I own an 88 formula with a 5 speed transmission. Stock 2.8 v6 iv been searching for a widebody kit to go with the car. V8 archie has them but I question the site it looks a little shabby. Has anybody bought an archie widebkdy kit? And if you or someone you know has a widebody please tell me wherr you got it and the price
[This message has been edited by 88 fiero formula (edited 01-12-2015).]
Despite a variety of opinions about Archie personally, he's probably one of the most respected vendors you'll find here. Having said that, he's semi retired, which probably explains the site, I know he's still selling some parts and remember reading about the body kits but I'm not sure what the status of those are.
[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 01-12-2015).]
I have a wide body that I bought in 1988 from Heavy Breathers. They bought the molds from Diversified Glass Products whom I believe made the bodies for Huffaker Racing. The only part that is not with it is the rear deckled but the stock lid works. I might be able to be persuaded to part with it as I sold both of my Fiero's (an Indy and an 86 GT 5spd w/ only 38k miles, Herb Adams, Koni and Eibach etc.) and have too many other projects to contend with. Mine has never been installed and just sets in storage in Long Beach, Ca all original and never painted or modified. I also have a set of 16 inch by 10 inch and 16 X 8.5 Hayashi Racing rims that have never been installed (the Ferrari style with the wide 5 star pattern, polished and painted gold) I used to be the staff artist for the original Fiero Owner's Club of America so I have a bunch of Fiero collectible stuff as well. If you are interested in the wide body let me know but it would be too expensive to ship out of Ca. I could deliver it in the Los Angeles area though.
I have a wide body that I bought in 1988 from Heavy Breathers. They bought the molds from Diversified Glass Products whom I believe made the bodies for Huffaker Racing.
DGP sold to IRM. Fiero Warehouse (Doug Kinney) bought the molds from IRM a few years ago. Sage produces the fiberglass pieces for Fiero Warehouse. I have bought a lot of their stuff.
Although this is not a wide body, it started life as a Formula, and incorporates several Fiero Warehouse pieces.
The kits are all still on the site. I havnt spoken to him yet. Iv heard mixed opinions of the guy and wanted to know the rep from people who have done business with him before. Also is archie necessarily the least expensive way or just the most convenient? Im 16 I domt have the money to buy a full kit all at once. I was hoping to but them in chunks. Like starting with the skirt pieces then rear quarter panels then the vented hood. Does anybody know a different place to find these parts?? Or some similar. Keep in mind my fiero is a notchback and I have no desire to change it to fastback so if its more of a fastback part I probably won't be interested. Also any advice on gettin exhaust out from under the car to modify? It looked fairly simple but I'd like a second opinion. Its my daily driver and it cabt be out more than a full day
Archie sells "Hips" for the fenders(or used to) they are not real wide body panels. I guess you can cut the fender and fenderwell to get big tires in there. Fierowarehouse / Sage is where you get the real panels for a widebody as Will posted the web pages.
Steven Snyder is current running 275/35 tires on 18x9 wheels. Based on his experience, I think an 18x10 with 285/30's could fit with some work to the strut to allow more backspacing.
That's certainly a cheaper way to get rubber on the road than a wide body.
Originally posted by mental floss: Did he tell you he has them, or are you just assuming he has them because they're posted on his site still?
He may not have any available stock at the moment, that he has stated multiple times in his "retirement" thread, that he is working on getting some local suppliers set up to produce the parts. Once he gets reliable supply lined up in his new location, they widebody and v8 swap kits should be readily available again.
The site itself just looks a bit shabby, because the design and structure is quite old and hasn't been modernized in a very long time. I don't know who made the site for Archie, or how he gets updates done to it, but a new design for it would definitely help I think. The design and organization can make it a bit difficult to find the exact thing you're looking for, on the site.
Originally posted by revin: Archie sells "Hips" for the fenders(or used to) they are not real wide body panels. I guess you can cut the fender and fenderwell to get big tires in there.
He also has the "MadArch" wide body kit, which is quite a bit more than just the "hips" were.
I just noticed that his site is apparently suspended by the host though. Not sure why. I just sent him a PM about it in case he wasn't aware yet.
