be preserved and still visible in the final product. That was really something to see. Very cool.
Looks like you addressed this in the video.
Do you know when the trim piece was added? At 14:28 you mention it was on there the entire time, but yet there is evidence of all 3 Universal paint jobs under the trim piece. I'm unclear on the timeline of when it was painted the different times and when the trim piece would have been added.
Nice ... Dig, Dig, Dig you'll find all kinds of stuff. I like it when you show the screenshots and then what you've found.
The sheer odds that are being defied with this project is insane. Forty YEARS with absolutely no attempt at preservation, and not only were both the original Semi Cab AND the original trailer located and obtained, but both still maintained physical evidence that will allow for perfect restoration of the original paint down to the detail work. The only thing not preserved is, ironically, the original hatch door with the slide-out ramps which was originally the only piece Universal made any attempt to preserve.
Also, I personally think it would be more impressive to do the pilot paint job - you've got to repaint the whole thing anyway, might as well go for the gold. You already have the 'main' paint scheme on the small trailer so you would have representation of both memorable versions of the FLAG trailer (no white trailer but lets be frank, there are white trailers all over the place so that's not unique to Knight Rider). The split-style where you have a representation of the two versions also would be appropriate for what you have - the Pilot episode scheme on the right side, where the original paint was rediscovered, and the 'main' scheme on the left/driver side where the stuff for 'The Wrong Crowd' was mounted. Whatever you choose as caretakers of the trailer will look great, of course, since you've earned that right with your hard work and dedication. I predict tears of joy when the day comes and the restored trailer and semi cab are finally reunited at the hitch and after 40 years, KITT can return to the FLAG trailer proper through the back.
That small pulley on the roof might be for a cable for the lock so you wouldn't have to go up a ladder to unlock the door. Maybe a spring loaded locking latch?
This just keeps getting better and better!
Congratulations on finding gold paint. It's not the horse, but it's something.
I said in another video that you could try sanding to see if the horse appeared.
"where there was fire, embers remain" 😋😍😍😍😍😍
Hr already explained the trailer was completely soda blasted to bare metal since it left Universal. The area he wet sanded had a plate covering it that protected it from the soda blasting process,
Looking at the slot, there is a pully directly above it. Perhaps the "lock pin" was able to be released with a cable?
Hey Joe, been following along. Great project! There's a high likelihood that the original rollup door would've had a cable-and-spring system of some type to help with opening the heavy door. That's probably what that track was for along the center of the underside of the roof. A small curved arm attaching to the top panel of the roll-up door likely followed the track and had a cable that followed inside the track toward the forward end of the trailer where it wound onto a spring-loaded capstan or something similar. Just a thought...!
Great video, such finesse with the sanding. Those short bolts could be a mounting bracket for a winch or winches, that spanned the width of the trailer. I know if the screenshots you shared the cable goes horizontal from the pulley, maybe the cut off bolts were for another set of pulleys to guide it.
That strange little pulley is probably for the 'counter weight' mechanism for the roll up door. It could be a spring that countered the weight of the door so it could be lifted with one hand.
Joe. It would appear that you have the Midas touch! Every trailer you touch turns to gold!
Now this find is like giving me a nice piece of chocolate! And again - you know every bolt and nut in the semi and you demonstrate everything to us very clearl. Also I am really impressed by Andrews clever observations and remarks, of course. And unbelievable it is - uncovering actually three levels of the original paint!!! I wonder -what else will you uncover????!!!!
Such a cool video Joe!! I'm just amazed by what you keep discovering, bravo!!!
i still can't believe you found the original frickin trailer!
History unfolding before my eyes. Superb