Kenne Bell background check

[fastbolt2002]

Why are so many people upset with Kenne Belle??

We over in the Ford Lightning community are hearing about new Superchargers comming out from a couple of vendors. Every time KB is mentioned on any forum, sevral different people come out with things like these actual quotes:

"I just got out of the turbo buick scene. And Kenne Bell was probably one of the worst vendors for those cars. I wouldn't trust anything he has to say and if I were to get one of these twin screw blowers, I would definately go through another vendor that has them."

or

"his claims of this part adds 20hp, this part adds 40hp were completely false. And his customer service is horrible. and he is an a$$hole to boot. the easiest way to found out how the buick people feel about him is to go to turbobuick.com and start a thread on him. i promise only 1 in 100 people will say anything positive about him. i believe the only good buick part he sold was an adj. fuel pressure reg. in all fairness i have no idea how his ford parts are, but i can only imagine."

I dont like to listen to hype but there is a MOUNTAIN of complaints and people warning about Bell. Input please!!?

 

[TurboTR]

You want more warnings, or are ~ 1000 enough??

TurboTR

 

[fastbolt2002]

what I hear comes from guys in the Lightning community and for all i know they have an agenda.....thats why i came to the horses mouth.....i would rather hear from a crowd that KB has ben active in for years is all

but if you are saying it will be a giant mud sligning deal then you said it all already !!

 

[salvageV6]

Some stuff is good some is bad. Plain and simple.

I never really took all of his advice about buildups.

But then again I do have a nice chrome MAF pipe with the corkscrew air deflector in it.

Exhaust is excellent! Fuel pump is okay. Boost a pump is a better idea than a voltbooster in MHO.

Some complain about pricing and some about service.

And some about being ripped off. I never had that problem.

You will get more replies I am sure.

 

[Joe 1320]

If you really want to know how he is, try to get answers to tech problems. When they finally get around to it, what you will get is an answer to something other than what you asked, you will get a statement to just buy all his parts. There are a few good parts out there, definately not all of them. His cams are extremely noisy, to the degree that alot of people pull them and toss them. I'm sure he has a few good moments, but I sure feel better buying from someone else. He usually is one of the first to get a new part and push them out when the hype is still high.

 

[Ken Cunningham]

I have bought some of his parts and have had ZERO problems with Jim Bell and his company (Kenne Bell). F'instance, I bought some of his Red Hot spark plug wires, lifetime guarantee. Twice I have sent a wire back (once the conductor pulled off, the second went open) and both times he made good. KB has gotten so much into Mustangs, Lightenings and such that their Buick stuff has gotten a little stale. They are no longer state of the art for a lot of their Turbo Regal stuff. That's the worst I can think of to say about KB.

 

[tc86gn]

I have bought from KB. Their turbo cams suck. If I would have done my homework I would have known that. Unfortunately, I didn't have a PC at the time. That was really the only part I bought from them that I did not like at all. Some people say their Chips are no good also. I have found that the chip I got from them ran better in my car than a Jay Carter and a Conley's chip.
I have also bought,
Tall valve covers
Ram air I/C and air scoop
KB turbo heads
FP reg
70 MM TB and Plenum
Headers and complete exhaust
various breathers
Booster plate for oil pump
Bronze cam sensor gear
Lucas 009's
2800 11 in. convertor
Various other parts. I never called their tech line before so I cannot speak for that. I am satisfied with everything except the cam. I would order from them again if I needed to but now I do my shopping first as since I joined this board, I have found a lot of different vendors to choose from. Every vendor has their good and bad points. KB is no different. I do think however that they need to do some catching up to the rest of the TB community. They are still a little "old school".

 

[turbo]

I wouldn't be afraid to buy some of his parts. Exhaust, spark plug wires, boost-a-whatever... Some of his early releases (small things) were just trendy things and not of much performance value.

His big parts like Superchargers and Turbos are made by reputable manufacturers and he was only in on the design (at most) of those articles. IMO I think a person would be safe buying from him. BE SELECTIVE...that's the key to buying from any vendor.

I think most people are upset with his seamingly arrogant attitude. Not trying to be a shrink, but maybe he puts on that face because of some things he feels he is lacking??? College?? High School??? Small ???

If his personality had to garner a PASSING GRADE first....I wouldn't have bought a thing from him. But I tried to see past that. As a result, I've purchase some of the parts the above guys mentioned and I'm pleased with the parts.

He's what I would call a trend setter. He's on a new car fast, makes mods for it and is off on the next hot item. Others vendors usually take up the slack.

As with many Retail Purchases...ASK YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY...since they may not have the time to talk to you after the $$ is pocketed...'cause they're on to their new project or whatever....

