The Ferrari Daytonas of Miami Vice

[jurassic narc]

The picture Dick sent were of the original door handle' date=' when I got the replacement from Mr. Fiat? (I think) it had this small extra piece on it and to cut off that piece to get it to fit properly, I did swap out the inners. You can get a new lock part but there was nothing wrong with the original so I just reused it. By the way same looking door locks used on the Ferrari 400IBob[/quote']Okay. Thanks.

[Kavinsky]

Meras were sold in '87 and '88--don't know specifically when they ceased production. It's hard to stop a popular car--flash molds were made from the original Meras and some very nice kits were built.

I think that's about the time Mcburnie and Carl Roberts were target by ferrari as well, hell actually Sonny's car was made in 1988.plus its worth noting that we think that the same person who did his cars interior is the one who did yours, who also was a family member of the guy who did the work on the vice car. Mark Chinetti, as your car and his have very similar interiors.hell could be that both your car and Sonny's could have very well been sister cars for all we know.

[jurassic narc]

on a different matter though just from the sound of it with the daytona case file does that mean that legally ferrari themselves cant call the 365 GTB/4 a daytona? it kind of sounds like that from the wording there.like they themselves would get sued by the track for using that name for it.

Ferrari didn't call it the Daytona. That was only in magazines and non-official literature. As far as Ferrari was concerned it was the "365GTB or 365GTS", and nothing more.

[jurassic narc]

In the Red Tomato video he says it's a McBurnie but it's got Rowley door handles' date=' similar to the real Ferrari. Wondering if it's a combination or something, to my knowledge all McBurnies used Alfa door handles.The Houston car is nice, I like the two tone leather interior...STILL looking for those Zenith/Dayton wire wheel chips. Been daily looking on eBay for 2 years and been to two local swap meets...the search continues! Many are similar, none are quite the same.I wanted S-B's dash when he was going to go with one like the MV car. Sounds like swapping dashes is a pain. Will keep my interior the same for now (will swap out for the 78-82 clam shell style seats) and spend some time figuring out what I want to do with my dash next year. Long term project car!If Crockett and Tubbs were fighting crime today they would definitely be in a convertible version of the new F12 Ferrari. The fact that Michael Mann, who I love for S1 and S2 and loathe for S3-S5 + MV2006, is wearing Wayfarers popularized in S1 and S2 is ironic. You owe us, Mr. Mann. You had a chance to rectify S3-S5 and you gave us...Colin Farrell. Might as well have been Will Ferrell.Happy holidays to all.BW[/quote']Just catching up on some of this, but thought I would throw this out--better late than never. The door handles were something that I know Carl Roberts changed over to the Ferrari style, but they could easily end up on a McBurnie. McBurnie cars were built in at least two locations (McBurnie and California Coachcraft). Essentially the cars were identical, except the molds for some actually have California Coachcraft rathere than McBurnie Coachcraft. When times were good, all these builders shared information. Around 1988 they all were looking to make the kits more Ferrari like. Rowley's car is featured in an article with the Ferrari badges dash guages, and the McBurnies were moving more toward the Ferrari reproduction (remember that Mardikian was doing more of an homage).The initial law suits were filed along about this time, but everyone thought the kit makers would prevail. Prior to this time the law seemed to favor the upstarts, and even Ferrari only went after McBurnie at first to see what would happen. Even after the first suit was filed everyone pretty much continued on course except Rowley. When McBurnie went down, things took and ugly turn and the competetion got to be more cut-throat. When Roberts fell, the whole bunch went underground.Roberts still has some small stock of parts, as I'm sure exist in private garages in places around, but everyone is afraid to go public with their stuff. When I first met Carl I had to spend some time convincing him I wasn't an investigator for Ferrari! (which would probably pay better than what I make, but still....)Just some additional thoughts on the original topic.

