Congratulations on your upcoming retirement, Archie! I hope someone does buy you out to keep the shop running. I'm glad to hear the V8 kits will still be available.
Congrats on retirement Archie and best wishes for your move to a warmer climate! I thank you and Chris & Rob for all the work put in to choptop#10. Although it's a shame to see things winding down, I'm sure you'll enjoy the new routine. It was a pleasure doing business with a straight shooter who did what he promised and had an old school work ethic! Keep in touch
Don't see where anybody will come close to providing the same level of service and product for a long time. Unless your guys are able to keep things going under your supervisory eye, long distance or not.
At any rate, really hope you enjoy your time off, and I can't help but think you'll be getting into something or other, as I don't think you're the type to just "sit around" most of the time. Also here's hoping things improve for your wife with you being able to devote more time to being together.
If I had the cash to take over, we'd have already signed the papers.
Don't be a stranger here either!
Congratulations on making it to retirement! Be sure to get some good shades for that Nevada sun!
HAGO!
WAIT! .......does it seem "odd" that Archie and Letterman announce their retirement at the same time? Didn't Letterman have a Fiero? Ok...I can see it now...Archie is gonna just work with Letterman! Dave is gonna have the most awesome Fiero ever! Ok, maybe that's a stretch, but geez...two greats throwing in the towel practically on the same day... J/K guy, hope things go exactly as planned and you have many happy leisurely years in the sun with your better half.
[This message has been edited by Sage (edited 04-04-2014).]
wow!.... i almost dont feel like i should be commenting on this, i havnt been here long at all and i dont even own a fiero at the moment. but ive followed you and your work since high school way before i got my first car. Ive always wanted to do what you do, part of why i became an auto tech. I have nothing but respect for you and wish you the best.
If there is a FIERO HALL OF FAME in the future I'd like to nominate Archie as the 1st inductee.
I have only met him once and unfortunately cannot buy his product yet or I guess maybe never. I agree with your nomination, for someone to dedicate 27 years toward one car is a testament to his love of that car. Good Luck and God Bless you and your wife's retirement. Maybe at least place his mug shot on the top of the forum page.
Archie, I have talked to you a few times on the phone and have seen your work over the years and have been very impressed. This last Tuesday, April 1st, I dropped by to talk to you about a Warber hood. It was a pleasure to meet you in person after all these years. I was impressed with the things that you do and have done for the Fiero community. And I wish you well in your semi retirement. Catch a lot of sun and have fun. Take care of your wife and enjoy yourself.
Mark
PS: I would love to get away from the snow and cold too. It was pretty cold out there in Rockford on Tuesday with the wind and the colder weather. So a little sun and warmth would do you good.
No words....punch in the gut. While I am glad for you personally, this is a blow to the Fiero community. Archie, I wish you the best. Family is the most important thing.
The number of Fiero vendors dwindles annually, it seems. I hope someone does buy the shop, but not just any someone. It is one thing to swap an engine or body, but another thing entirely to do what Archie has done. I don't want anyone to make a mockery of Archie's legacy.
If someone comes along & wants to buy me out. I think that Rob & Kris, under the right circumstances, would love to continue to build Fieros. If someone buys me out I'll just retire & help the new owner as much as I can & as much as he wants.
I hope someone does and carries on the torch! But even if you still sell kits and do a few cars a year thats cool too! Glad we will still see you around at Fiero events Congrats on retirement.
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 04-04-2014).]
wow! Obviously this was going to come. So congrats on that Archie. And BOY AM I GLAD I bought the wide body and hatch when I did!!!! Not that they will go out of production as I am sure someone with buy the molds but they have to get set up etc etc. So timing worked out well.
Good Luck Archie!
Curious to see how this all plays out, sure hope someone is able to keep this business going. I may even be interested in being an investor if someone is looking.
I'm stunned by all the nice comments that have been posted so far & I want you to know that I appreciate all of them.
I feel like it's all a big group hug. LOL
I'll try to respond to some of them when I can get caught up.
Since posting this thread yesterday, I've got a bunch of PM's that I have to get time to answer & I've had a lot of phone calls from my customers or as I call them "Friends".
For some reason my V8Archie.com email has been down since the 31st. But I have a friend that's stopping by Saturday to figure out what's wrong with it & get it fixed.
So if anyone has sent an email in the last few days, I should be able to get to them this weekend.
I'd like to assure everyone, that all of the products that I've been selling are still going to be available either from me or from whoever buys the tooling for those products from me.
In my original post when I stated that I was going to "..continue to sell V-8 kits... " I ment V-8 kits & 6 speed kits. If someone comes along & buys the V-8 kit business they are also going to be getting the 6 speed conversion business too. I'm not splitting those up & they will continue to be available either way.
Also, all of the pictures that I've posted in all of the build threads have always been hosted on my V8Archie.com space. No matter what happens, I'm not going to let all of the pictures I've posted turn into little Red "X"'s. So even if I completely retire, I'm going to keep paying for that space so that the pictures won't be lost.