 

[TRBON8R]

Good old Kenne Bell. I will forever remember the pair of VDO gauges I bought from them, neither of which came in the original packaging. They were both just stuck in a plastic bag with no installation info or anything. For the final coup de gras they decided to ship the gauges minus light bulbs. When I called and asked for bulbs for the gauges they sent me some that were the wrong ones. No big deal. I mean B.S. happens but that wasn't what really pissed me off. I also had a problem with his kit he sells that modifies the stock non-adjustable wastegate to an adjustable. When I called their phone line seemed to be constantly busy. Eventually I got to talk to Jim, and he was a total azzhole. I guess I interupted the flow of his day by calling and bothering him with a tech question on a part that was less than 5 bucks. No more Kenne Bell stuff for me.

 

[JDEstill]

I used to order stuff from KB, back before I got on the internet. Early-mid 90's I guess. At the time they wouldn't take credit cards (I think too many people had complained and they got their cc priveldges revoked). It was nearly impossible to get a tech question answered. And I got jerked around a bunch on parts that would "ship this week".

After a while I learned to only fax questions, as they were decent about faxing back answers, and I learned to find out if a part was in stock, because if it wasn't I wouldn't see it for 6 months, and they would lie through their teeth over and over about it.

Then I found the internet, discovered there were other vendors for Buick parts, and happily swore to never buy from them again. And I haven't. And I've been very pleased!

All the problems I had with them back then may have been corrected by now, but I'll never give them a chance to find out. They used up all their chances back then.

John

 

[MeanBuicks]

Back around 1986 I purchased a clutch and pressure plate from Kenne Belle for my Skyhawk via snail mail w/ a check. I received a clutch assembly that wouldn't fit.

I returned it at my expense and asked for the correct parts to be sent. After numerous phone calls and letters...they basically took the money and ran so to speak.

Fast forward to about 1993 and, for what reason I don't know, I purchased an AFPR and hood-mounted fuel pressure gauge (VDO brand with the light bulb missing ). Luckily, those two items have served me well for many, many miles. However that clutch ordeal was sour enough that I never contemplated spending another nickel there and I haven't. Their loss.

 

[Turbojorge]

KB

Their Adjustable fuel pressure regulators are good, but thats about all I would buy from him.

I don't think all his parts are bad, I just think he's fallen behind in technology with Buicks because he is in to everything else. Their are so many other good vendors that dedicate most of their time to Buicks and thats who I would put my money on.

 

[TRBON8R]

(VDO brand with the light bulb missing ).

 

[NJTurbo]

Originally posted by Joe 1320
If you really want to know how he is, try to get answers to tech problems. When they finally get around to it, what you will get is an answer to something other than what you asked, you will get a statement to just buy all his parts. There are a few good parts out there, definately not all of them. His cams are extremely noisy, to the degree that alot of people pull them and toss them. I'm sure he has a few good moments, but I sure feel better buying from someone else. He usually is one of the first to get a new part and push them out when the hype is still high.

I have 1TXB in my car, i hate it loud and no top end, cannot wait until my S2 is done. 1TXB would make good shims for my allign rack.

 

[BUICKTR]

KB

 

[LikeMy6]

I believe the biggest stink Jim Bell was involved in that really pissed off alot of people and caused him never to return to the GS Nats was his 9/11 LU converter. This thing was about $1Grand back in the early to mid 90s! and failed miserably! about all sold failed and when he was at the GS NATS all these pissed off customers came to his Hotel room banging on his door wanting to kick his rearend, he never came out so they dumped a big pile of these broken converters in front of his door.

His reputation was in the toilet and thats why Jimmy D' parted with him and went with Bowling Green Customs (Jimmy went from bad to worse on that move!) and now the guy who set all the records for the TRs is all but a memory! too bad I liked him and hated to see him go out like that.


Frank

 

[Randy Greenoe]

The only thing I ever bought from K.B. is a fiberglass front bumper. As of last January they were going to ship it that day.But with U.P.S. being the way they are I haven't recieved it yet but I might get it today or tomorrow or...

 

[NJTurbo]

It seems like alot of vendors come and go?? CAS??, Bowling Green, KB are we that demanding?

 

[salvageV6]

Yup some people are very demanding.

Some freak out when they have to wait 3 days for an order to ship and weren't told it wasn't going out 5 minutes after they called to order something.

People are people, vendors and car owners. Rarely will I order a part a week before I need it and not ask when and how it will ship.

And if they lie about the date by a day or two whos fault is it really? Not mine of course.

I never had to deal directly with Jim Bell so I guess I am lucky, and in the old days the fax machine worked best for me as far as orders and getting some legible instructions out of them.

Just my .02. And they are still in business I think....

 

[WarpSpeed]

Welp, the AFPR isn't all that good. It was made by Accufab, but to KB specs. Basically, KB requested non-stainless steel "guts/seat", the regular/black Acuufab unit is stainless through and through and is a much better unit. If you have a Blue KB/accufab AFPR, it will fail or the valve seat will wear out eventually.
The 1txb cam advertised as very quiet is simply false advertising, plain and simple.