[Sonny-Burnett]

Ferrari didn't call it the Daytona. That was only in magazines and non-official literature. As far as Ferrari was concerned it was the "365GTB or 365GTS"' date=' and nothing more.[/quote']according to Wikipedia, here is the genesis of the Daytona name:"The unofficial Daytona name is reported to have been applied by the media rather than Ferrari and commemorates Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish[2] in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with the 330P4.[3]"

[Kavinsky]

I think those ferrari investigators are probably abit more worried about these though

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyCbr_OqEQs

while I think of it Jurrasic you said after the door handles you were going to move the mirrors right? I'm kind of curious to see how they look as yours are mounted a touch further back than on the vice car it looks likehttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7599&stc=1&d=1361316088as I'm not sure but it looks like its closer to the start of the window pillar, while yours starts behind it, like an inch back or so.and I gotta say your car has turned out really well as is by the way.

[jurassic narc]

I think those ferrari investigators are probably abit more worried about these though

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyCbr_OqEQs

while I think of it Jurrasic you said after the door handles you were going to move the mirrors right? I'm kind of curious to see how they look as yours are mounted a touch further back than on the vice car it looks likehttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7599&stc=1&d=1361316088as I'm not sure but it looks like its closer to the start of the window pillar' date=' while yours starts behind it, like an inch back or so.and I gotta say your car has turned out really well as is by the way.[/quote']Thanks. Not 100% on moving the mirrors. I will have to see if that can be done with minimal painting, although I think the doors will end up having to get the full treatment. The fiberglass is starting to crack on the training edge of the door panels, so the plan is to re-do the door panel ends, add the door handles and move the mirrors. But at this point if the mirror location saves me a chunk of money they will stay. If the cost is minimal then down they come. They are really designed to be further down the door and are at about the end of their travel to sit on the top. If I wanted to can them down further away from the car the brackets wouldn't allow it.JN

[Kavinsky]

Thanks. Not 100% on moving the mirrors. I will have to see if that can be done with minimal painting' date=' although I think the doors will end up having to get the full treatment. The fiberglass is starting to crack on the training edge of the door panels, so the plan is to re-do the door panel ends, add the door handles and move the mirrors. But at this point if the mirror location saves me a chunk of money they will stay. If the cost is minimal then down they come. They are really designed to be further down the door and are at about the end of their travel to sit on the top. If I wanted to can them down further away from the car the brackets wouldn't allow it.JN[/quote']Ah I see, also I forgot to mention with that front end lift problem that it makes sense that blocking off the area behind the grill would reduce the lift and make it more planted, like you've done with your car. As I remember reading that with the Corvette C3 it got its air from underneath the car, not the front as the license plate is right where the conventional grill should be on most cars: plus when trying to figure out just what on earth the problem was with the cooling system of sonny burnetts car they wanted to cut a hole in the front chin spoiler to let more air in, when they had just put in the fan backwardshell looking at the lineage of the corvette, it looks like it stayed that way until the corvette C6 toonow they've gone WAY too far the other way with the new one, it so reminds me of the cheshire cats grin now

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fN-XQY8VAo

damn it I miss the C5 lol, but anyways yeah it does make sense that, that worked by blocking the radiator off with a piece of aluminum siding behind the grill.

[reholmes]

hell could be that both your car and Sonny's could have very well been sister cars for all we know.

Well' date=' Bob's car (soon I will start calling it "my" car) has a McBurnie serial/VIN plate, maybe we should compare numbers. [ATTACH=CONFIG']7602[/ATTACH]

[Kavinsky]

Jurrasic I just had an odd thought, what if the pilot seat was simply skeltonized and then had a markadian headrest put ontop of it?http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7604&stc=1&d=1361440275http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7608&stc=1&d=1361440285vs the stock 78 stylehttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7610&stc=1&d=1361440339I mean look close at the photo, when the daytona striping stops it suddenly dips in the photo until the start of the headrest, and between it and the striping there is a pocket there hell maybe the middle was removed and headrest was added to hold the two edges where the stitching was together, hence why when they tried to remove it they thought it would just be easier to put a new upper half on itplus it would explain why the stitching is visible in this shot but it seems to disappear into the headresthttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7607&stc=1&d=1361440284http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7611&stc=1&d=1361440905maybe this is how they did it with the stock 78 Seat:http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7606&stc=1&d=1361440282http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7605&stc=1&d=1361440280http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7609&stc=1&d=1361440336http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7613&stc=1&d=1361442156it would explain why it wasnt easily replicated and why they decided to redo the seat tops despite the bottoms being straight stock 78 units in the pilot and before the show started, also notice the reference point in both photos. The snap for the Tonau cover.seems like there is more space between the seat tops in that shot than there are now with car 4 judging by the space between the seats.and why in the pre vice shot the back part of the headrest seemed to noticeably protrude above the seats, while on the stock ones there for the most part evenly matched http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7612&stc=1&d=1361441405and it would explain why they've been so damn hard to figure out what exactly he did to them to make them look like that, he took the stock dimensions and moved them around when it came to the headrest of the car.and also gave it a sloping look not unlike that of the TR's seats at 1:31

