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Old 03-19-2007, 05:05 PM
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Default Fuddle?

I'm trying to do an exhaust/stall this spring, and I have signed up to have my duals installed next monday already.

Now I've come to another question. What converter do I get? I'm only going to have about $650 left over from the exhaust and I'm a college student right now, so no more money will be coming in until this summer. So now I have a question.

I was looking between Vigilante and Yank, and Fuddle a few months back, and trying to decide what I want to get. Last year I had decided to get a Fuddle because people were saying good things about them and the price was right. Then I started looking around again this year and saw that something had happened with Fuddle? No one was saying good things anymore.

Because of my thread trying to decide between yank and vigilante, and because after my exhaust I won't be able to afford their stalls, I got a very nice PM from Fuddle and I remembered them again. They have some very good prices going on right now and were very friendly. They seem to have a good warranty too, 2 years where you can send it back if something breaks and they fix it.

So my questions are these: What happened that made everyone turn against Fuddle? Are they still a good brand to get? Their prices are very good right now(spring sale), which would let me get the converter now before the year is halfway over.

Thanks
Old 03-19-2007, 08:04 PM
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What I know.. Initially there were rumored problems here and there with mfg end. Then John at Fuddle became ill and and was hard to get a hold of for weeks at a time then completely dissapeared. VM, PM, and email boxes were full. At the same time everyone in the company quit so there was nobody left. The problems with the converters surfaced and many people ended up with bad converters. With nothing anyone could do to replace or ask questions on the converters most cut their losses and bought a different converter and junked their fuddles. After a couple months of no response from Admins here Fuddle was dumped from the sponsors. Months later Fuddle was back and trying to make amends but for many there is and always will be a bad taste in the mouth from the whole thing.
Old 03-19-2007, 10:39 PM
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Hmm.. .ok. Well do you know if there are still problems with them? Their sale right now has the converter that they said was rated for 550hp is $385, which looks very attractive. Then the other more expensive one is $535, which is still a whole lot better than the $675 for a Yank. I could also get it right now instead of having to wait till this fall.
Old 03-20-2007, 12:29 AM
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I can tell you this much.
i have a fairly mild stall compared to what a lot of people are running, but it's been on a year and a half, 18000 miles w/o any problems at all.
Old 03-20-2007, 07:40 AM
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Mild like how hard it hits, or what?
Old 03-20-2007, 09:06 AM
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Ive had mine for a year and 25k miles with no problems. I picked up .3 secs on my 60 ft and .7 secs in the 1/4 with just the 3500 stalll and some 275 nittos. this was with the $400 one. best mod done to my car. As a comparison I spent 325 plus 40 for pipes and gaskets for an ls6 intake and picked up .06 seconds.
Old 03-20-2007, 09:30 AM
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Wow, with .7 gain I'll probably be getting down around around 12.2 . I should be down in the 12.9-- range with the stuff I've done, and .7 off that...

Anyway, when that guy said they were a "fairly mild stall", what did he mean? Do you guys agree with him?
Old 03-21-2007, 09:52 PM
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He is just saying that he is running a lower stall speed than some other people. I have a Fuddle 3,600 stall and I love it! It hits very hard and I had excellent customer service with John. I would recomend buying one, tell them all of your mods and info. about your car and let them pick one out that would be right for you.
Old 03-21-2007, 10:24 PM
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I am currently running a 320fuddle in my '05 GTO have had it since april of '06 and have made a few nitrous passes around 11.20@122.00 1.58 60ft. time and not 1 problem, I am very pleased and never understood why people were badmouthing them. I personally have never had a communication prob. with them..
Old 03-21-2007, 10:32 PM
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mostly b/c of that one instance where john was sick and they didnt respond to emails and all that, im looking actually into getting one instead of forkin over almost double for a Yank. hell fuddle even pmed me on here telling me about there special and replying to my pms, didnt get anything from Yank.
Old 03-21-2007, 10:58 PM
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I bought one yesterday.....i called and left a message and like 10 minutes later got a call with all the help i needed...after 10 minutes later i had a converter being built. Very good customer service so far.
Old 03-21-2007, 11:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Z28LS1camaroguy
mostly b/c of that one instance where john was sick and they didnt respond to emails and all that, im looking actually into getting one instead of forkin over almost double for a Yank. hell fuddle even pmed me on here telling me about there special and replying to my pms, didnt get anything from Yank.
Funny you say that, one of my buddies here in town has a Yank and sent it back to them for some reason and when he tried to contact them some neighbor answered the phone and said they would call him back well its been 5 days and he still hasnt been able to get in contact with them and they have his convertor LOL
Old 03-21-2007, 11:56 PM
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I can't say anything bad about Yank, Vig, or Fuddle. I do know that my Vig 3600 hits the tires very hard and have heard that a Vig will almost last forever....
Old 03-22-2007, 05:12 AM
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I have a fuddle 3800 and it blew out 2 rock-on trannys. haha I love it.
Old 03-22-2007, 10:54 AM
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get what you can afford, but a converter is one part i wouldn't be cheap on if i were you...i mean there is a reason why there is a saying "you get what you pay for"...wish you luck either way...i am sure you can guess which route i would say to go
Old 03-22-2007, 11:18 AM
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I bought a Fuddle almost a year ago, great customer service when I ordered it, put it in... the damn thing would almost never lock up, slipped horribly at high RPM, and eventualy killed my transmission (since the car was my DD, I was stuck driveing around at 4000rpm every time I went up a damn hill ). This was about the same time John droped off the face of the earth.

Long story short, I've now got a T56, and my fuddle is colecting dust in my garage... I would not recomend them.
Old 03-22-2007, 11:19 AM
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I just put in a fuddle 3600/2.2, and its badass, great customer service, and I had it less than a week after ordering.
Old 03-22-2007, 01:18 PM
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Wow, sounds like it's a love them or hate them situation.

How do their converter drive around town normally? I've heard the Yank SS3600 keeps the rpms very low and close to stock feeling around town, which I like. I don't know how the Fuddles act under normal driving circumstances though.
Old 03-22-2007, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by WhiteKnightZ28
I bought a Fuddle almost a year ago, great customer service when I ordered it, put it in... the damn thing would almost never lock up, slipped horribly at high RPM, and eventualy killed my transmission (since the car was my DD, I was stuck driveing around at 4000rpm every time I went up a damn hill ). This was about the same time John droped off the face of the earth.

Long story short, I've now got a T56, and my fuddle is colecting dust in my garage... I would not recomend them.

There is an easy fix to that and it doesnt have to do with any prob. with the convertor its all in your PCM
Old 03-22-2007, 02:53 PM
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i was going to buy a fuddle when john took his vacation. i went with a tci and am going to be putting it in a few weeks. ive heard everything from i love the guy he got me my converter in 2 days to i hate him i paid him and still havent seen ****. with a customer fan base/hate base split like that, i dont know why you would want to risk being one of those who ends up hating him. If i had the cash i would go yank and never look back



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