Also, most everybody now a days uses cell phones with unlimited calling & no one pays "long distance" anymore. So eventually I'll be dropping my 800 number. But I will replace it with a number where my customers & friends can still get me for free advice & product support.
This reminds me of when I heard Nunzi Romano retired.
So you'll be celebrating the beginning of your retirement with a V8 Archie show in Vegas? I wonder how many V8 Archie cars we could get to show up at one show.
[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 04-04-2014).]
Congratulations on your semi-retirement! You have been a real boon to all Fiero enthusiasts, and we have all been mesmerized by the skill and ingenuity shown in the build threads that you have shown us. You have shown yourself to be an honest and hardworking businessman and will be missed. thanks for all the inspiration!
Have a happy retirement! Lots of good rust-free chassis in Nevada. I've seen lots of postings of "I'm getting out of Fieros" and in a few months they're back. I hope this is the case for you as well. Enjoyed our chat about kit cars the other day. I'll be through Vegas in May but you won't be there yet. Are you SURE you want to start off with a Vegas SUMMER?
I, for one, and glad to hear this news. After working 27 years plus what you worked before doing Fierros full-time is a long time. You've earned it. I still remember my first ride with you and your red finale at twin Lakes Fieros. We blasted down the side road and you were as hard on that drivetrain as you were on the brakes of that car.
I've always thought about rebuilding that car. That's been my favorite rebody and one of my favorite fieros that was ever made.
Archie our paths crossed once at wheatstock in Topeka and unfortunately that was the only time I was able to chat with you. The fact that I still remember the short chat we had 10 years ago shows just how important you have been to the community and I sincerely appreciate all of the hard work and time you have put into the fiero community. I can barely remember what I did yesterday! I may have opted to go the L67 route but I always knew where the best v8 kits were. If your kits hadn't become as popular as they were we may not see as large of a swap community as what we have now. I hope you find what you're looking for in your semi-retirement .
Best of luck Archie,we're losing an ican in the Fiero community.Always a class act and willing to help anyone and stood behind his product. WE WILL MISS YOU.Let us know where you are at so we can stop by and see you when in the area.
Wow, Archie, I know you've been doing it for a long time, so your retirement doesn't surprise me, but the reality of it still hasn't sunk in.
You are a pillar of the Fiero community, and I greatly enjoyed meeting you, Kris & Rob.
Thank you so very much for selling me the Automoda kit you'd purchased from eBay all those years ago, and thank you to all three of you for doing such a fantastic job installing it on my (then red, now yellow) Formula. You truly made one of my biggest lifelong dreams come true. I can't imagine any price offered for it that I would accept, because I don't know that I could ever replace it.
I wish you the most enjoyable retirement possible, and I wish you and your wife great health and the best time together in Vegas. My father-in-law lives there, so maybe the next time we visit him, we can all go out for drinks (he's a big 'car guy', too).
Rob and Kris - I hope the two of you keep doing what you're doing - you're way too good at it to have to quit.
More best wishes than I know how to convey in mere words on a screen.
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com
1988 Fiero Formula - Automoda convertible repainted PPG Ferrari 'Giallo Modena' yellow
[This message has been edited by LZeitgeist (edited 04-04-2014).]
Archie you are one of the greatest guys I know. You took my car in after I tried to chop it myself and it was nearly destroyed ( thank god those pics are little red x's now ) . Everything you have done for me over the years was done ahead of schedule with pictures all along the way not keeping anything from the world on how you, Kris and Rob did every step. A Huuuuge loss has just happened to the Fiero community. History has taught us that most talk a good game but can never deliver as scheduled, in a realistic time frame of ones life, or the work never gets done or done incorrectly. Archie I hope that someone that has real Integrity and drive can take the torch from you but I have many doubts that they will be the whole package like you are. Congratulations to you and your wife on starting this next chapter in your lives. I will stay in touch and when I get back to Vegas I will definitely let you know I am coming and would like to take you guys to dinner. Your friend, Chris
[This message has been edited by cornersonrails (edited 04-06-2014).]
I would like to point out that Archie has been a primary Sponsor of the Daytona trophies each year. For that I am eternally grateful. This year unbenounced to him he financed a diecast 8 pound highly detailed Chevrolet small block v8 trophy. Thanks again Archie, for everything you have done for us over the years.
[This message has been edited by rpro (edited 04-04-2014).]