The kits are all still on the site. I havnt spoken to him yet. Iv heard mixed opinions of the guy and wanted to know the rep from people who have done business with him before. Also is archie necessarily the least expensive way or just the most convenient? Im 16 I domt have the money to buy a full kit all at once. I was hoping to but them in chunks. Like starting with the skirt pieces then rear quarter panels then the vented hood. Does anybody know a different place to find these parts?? Or some similar. Keep in mind my fiero is a notchback and I have no desire to change it to fastback so if its more of a fastback part I probably won't be interested. Also any advice on gettin exhaust out from under the car to modify? It looked fairly simple but I'd like a second opinion. Its my daily driver and it cabt be out more than a full day
If you can't afford it, and can't have the car down more than a single day, then I'd say you shouldn't try to buy parts piecemeal like that. Instead, you should save your money, and wait until you can afford it. You don't want to end up spending $300 on a pair of unpainted body panels, using up your savings, and then 3 days later have something happen to the car that's going to cost you $300 to fix. Save your money and just keep the car running. Take some body shop classes at your local trade school, since you're still in high school, and learn how to do body work, fiberglass repair, etc… Then you can use your new knowledge to build exactly what you want, if the body panels aren't available when you can afford a whole kit.
As for the exhaust, it's just bolts and springs holding it up. Changing the cat, muffler, or tips, requires cutting and welding though.
I spoke to him on the phone about a wide body kit. He said in a couple of weeks (August) but two months came and went. So I didn't ask because of what he intends to do. I asked so I would know what he HAS done. For purchase reasons. You might want to call him to see if they'll be available. Last month somone else was told it would be a few weeks before he has a supplier lined up.
Contrary to what some have reported, I've had the WideBody kits in stock for about 3 months now. In fact I have 2 in stock right now.
I don't think you're going to find any kit that allows you to piece meal it together & have it look ok (& be driven) while you save up to buy more parts. It just doesn't work that way. For example my WideBody rocker panels are going to look funny on the car while you save up to buy the Hips or Rear bumper.
Same thing goes for Dougs IMSA Widebody. I've put a few of them together & doug & Sage do some good fiberglass. But it's not a kit you can piece meal together & have it presentable while you save up money. There are a lot of pics. of the IMSA widebody on the 1st 2 pages of this thread https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum3/HTML/000047.html
If you're going to do a widebody because you want to put wide wheels on it then you'll also want to note the modifications we did to the wheel wells on page 2 of the above thread. The IMSA kit as it is won't allow you to bring the wheel/tire combo all the way out to the edge of the body.
As far as the shabby website.... & things being hard to find on the website, I have to agree, it is getting dated.
I can put a V-8 in a Fiero & I can build a custom Fiero to spec. But, I don't know how to do a website. The current website was done by a Fiero friend out of the NorthWest. He must have lost interest in Fieros. I lost contact with his several years ago & the format or software he used to build the site makes it almost impossible to update the site. I'm currently trying to figure out how to do my own site so that I can update it & keep it current.
Awesom fiero btw. I love that color. Is that spoiler fabricated? Iv never seen one like that before?
Thanks! The color is a 2005-06 Pontiac Grand Prix and G6 color. Stealth Gray. It's also used on some full sized GM trucks.
The spoiler and side scoops come from Fiero Warehouse. Always top quality stuff.
The simplest "wide body" that you're likely to find is from Fiero Fiberglass. http://www.fierofiberglass.com/ It only works on a fastback, however. (It consists of "hips" and door extensions to match the contours.) I've never had an occasion to buy anything from them, but they are generally highly regarded. I wouldn't hesitate. Same for Archie.
I have heard some bad - and nothing good - about Heavy Breathers. But I have no personal experience. YMMV.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 01-13-2015).]
Archie did you change the kit or do you have 2 versions?
Yes, we have 2 versions of the MadArch WideBody. One for the Notchback & one for the fastback models.They both are similar except for the rear fenders where they meet to "B" pillar.
The one you pictured is Chucks car & it's a notchie.
If you are asking because the blue one that Larry posted is different than the red one you posted. Then the answer to your question is No. Larry has an IMSA body that we got from IRM & built for a customer year ago in White. Some time after Larry got the car he had it painted blue.
I hope one of those answers is what you were asking for.
Archie
[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 01-14-2015).]
Yes I know you have the notchie and fastback version. I thought the first blue one was a second version of the notchie. I want both GT and notchie. I google "cars and coffee fiero "quite often to look at the yellow beauty. If I wasn't married I would have both kits already waiting here to be put on, right now I can only dream of the divorce!!
The red one is NICE!! im a pretty big fiero fan and thats one of the nicest ones iv seen in a while! Would anybody be kind enough and willing enough to help me track downthe factory red specifications?? I prefer the bright red but the previous owner of my car repainted it royal blue and did a VERY shotty job. Now im rolling around in what I think is the coolest car ever with some patchy paintwork. And I need the new front air dam and black trim that goes around the car. They semi destroyed both of those before I got my hands on the car. Also any book recommendations for learning about body work? Auto body trade isnt an option for me. Im currently in drafting and design to hopefullu start designing cars one day
If I knew how to post pics id show you the rough spots. The previous owner was not very nice to this car. Hail damage on the hood too. Can I just repair those normally or do I need to do something different since its a plastic hood isnt it?
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