Restore the "Knight Rider" Screen Used Semi!
Donation protected
*UPDATE! We FOUND the original Dorsey trailer too!*
In the 1980's, millions of people - from young kids to grown adults - sat down on Friday nights to watch "Knight Rider" - you know, the show with the talking, indestructible Trans Am named KITT? Well, fans of the show may also remember another character of the vehicular variety, almost as important as KITT himself. The Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) semi! This GMC General tractor pulling a Dorsey trailer was the "home away from home" for Michael Knight and KITT. It appeared in nearly every episode of the series. The show used two different GMC tractors during the four year run.
As the Knight Rider Historians, we have spent the last 25 years hunting down props from the series as well as talking to the cast and crew who made the show happen. We had always wondered what happened to the real, screen used semi, and about five years ago, we had the chance to find out. We obtained data from the product placement firm that was responsible for placing the GMC General on the show. With that all important VIN found on the paperwork, we traced the General down to a rural Idaho farm. This is the General from the last two seasons of the show.
The truck had been sitting in a field for 15 years. Blue paint sits atop the original black paint with gold trim. MANY mice had taken residence up inside of it. Wires were chewed. The frame was chopped and an incorrect suspension was added. All ten tires were dry rotted. The fake sleeper, added for the show, was missing. You can check out our full reveal video of this day on the video below.
In January of 2022, we also found the original, screen used Dorsey trailer used in all four seasons of the show! It has had MANY modifications done over the years that we need to remove. Our biggest challenge (and expense) will be the reworking of the rear ramp and its mechanics to make it back to the way it was in 1986! When this project is done, we plan to tour the semi, complete with a replicated set inside, around the country!
Our goal is to restore this tractor and trailer to its exact appearance and configuration as seen in 1986, when the series ended. To do that, we will need YOUR HELP! On the tractor, just buying ten new tires will be thousands of dollars. We have to custom build a sleeper to match the one the studio had on the truck. We have to hire a reputable suspension shop to replace the air ride setup with the original spring style that the truck had. The frame needs fixed. We have to gut the interior and buy all new fabrics. The wiring needs fixed. And, we need to refinish the exterior to replicate the black and gold livery from the show.
The trailer needs skirting removed, the interior gutted, the entire outside soda blasted and painted, the rear ramp needs reworked, holes need patched...and after all of that, the interior needs recreated just like you saw it on the stage at Universal Studios!
Your help in this project is VITAL. We rescue these props as a passion, and to do that, it takes money - a lot of it. Please consider donating - every dollar will help us to our goal of making this restoration top notch and ensuring that the Knight Rider semi will be preserved for future generations. Thank you from the Knight Rider Historians!
In the 1980's, millions of people - from young kids to grown adults - sat down on Friday nights to watch "Knight Rider" - you know, the show with the talking, indestructible Trans Am named KITT? Well, fans of the show may also remember another character of the vehicular variety, almost as important as KITT himself. The Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) semi! This GMC General tractor pulling a Dorsey trailer was the "home away from home" for Michael Knight and KITT. It appeared in nearly every episode of the series. The show used two different GMC tractors during the four year run.
As the Knight Rider Historians, we have spent the last 25 years hunting down props from the series as well as talking to the cast and crew who made the show happen. We had always wondered what happened to the real, screen used semi, and about five years ago, we had the chance to find out. We obtained data from the product placement firm that was responsible for placing the GMC General on the show. With that all important VIN found on the paperwork, we traced the General down to a rural Idaho farm. This is the General from the last two seasons of the show.
The truck had been sitting in a field for 15 years. Blue paint sits atop the original black paint with gold trim. MANY mice had taken residence up inside of it. Wires were chewed. The frame was chopped and an incorrect suspension was added. All ten tires were dry rotted. The fake sleeper, added for the show, was missing. You can check out our full reveal video of this day on the video below.
In January of 2022, we also found the original, screen used Dorsey trailer used in all four seasons of the show! It has had MANY modifications done over the years that we need to remove. Our biggest challenge (and expense) will be the reworking of the rear ramp and its mechanics to make it back to the way it was in 1986! When this project is done, we plan to tour the semi, complete with a replicated set inside, around the country!
Our goal is to restore this tractor and trailer to its exact appearance and configuration as seen in 1986, when the series ended. To do that, we will need YOUR HELP! On the tractor, just buying ten new tires will be thousands of dollars. We have to custom build a sleeper to match the one the studio had on the truck. We have to hire a reputable suspension shop to replace the air ride setup with the original spring style that the truck had. The frame needs fixed. We have to gut the interior and buy all new fabrics. The wiring needs fixed. And, we need to refinish the exterior to replicate the black and gold livery from the show.
The trailer needs skirting removed, the interior gutted, the entire outside soda blasted and painted, the rear ramp needs reworked, holes need patched...and after all of that, the interior needs recreated just like you saw it on the stage at Universal Studios!
Your help in this project is VITAL. We rescue these props as a passion, and to do that, it takes money - a lot of it. Please consider donating - every dollar will help us to our goal of making this restoration top notch and ensuring that the Knight Rider semi will be preserved for future generations. Thank you from the Knight Rider Historians!
Organizer
Joe Huth
Organizer
Butler, PA
