I know this may be a bit of a personal question, but what is the going price for a posi rear for a 71-76 big Buick? Whole rear or just the carrier. It appears as though there is quite a range of prices for the few that have become available. I know they are rare, and becoming even harder to come across, but isn't $750 a bit steep? I ask the question out of plain ignorance more than anything else.
Too steep??? Actually, not to be rude or anything but a posi carrier alone would cost you $400 alone for the least expensive one I could find. I am offering mine for $750 because you are getting the whole rear (drum to drum) not just the posi unit! -Jake
It all depends on how long you are willing to wait, and how hard you are willing to look for it yourself. I could almost pull a 12 bolt 71-76 big Buick axle here per month, but it took me 1.5 years to find one with a posi. I also bought one in error for 90$, so it's not that easy to get one. An axle drum to drum around here is about 100$. But I probably spent 500$ on fuel looking for it and other parts at the same time for that 1.5 years. I enjoy the hunt, I'm a little put off now that I actually have it to be honest, but it will be cool once it's on there. The lowest price I've heard about was Smartin who bought a Riv GS for the axle and actually made some $ when he sold the car again :Brow: , to the unit on ebay for 71$ that was missed out on, to 400$ for a complete axle sold on the board a few months ago, to 750$ for this one mentioned. My car is a 2000$ car, and I wouldn't put down that kind of money in it, no way.. I could rather live without it, but for other people it's another story.
btail-yes, prices are all over the map. A few of us were talking about this recently. Have you thought about a real need for one of these? If you are drag racing, it's one thing, but a big Buick boat driver usually doesn't, and it's an easy way to get sideways quick if gassing it in the wet. FWIW-I am running both open and posi rears in big cars and think posi is way over rated and priced-
One reason the prices vary so much is because they don't pop up all over the place, when one comes available, sellers are pretty much starting from scratch trying to determine its value. Not to mention that online wrecking yards sometimes have complete axles (condition unknown, a huge deal) for under $200. But the main thing I see is that the buyers are all coming at it from different starting points, some of which can which can add substantially to the cost of getting a 9 3/8 posi actually installed in their cars, so the buyers have widely varying price sensitivities. For example, are you like me, and have an 8.5" rearend (350-powered LeSabres :af: :rant: ou: ), or a 9 3/8? If you have a 9 3/8, does it need any work? How much work can you do yourself? Where's the posi carrier or axle coming from (shipping)? If you have (and keep) a 8.5" rear, you've can do: 1. The "everybody sells them" Eaton posi - $300-500 plus $250 installation = $550-750. 2. A junkyard find/rebuild - $250 for the carrier and clutches, etc, and another $250 installation = $500 plus or minus, probably plus. If you have an 8.5" rearend but want a 9 3/8; The only way to go is to find a complete good posi rear end and swap it in for $100. Otherwise, you're looking at adding the cost of a junkyard 9 3/8 rear ($150) and maybe rebuilding it ($500), plus new brakes ($100+) PLUS the posi carrier, and your total can easily hit $1200+ :eek2: If you already have a 9 3/8 Rear end: 1. Get a used posi carrier and put it in your existing good rearend. If it's clutches are good, all you'll need is shims and maybe bearings - about $100, plus the cost of the carrier. If you want to rebuild it, I think that clutches, shims and bearings are available through places like Randy's Ring & Pinion for about $200-300, then $250-300 for the installation, for $450-600, not including the cost of the carrier. 2. Get a complete axle. $100 to swap it in, or $100 plus $450-600 to rebuild it then swap it in = $550-700 plus the cost of the axle. Or less if you know it's a good axle. ---------------------------------- All that considered, when I was in the market for a 9 3/8 posi with between 2.92 and 3.23 gears, the way to go was to find complete low-mileage rear end that didn't need any work done to it, and I'd have been willing to spend $750-1000, including shipping. I got tired of shopping and did the junkyard-rebuilt 8.5 route, cost me $500. It probably won't last forever, but I'll keep my eye out for a sweetheart deal on a big axle in the meantime. :Brow: From where I was with my open 8.5" rear, I wouldn't have thought $750 was high at all for a complete axle, assuming its internals are in good shape. I'd have been asking 69Wildcat430 a ton of questions and prolly ended up buying it and thinking I'd gotten a good deal. I'd imagine somebody with a tired 9 3/8 would think the same, but I can also see where somebody with a good, solid open 9 3/8 might think that $750 is too high, I don't know. o No:
As someone who had an open rear in his Boat and bought/ rebuilt/ restored/ installed a posi in it's place, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My ill 455 on 7 cylinders still has traction issues even with the posi, I like getting it a little out of shape in the rain, and love the wide eyes a good old smoke show produces in rice-loving punks... Careful shopping and good luck should net you a good unit for way less than $750. In our 30+ year old cars you'd be doing the brakes, shocks, and lube anyway, and as long as the unit passes a visual check for obvious damage, chuck it in there and have fun!