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RaiMNhYStA

rather than its current look, gotta wonder though if it had carpet on the back of it like it does now back then or if that was another change to it and it makes me wonder how a pilot seat would look like with that S2 black leather strap on its back?

[jurassic narc]

http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7604&stc=1&d=1361440275http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7608&stc=1&d=1361440285vs the stock 78 stylehttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7610&stc=1&d=1361440339I mean look close at the photo, when the daytona striping stops it suddenly dips in the photo until the start of the headrest, and between it and the striping there is a pocket there hell maybe the middle was removed and headrest was added to hold the two edges where the stitching was together, hence why when they tried to remove it they thought it would just be easier to put a new upper half on itplus it would explain why the stitching is visible in this shot but it seems to disappear into the headresthttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7607&stc=1&d=1361440284http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7611&stc=1&d=1361440905maybe this is how they did it with the stock 78 Seat:http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7606&stc=1&d=1361440282http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7605&stc=1&d=1361440280http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7609&stc=1&d=1361440336http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7613&stc=1&d=1361442156it would explain why it wasnt easily replicated and why they decided to redo the seat tops despite the bottoms being straight stock 78 units in the pilot and before the show started, also notice the reference point in both photos. The snap for the Tonau cover.seems like there is more space between the seat tops in that shot than there are now with car 4 judging by the space between the seats.and why in the pre vice shot the back part of the headrest seemed to noticeably protrude above the seats, while on the stock ones there for the most part evenly matched http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7612&stc=1&d=1361441405and it would explain why they've been so damn hard to figure out what exactly he did to them to make them look like that, he took the stock dimensions and moved them around when it came to the headrest of the car.and also gave it a sloping look not unlike that of the TR's seats at 1:31

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RaiMNhYStA

rather than its current look, gotta wonder though if it had carpet on the back of it like it does now back then or if that was another change to it and it makes me wonder how a pilot seat would look like with that S2 black leather strap on its back?

It appears that the carpet was always there, although there is no way to prove that except that it is consistent with the trim used on a stock Corvette. One of the things I still can't explain is the rust colored carpet under the dash and nowhere else.I think the seats had a thick bolster which was similar in appearance to a horse collar, and held the Daytona striped "inside part" of the seat together. The bolster at the top appears to be significantly thicker than the stock one, but I think the bulged look of the faux headrest is that the overall horse collar portion is just thicker.And having worked with custom leather work to make it fit the seat, the down side would be that a great deal of work would be needed to get the finished product to fit in the Corvette seat shell. Not to mention that it is almost impossible to get people to do customized (not material or colors, but rather deviation from the correct pattern) for a seat or the dash.I have tried to find people throughout the southeast to do the dash work, and have yet to find a regular custom shop willing to do the work. They will do the daytona stripes, because you still use the basic Corvette seat patterns for the buckets. But try to get them to reform the dash shape, or to adapt any piece of the interior to be used in a modified way, and their eyes get the 1000 mile stare.That is how I ended up learning to do some upholstery work myself. If I had the sewing skills I would just do it all myself. That part is very frustrating!!