Wow!!! So much to read and I agree with every sentiment expressed here... It's possibly the saddest news to the Fiero Community since 1988, but if anyone deserves a long and happy retirement, it's you Archie... After 27+ years of unflinching decication to this little car, a Community, an Idea, and to continuous Innovation, I would say that you've earned every minute of it... After years of browsing your website, admiring the ever-growing collection of Fiero pics, eagerly reading thru build threads, watching with enthusiasm as each new idea became a project and then a product, and even the occasional E-mail conversation regarding several of your list of products which I still want to get my hands on (F40 kit and at least 1 set of IRM rockers, in particular, lol), I was finally able to stop in and meet the Legend Himself last summer on the way home from Indy with my new 85 convertible in tow, and I'm so glad I did... Not only did you take time out of a busy day to chat with a random Fiero Fan who happened to be passing thru (in actual fact, I spent the night at a truckstop a few miles away just so I could stop in and meet you in person, lol), but you even gave me the "Grand Tour" and showed me the latest Big Project in the shop... BTW, I saw pics of that Enterra on one of the FB groups the other day, it looks fantastic, you and the guys did a great job, as usual... It is sure a far cry from the beat up collection of steel and fiberglass I saw in the shop that day, lol...
So from myself and the ever-growing family of Fiero Fans on the Facebook groups that don't have memberships here, I want to thank you for that visit, for all the fantastic products and Fabulous cars you've built over the years, and for years of Dedication to the Fiero Family... and I want to wish you and your family all the best in your new adventures... May the warmth and sunshine keep you in high spirits and your wife in good health for years to come, and I look forward to crossing paths again at (hopefully) numerous Fiero Shows in the future...
And I do agree, someone needs to either buy out the business, or at least snap up Rob and Kris and put them to work in another great Fiero Shop...
Anthony Budjak Edmonton Fiero Owners Group (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), Canadian Fieros FB Group, FAA/USFA - Canada
PS: I second the idea of a V8 Archie Fiero Show in Vegas... While I don't own a V8 Fiero, I would happily run my 3800 car down from the Great White North to see as many of your V8, Chop, and Rebody cars together in one place as you and the Las Vegas Fiero Club could muster up
------------------ 1986 Fiero SE 2.8 Auto - Blackie 1985 Fiero GT 2.8 4-spd - Goldie II - To be driveable this season 1985 Fiero GT Convertible - 3.8SC 4-spd - long term project 1987 Cavalier Z24 2.8 5-spd - daily driver - 300k miles and still goin 1993 Bonneville SSEi - 3800SC parts/wiring donor for 85 Vert
[This message has been edited by 85red2m6 (edited 04-05-2014).]
i have been holding off on posting partly because i was trying to find the right words to say, and partly because even though i knew this day was approaching (quickly), i was kind of hoping i was just imagining things and this thread would just magically go away.
In waiting to post, many of you have stepped forward and captured many of the sentiments that i was grappling with to put to words. IMO Archie you were not just one of the best vendors out there, you sir were the glue that helped hold the fiero community together.
You and your team inspired many a dream and helped keep the passion for our little cars alive and thriving. i think what hurts most of us is that we know that there will likely never be another one like you to come along. You have made and left your mark on history. If there ever was such a thing as a fiero hall of fame your bust would be among the tiny few who would be enshrined.
i personally feel proud to have been one of your customers over the years and someone who highly appreciates all the knowledge and contributions you have shared and made to our unique hobby. Your rest and retirement is well earned and deserved,...no matter how selfishly we wish it was not true.
Thanks for answering all my nagging questions over the years, putting up with my sloooow project back in the day, for your many fiero innovations, and for your always loyal charitable donations and support for various fiero related events.
i could go on and on but it would just make me feel even sadder. Guys we are losing a good one.
To Rob and Kris you guys are amazing,... we REALLY need to find a way to keep you guys in the fiero community.
Archie,...... thanks for everything, you will be greatly missed.
To a legend and a friend,......best wishes to you and your wife,..... enjoy your retirement.
[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 04-05-2014).]
I'm happy for you Archie, as all men before us their comes a time in our life when our focus in life changes. It's called retirement. Enjoy it to the fullest.
Have not been on here much lately and have been doing other things but I am saddened to hear this....
Archie, I don't think there is anyone anywhere who knows anything about fiero's that does not know who you are. You are a TRUE INNOVATOR and have been responsible for some of the most custom and eye popping custom Fiero's anyone has ever seen. Your choptops and widebodies have been the stuff of my dreams for a long time now. Sadly I have never been able to afford to pay for your skills but that does not discount the admiration I have for you and your creations. The comments made that your retirement will leave a huge hole in the Fiero World are understatements. You have done so much and made so many interesting creations for this little car we all love that a spot atop the heap in the Fiero Hall of Fame should be a given if there was one. It is sad that your employees cannot continue your business in your absence and perhaps someone with the right mindset and business sense will step in and buy your company out. If not then we will certainly have lost a very valuable resource to the community forever. Here's wishing you the best in your well earned retirement and I hope you enjoy sitting out in the sun drinkin' Pina Colada's in the Arizona sun around your family. You are the best and will probably always be the best at creating custom Fiero's. It was a privilege to watch your creations unfold on these pages here. Good luck and peace to you and your family.