There are "core" posi rearends, & there are professionally built posi rearends. Bearings & races do go bad, pinions get loose, & ring & pinions wear out. If the R & P is worn out, its going to be a long search for good low ratio replacements. As such, rust pitted ring & pinions & rust pitted housings significantly decrease the value of a core. Being able to examine & know what one is looking at, well, it often means multiple hundred dollars in what a buy-in should be, or if one should walk. I'd say the same, whether looking at a Pick-N-Pull or crusheryard rear that I was contemplating pulling, or whether dealing on the phone for same style r/e. In the market to buy a '71+ 9 3/8, not having sealed axle bearings is a major plus... no sealed axle bearing axles to chase down & replace. Ratio matters a lot, personally, buying cores, I'd give double the price for a nice 3.42 9 3/8 posi core r/e, than I would a 2.93. 2.93's are out there in higher numbers. Hope this helps. :3gears: Roger
Thanks for the info, guys. I knew the posi units were rare, I just didn't know the actual dollar value. It appears, if the unit Jake has is in good condition, that it would be worth the $750. Unfortunately, shipping the whole rear from Idaho to Wisconsin would probably be quite expensive, too. My car has the 9-3/8" rear, not the 8.5" rear, and I do plan to drag race it with any luck in a few years, so a posi unit is definately desireable, but the budget is pretty tight for this project.
Start looking in the yrads, take little Saturday morning excursions, listen to what the other yard scavengers come up with, and sooner or later with some luck you have one under your nose.
BTail, I'd want to know the gear ratio, approximate mileage, and how much torque it takes to breakaway and then rotate one axle with the other held still. That'll tell you the condition of the posi clutches. If it checks out, and if you could at all swing $1000, you oughta be able to get it shipped anywhere in the us for $250...or there's the road trip option. :Brow:
I'm looking at swapping for some other parts I have to help offset the cost, but I'm not sure about that route yet either. $750 cash is too much for the budget at this point. I have 10bolt BOP Auburn posi and 4.56:1 ring and pinion that'll have to go if I really want a big posi. Anyone interested? I think I'm going to have to keep checking out the yards for a 9-3/8" unit, I think.
:eek2: YOW! Them's awfully deep gears for anything on the street...we had some in a Ch*vy 3/4 ton pickup once...in granny low you could have moved the earth, but above 60mph, the engine was beggin' for mercy. Uf-dah!
I didn't buy the 4.56 gears for the street. They were for the 69 LeSabre drag race project car I once was toying around with. Unfortunately, I came to the sad conclusion that the gears wouldn't fit the big body 10 bolt rear that was in the car ou: , although I don't think I ever proved that the posi unit didn't fit. Did I read somewhere here that some of the little car 10 bolt internals can swap with the big car 10 bolt internals? I can't remember. I had (actually still have it) an aluminum girdle-type rear end cover that bolted to the LeSabres rear end, though, so that at least fit. I've got a 3/4 ton 72 Chevy Pickup with a 4.56 rear and a three speed stick that I've had since I was 16 many moons ago. Lots of grunt in first and second, but the 3200 rpm at 60 mph is a bit much, even with the relatively tall 29" dia. tires.
what about "Powertrax?" Anyone tried one of these bolt-on limited slip units from "Powertrax" in a boattail? Strong as a stock posi, etc? http://www.powertrax.com/noslip.html
I picked up my posi for about 150 dollars this was about 2 years ago. It was only the carrier and I reused my gears that were already in there. I grabbed it off of ebay actually. I don't think there is a huge market for these parts so it keeps the price down a little bit.
The price for the posi we were originally talking about was priced down to 550$ at: http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=90397 We at this board probably represent 80% of the people out there looking for this piece.
Hey, I Have 71 Olds Wagon Rearend With A Posi....only Prob Is Its A Leaf Spring Rearend.......carrier Might Work For Ya...i Know Its A 12 Bolt Rearend With Bolt In Axles !!!!!...no Sealed Bearing Axles..lmk !!.. Peace.. Skinny,il...