[Kavinsky]

It appears that the carpet was always there' date=' although there is no way to prove that except that it is consistent with the trim used on a stock Corvette. One of the things I still can't explain is the rust colored carpet under the dash and nowhere else.I think the seats had a thick bolster which was similar in appearance to a horse collar, and held the Daytona striped "inside part" of the seat together. The bolster at the top appears to be significantly thicker than the stock one, but I think the bulged look of the faux headrest is that the overall horse collar portion is just thicker.And having worked with custom leather work to make it fit the seat, the down side would be that a great deal of work would be needed to get the finished product to fit in the Corvette seat shell. Not to mention that it is almost impossible to get people to do customized (not material or colors, but rather deviation from the correct pattern) for a seat or the dash.I have tried to find people throughout the southeast to do the dash work, and have yet to find a regular custom shop willing to do the work. They will do the daytona stripes, because you still use the basic Corvette seat patterns for the buckets. But try to get them to reform the dash shape, or to adapt any piece of the interior to be used in a modified way, and their eyes get the 1000 mile stare.That is how I ended up learning to do some upholstery work myself. If I had the sewing skills I would just do it all myself. That part is very frustrating!![/quote']With the rust colored carpet I still think that was supposed to be some sort of way to make it look like the burlwood center console extended to the sides from a distance. Which is initially what I thought that was.the remnants of the burlwood, then I looked up close and saw they were carpet in the daytona today photo, atlthough I think its a dark rust color now, not straight rust after looking at the photo of it in the interior of your carwhich just looking it up on google is apparently an actual color, hmph maybe the TR used normal rust colored carpets and then the daytona dark rustSorry I never figured there would be a dark version of it, you know I thought rust was rust and that there is only one color version of itfunny thing though is apparently on the new Kyosho model of the TR they made it too light and its obiviously vice based, where else would they come up with the idea for a cream interior colored white TR, early rims with a left wing A pillar mirror?http://www.ebay.com/itm/FERRARI-TESTAROSSA-WHITE-HIGH-END-EDITION-1-18-BY-KYOSHO-08424-/400391876378?pt=Action_Figures_Diecast_US&hash=item5d39372f1agotta get me one of those when the price comes down abit.With the Bolster one of the things I noticed when looking at the early corvette seats is they were flatter with less support on the sides and inherently tilted back a little it looksthat being from a 73' modeland looking at one of the (what I assume was a concept photo of the overhauled 78 interior before it was made) drawings here I'm kind of wondering if at first he flattened it on the sides to be somewhat like the concept photo of the 78 interior thereyou know leveled it out which it kinda looks like it is herehttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7607&stc=1&d=1361440284as it looks completely level with only his head sitting on the headrest while the 78 tilts inwards a touchhttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7606&stc=1&d=1361440282meaning there is a chance that maybe the bolster/headrest was actually about the same thickness as the stock seat headrest.its just the rest of the seat was modified to be flatter.and You could try a furniture maker for it for the seats. hell you remember how with the Wheeler dealers episode about the Jaguar XJS that he used a cabinet maker to replace the chipped center console wood?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxaea8wEeQssorry the damn discovery channel keeps taking down the episodes on youtube, had to find this foreign dubbed bootleg.and he said that was the same way he did the burlwood for it maybe he used the same kinda thing to help him with the seats? as car seats are just foam rubber, metal, springs and a skin bolted to the car like any kind of chair, hell at my old gunclub they took the rear bench seat out of an old car and used it as an outdoor couch.and its still there and still has the original ashtray on it, foams abit perished though.after all he had to do that in 1981 from scratch, we atleast have photos and a vague template so it would make sense that he might run into the same problem you did.and most hotrods and customs had work done on them by their owners when it came to the interiors, hence the varying quality of the workmanship on them.and one other thing when you look at these photos and sonny's seat there:http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7604&stc=1&d=1361440275http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7608&stc=1&d=1361440285http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7606&stc=1&d=1361440282look at how the seat dips there and you can see the folds for the striping, and it looks like the cutout section is completely flat, like were seeing the flat back of the seat just simply covered in leather.makes me wonder if you cut out the midsection if you could just continue the striping all the way up while making the midsection flatter.

