First V8 SBC kit

[Shaun41178(2)]

Gary Zumalt was the first to put a SBC in a fiero other then GM. Then V8Archie came along and copied Zumalt.

[Mastermind]

Gary Zumalt was the first to put a SBC in a fiero other then GM. Then V8Archie came along and copied Zumalt.

Interesting quote. Although as usual you have distorted the facts to draw your own inaccurate conclusion. I think this thread is just to get a bashing thread going.
Better luck next time.

[Shaun41178(2)]

It was actually to answer Ryans question over from Neverland. His question was who did the first SBC kit. The answer is zumalt. Sorry but thats not distorted. Thats fact.

[whipped]

I don't think anybody knows, so I'm just going to claim it.

I built a 350 and put it in a fiero in march of 1984. I used a wooden adapter plate because aluminum hadn't been invented yet. Proof? Pics? :bootyshake:

[The Dark Side of Will]

Rchee wrote a thread about this a while back. He claims his kit is superior to the Zumalt kit for a number of reasons, which I basically agree with. I don't think he copied Zumalt, though. There are only so many ways to skin a cat... or in this case to put an engine that just doesn't fit into a car it shouldn't be in.

[Mastermind]

It was actually to answer Ryans question over from Neverland. His question was who did the first SBC kit. The answer is zumalt. Sorry but thats not distorted. Thats fact.

As I said, Your facts are inaccurate.
The "Z" kit was the first kit to be released to the public. Not the first V-8 Fiero to be built aside from GM. Both kits were built/designed during the same time frame so how could either one copy the other?? They didn't even know of each other when both of their original V-8 built cars were completed.
So your first sentence of the original post is sort of correct. But the second sentence is plain wrong.

[Shaun41178(2)]

My first sentence is correct yes. But my question to you is Dave, how do you design a kit for a Fiero and put it on sale to the public but never actually install one? Zumalt installed it first and have the first kit out for sale. Which means he was the first.

I mean you have an adapter plate made. Wow thats tough to do. People have been doing that forever. I love to see how everyone gets so tweaked on Neverland when someone is selling a "kit" with an adapter plate just like V8Archie'. Like duh Its a adapter. Only one or two ways to do it. But yet everyone cries foul. V8Archie has no design rights to that adapter plate. So when he or otehrs get tweaked because they copied V8Archie' design I just fall over laughing.

$3k for a kit you have to hack up and nothing fits right anyways? Haha yea good deal. Angle iron isn't hard to find.

[eHoward]

I think they copied V8Archie on Monster Garage too when they made an adapter plate to mate the random engine to the random transmission.

He should sue Jesse James.

[Mastermind]

My first sentence is correct yes. But my question to you is Dave, how do you design a kit for a Fiero and put it on sale to the public but never actually install one? Zumalt installed it first and have the first kit out for sale. Which means he was the first.

Rchee had his first V-8 Fiero built and running in April of 1986.
The "Z" V-8 was late 86 - early 87. The first kit offered in late 1987 to the public thru Hot Rod Magazine. But they had no kits to sell at that point.

You may remember the Hot Rod Magazine article from October of 1987 promoting JD and Gary's V8 Fiero kit. Oh boy, the power of a national magazine!!! JD's phone number and address was in the article - Gary's was not. JD got STACKS and STACKS of mail from people begging to buy the kit!! The phone rang off the wall and, considering the circumstances, were a source of aggravation to JD. People even sent money to pay for mailing a catalogue. And we did'nt have a kit to sell them!

Read the letter from Doug Jones in this thread:
http://www.fiero.com/forum/Archives/Arch ... 19134.html

[stimpy]

Why are we plugging .nl?

[Pyrthian]

and - more importantly - wtf does it matter?
I cannot think of a single car that someone hasnt stuffed a SBC into.....
I am sure someone did it before either of the two above mentioned.
but - I expect the heart of the crying is who made the first publicly available kit, which break downs into who has the braggin' rights....

doesnt matter.
V8Archie is the man. Zumalt can be cover in 24k gold - wouldnt matter.
and if Zumalt was the man - then shaun would be crying that V8Archie is the man. whatever. Microsoft - Linux - V8Archie - Zumalt - PC - Mac. Theres always #1, and some loudmouth touting #2.

[Shaun41178(2)]

If you ever met V8Archie then you would soon realize that he is the loudmouth.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Haha... yeah, he just told me to "Time to start telling the whole story instead of calling people names." Talk about the pot abusing the kettle.


http://www.fiero.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/078407-3.html

[Shaun41178(2)]

Hey Will, ask that knuckdragging neanderthall what those cars run in the qtr mile. He wont' have an answer.

Sure you can build something, but that doesnt' mean it will perform. Perfect example. That knuckledragger built a 6 spd v8 and it ran a high 13. Yea man you are awesome!! You build fast shit!!!!

Hell I can take a pic of my shitbox 2.8 that I installed and then say I am the fucking greatest. Doesnt' mean I am.

[Pyrthian]

Hey Will, ask that knuckdragging neanderthall what those cars run in the qtr mile. He wont' have an answer.

thats pretty funny. afterall - all SBC's put out the same power.....
and over 400 is just impossible
ponderous - just ponderous.....

[The Dark Side of Will]

I thought about asking him if he'd gotten any of those TPI's over 200 WHP yet, but I'm not posting in that thread to one-up Rchee; I'm trying to be helpful to the guy who asked about getting more out of his 2.8 powered Ferrari.

[Shaun41178(2)]

He wouldnt' know if they were over 200 whp or not. He has no reason to dyno any of his work. HE HAS NOTHING TO PROVE!! If he did people wouldnt' go to him. People arent' going to spend $5k to make 200 whp and run 14's in the qtr mile.

He sells based on old school thinking that it takes a sbc v8 with a carb to go fast. Which is probably why he has filed for bankruptcy 5 times for his business.

Hell he didn't have the TPI efi figured out till the mid 90's Too much wiring!!!1 NOES!!!

I jsut read a post on fagland of a guy selling his V8Archie v8 Fiero and ended up buying a 3800 SC swapped fiero. Sort of says something.

[V8Mikie]

Everyone knows V8 Mikie was the first V8 Fiero kit available...

[Boscolingus]

If you ever met V8Archie then you would soon realize that he is the loudmouth.

HAHA - you should hear him at the Knott's Kit Car shows out here in CA... " Bow down before your god, for I am V8Archie, the only Fiero-kit-car-with-a-small-block-provider" haha

[BigRedDeckSpoiler]

I thought about asking him if he'd gotten any of those TPI's over 200 WHP yet...

Here's one. I was there when this run was laid down. Belongs to Freddy Clark from Montgomery Alabama.