[Kavinsky]

just found something interesting, I remembered that with the corvette guys and you jurrasic that you both thought that the shifter the car had in the show was off of a trans am/firebird and I'm kind of wondering if maybe that could be one of these twohttp://www.ebay.com/itm/82-92-Camaro-Firebird-AUTO-Shifter-Knob-Handle-/261170169640?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3ccef48728&vxp=mtrhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-Camaro-Z28-Automatic-Leather-Shift-Knob-Fit-Firebird-Camaro-/230933791385?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35c4ba0299&vxp=mtrits black, glossy, I dont know if the stitching would show up on the camera and it has a separate button ontop. that could probably be taken off and replaced with the stock corvette one I presume. as I think it is screw on and the one on the knight rider car looks just like the corvette shiftknob in a way at 1:08

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOVQCoANQeY

hell the firebird's highest engine option was the basemodel Corvette C3 motor so it would be logical to think they could be interchangeableat 1:01

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRrfkvhDSCs

and it would explain why it showed up on another daytona replica http://mrmikes.com/ maybe he, mark chinetti had a pontiac firebird lying around when the cars were built, unscrewed it and put it on.also thought this was worth showing, it looks like momo came out with a new shiftknob as well:http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-5-SPEED-6-SPEED-MT-MANUAL-STICK-SHIFT-3D-MOMO-OEM-SHORT-SHIFT-KNOB-/200899885627?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ec690fa3b&vxp=mtrwonder if it would be possible to thread the thing, punch out the top and fit it to a corvette auto as well?

[ripperace]

The shifter in the Mikes Interior car isn't a T/A shifter. The version you see in the Knight Rider clip is the stock T/A shifter, and I know it won't fit a Vette shifter without some major mods. The shifters, while similar, are very different in the way the knob attaches to the stem. If I remember here in the next couple of days, I'll take some pics, maybe a vid of my T/A shifter, and explain some of the differences I know about. Firstly, the T/A shifter knob attaches to the shifter stalk with a snap ring inside the knob. If my memory serves me, the Vette model attaches with a "staple clip" like the later "T" handle T/A's did. The T/A knob also has two locating knobs, or dowels, if you will, that keeps it from spinning on the shifter stalk. The only reason I remember anything about the Vette shifter is my Trans Am had the T handle shifter, and us Knight Rider geeks all want the correct shifter. Problem is, the correct shifter only appeared in the 82 model year car. So having a Vette shifter from an 81, I tried to fit a T/A knob onto it, and it wouldn't work. The shifter actuator was different, the stalk was different, basically two different animals. The shifter know shown in the Mikes Interior car might be an aftermarket model. The Camaro shifter knob is basically a different shape of the T/A shifter. The knobs were interchangeable from 86 forward. Camaro shifters were essentially the same from 82 to 86 except for the 82 version was for the three speed automatics, and from 83 to 86 was for the four speed autos. I call them 8 ball shifters due to the fact that from 82 to 86 had the round ball, with the round actuator button. The thing with us T/A guys is that you could take an 82 knob from a three speed, and transfer it to the four speed shifters out of a Camaro with little modification. Also, the Vette shifters had a more "forward facing" stalk. Basically they leaned more forward, and when pulled back into the L1 location, still had a forward looking stance in that location, whereas the T/A and Camaro shifters the stalk leaned more toward the back of the console in the L1 location.Hope my ramblings aren't confusing any of you. Just trying to give some insight.Ripper

[jurassic narc]

The shifter in the Mikes Interior car isn't a T/A shifter. The version you see in the Knight Rider clip is the stock T/A shifter' date=' and I know it won't fit a Vette shifter without some major mods. The shifters, while similar, are very different in the way the knob attaches to the stem. If I remember here in the next couple of days, I'll take some pics, maybe a vid of my T/A shifter, and explain some of the differences I know about. Firstly, the T/A shifter knob attaches to the shifter stalk with a snap ring inside the knob. If my memory serves me, the Vette model attaches with a "staple clip" like the later "T" handle T/A's did. The T/A knob also has two locating knobs, or dowels, if you will, that keeps it from spinning on the shifter stalk. The only reason I remember anything about the Vette shifter is my Trans Am had the T handle shifter, and us Knight Rider geeks all want the correct shifter. Problem is, the correct shifter only appeared in the 82 model year car. So having a Vette shifter from an 81, I tried to fit a T/A knob onto it, and it wouldn't work. The shifter actuator was different, the stalk was different, basically two different animals. The shifter know shown in the Mikes Interior car might be an aftermarket model. The Camaro shifter knob is basically a different shape of the T/A shifter. The knobs were interchangeable from 86 forward. Camaro shifters were essentially the same from 82 to 86 except for the 82 version was for the three speed automatics, and from 83 to 86 was for the four speed autos. I call them 8 ball shifters due to the fact that from 82 to 86 had the round ball, with the round actuator button. The thing with us T/A guys is that you could take an 82 knob from a three speed, and transfer it to the four speed shifters out of a Camaro with little modification. Also, the Vette shifters had a more "forward facing" stalk. Basically they leaned more forward, and when pulled back into the L1 location, still had a forward looking stance in that location, whereas the T/A and Camaro shifters the stalk leaned more toward the back of the console in the L1 location.Hope my ramblings aren't confusing any of you. Just trying to give some insight.Ripper[/quote']My car has a modified shifter which has the skin of a Trans-Am shifter. You are correct to say that you could not just screw on a TA shifter. The shift knob for the Vette is threaded with a large diameter hole. I used the faux leather skin of the TA over the standard Vette shift knob.The knob on the show car appears to have been a common after-market screw on for the Vette which has simply gone away since the car it fits on is now 31 years out of production. The correct factory knobs are still availabe, but it is very hard to find any after market knobs.JN

[Kavinsky]

The shifter in the Mikes Interior car isn't a T/A shifter. The version you see in the Knight Rider clip is the stock T/A shifter' date=' and I know it won't fit a Vette shifter without some major mods. The shifters, while similar, are very different in the way the knob attaches to the stem. If I remember here in the next couple of days, I'll take some pics, maybe a vid of my T/A shifter, and explain some of the differences I know about. Firstly, the T/A shifter knob attaches to the shifter stalk with a snap ring inside the knob. If my memory serves me, the Vette model attaches with a "staple clip" like the later "T" handle T/A's did. The T/A knob also has two locating knobs, or dowels, if you will, that keeps it from spinning on the shifter stalk. The only reason I remember anything about the Vette shifter is my Trans Am had the T handle shifter, and us Knight Rider geeks all want the correct shifter. Problem is, the correct shifter only appeared in the 82 model year car. So having a Vette shifter from an 81, I tried to fit a T/A knob onto it, and it wouldn't work. The shifter actuator was different, the stalk was different, basically two different animals. The shifter know shown in the Mikes Interior car might be an aftermarket model. The Camaro shifter knob is basically a different shape of the T/A shifter. The knobs were interchangeable from 86 forward. Camaro shifters were essentially the same from 82 to 86 except for the 82 version was for the three speed automatics, and from 83 to 86 was for the four speed autos. I call them 8 ball shifters due to the fact that from 82 to 86 had the round ball, with the round actuator button. The thing with us T/A guys is that you could take an 82 knob from a three speed, and transfer it to the four speed shifters out of a Camaro with little modification. Also, the Vette shifters had a more "forward facing" stalk. Basically they leaned more forward, and when pulled back into the L1 location, still had a forward looking stance in that location, whereas the T/A and Camaro shifters the stalk leaned more toward the back of the console in the L1 location.Hope my ramblings aren't confusing any of you. Just trying to give some insight.Ripper[/quote']yeah it does. I dont know its just weird you know the shifter was changed on the vice car after the show to the stock vette one, I went to the vette boys who had a general guess about it during the shows run, and no one seems to know who the hell made but thought it was a T/A firebird or camaro one so I wrote it off as a custom one off then the Mr Mikes car shows up and I swear its the same damn shift knob, it has to be and I'm just looking at all the possibiles and just cant seem to find out what the damn thing is.I mean its still gotta be around as the Mr Mikes car had a completely redone interior for the website it looked like and it looks brand new.so someone must be making that thing and making it now I figure, I just cant find out what it is.and it does seem to be slanting forward there it has almost sort of an odd deformed shape to it, like its longer in the front and shorter in the back and looks like its got a faint tamper on it on the sides.you know you would think it would show up on more than 2 cars if it still existed and wasnt a one off and the corvette guys would be able to say where to get one.but I have yet to see it on any other corvettes.

[ripperace]

A reproduction knob could be done. If someone has some really great screen grabs of the shifter, you could use the pics to make a master plug, then cast it with a silicone mold and casting resin. Just a thought. People have done that before with the 82 T/A shifter knob so it would fit other years of shifters. The hardest part would be sculpting the knob and the button. I know there aren't a whole pile of Daytona Vice replicas running around, but it is a thought for those that would like to have their car completely "screen accurate." Screen accuracy is something that some people shoot for in the KR replica realm, but really, it's next to impossible because they might have used 5 different cars to film an episode, much less a season. While I realize there were a couple different Daytonas used, you could always shoot for "screen grab accurate," because I know there aren't many instances where we really get to see the shifter.

[jurassic narc]

A reproduction knob could be done. If someone has some really great screen grabs of the shifter' date=' you could use the pics to make a master plug, then cast it with a silicone mold and casting resin. Just a thought. People have done that before with the 82 T/A shifter knob so it would fit other years of shifters. The hardest part would be sculpting the knob and the button. I know there aren't a whole pile of Daytona Vice replicas running around, but it is a thought for those that would like to have their car completely "screen accurate." Screen accuracy is something that some people shoot for in the KR replica realm, but really, it's next to impossible because they might have used 5 different cars to film an episode, much less a season. While I realize there were a couple different Daytonas used, you could always shoot for "screen grab accurate," because I know there aren't many instances where we really get to see the shifter.[/quote']True. I opted for a modified TransAM shifter because I had one in my "formative years". I also went for an actual Ferrari AM/FM Cassette Player, instead of the more generic model used in the show cars. I think the passage of years, and the small number of people who would know the actual details of the two Daytonas, should allow owners of cars to give them a personal touch. I know that my Daytona is not exact, but I am satisfied that my car is as close as I want to be.

[Kavinsky]

Indeed but the odd thing is I have found what I think is the other shifter used on the second car:http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7640&stc=1&d=1362284447http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEVY-CORVETTE-WOOD-GRAIN-AUTOMATIC-VETTE-SHIFT-KNOB-/110607911304?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19c0bec988&vxp=mtrthe screen grab is from whatever works where I noticed the cars nose seemed shorter, then I started to notice the different door panels and the shifter going from black gloss plastic I presume to wood.as there was only two cars used, two out of the production run of 5 made by Mcburnie, Markadian and Mark Chinetti in the early 80's before the show started up a demand for them.the first being a shorter nosed 76 car that had been based on a crashed car chasis causing body issues, the fourth being the surviving one, an 81 car which I believe utilized the longer nose of the 80 - 82's for its benefit and the one used exclusively in the pilot and probably about 60 to 70 % of the timeso going off of that logic and seeing the Mr Mikes corvette Fiero replica with new door panels and seats makes me wonder if its still in production and its just off the grid in some performance shop somewhere.http://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7641&stc=1&d=1362284522either that or Mr. Mike's particular mcburnie wasnt a mcburnie but rather a markadian, one of the other ones that no one has been able to track down.

[jurassic narc]

http://mrmikes.com/vern1.jpghttp://www.miamiviceonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7641&stc=1&d=1362284522either that or Mr. Mike's particular mcburnie wasnt a mcburnie but rather a markadian, one of the other ones that no one has been able to track down.

Mr Mike's actually looks like a shifter from an 88 Vette. It can be added with the entire shift mechanism and work (not 100% on the year). THe car 1 shifter looks like an aftermarket shifter that was available at the time which was simply a wooden ball. It was slightly different the the black or chrome ball that was available (although the chrome ball actually looks like the actual Ferrari shifter).FYI Mark Cichetto only did the interior for Mardikian cars 3 and 4.

[reholmes]

Buy the Rowley Manual' date=' which I think is still available, it has a wiring diagram for the vette to faux Ferrari conversions. [/quote']Are you referring to the Assembly Manual listed on the Rowley Corvette Supply site?

[jurassic narc]

Are you referring to the Assembly Manual listed on the Rowley Corvette Supply site?

Yes. It has the wiring diagram for the replacement dash.

[Sonny-Burnett]

Yes. It has the wiring diagram for the replacement dash.

If anyone finds the link for this item, please post it in here.Thanks S-B

[jurassic narc]

If anyone finds the link for this item' date=' please post it in here.Thanks S-B[/quote']The assembly manual is at the bottom of the pagehttp://www.rowleycorvette.com/gtc.html

[Sonny-Burnett]

The assembly manual is at the bottom of the pagehttp://www.rowleycorvette.com/gtc.html

Thanks JN. You must have it also ...has it helped you in your project work?