[64speed]

No it’s not oil related, it’s cost related. My FIL just bought a 68 bird with a 12 bolt in it. Rearend has been totally rebuilt and has an Eaton clutch style posi with 4.11 gears. No issues with the rear but my fathers in laws build plan that he has in his mind calls for a 9 inch for gear swaps etc. How much should we ask for this 12 bolt, it is perfect with new bearing and seals and power stop brand brake shoes. with aluminum drums. Rearend decodes to a 68 Nova.

[mysticmissle]

Worth between 1500-3500 depending
On the guy I would
Estimate

[Gach]

I sold one last year $1200.00

[geeteeohguy]

$1200 and up from there. Very easy to sell, and in fairly high demand. Lots of folks like running short gears, usually with overdrive transmissions.

[i82much]

man i miss the early 90's when you could still find a good 12 bolt for 300 bucks by calling a good junkyard!!

[mysticmissle]

a leaf spring 12 bolt has always been expensive, I was selling them for 5-1200 in the 80s around here

[Formulajones]

$1200 I'd consider a great deal and would sell fast. Typically $1500+ for a basic 12 bolt is the norm. If it's coded correctly and factory equipped with 4.10's or more, they can fetch $2500 and up.

I just bought one from a member here (I think last year??) and was coded for a 68 camaro and factory 3.31 posi. He had upgraded it to a 3.73 gear set and a set of moser axles, and aluminum brake drums, all the brakes were new. Nice piece ready to drop in that he ran for a short time in his bird. He told me $1200 and I didn't even squabble about the price.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Honestly, replacing the 12 bolt is just a waste of money unless your FI is racing the car. The 12 bolt is no liability in a street car unless he plans on racing the car with slicks and even then only if he races frequently and competively and is very hard on parts with his launches.

[The Champ]

I'm with NC on this one if the 12 bolt is "perfect" as you say.

If it had the an original, worn 8.2" rear, I could understand the decision to go to a 9".

Why do all the work for very little, if any, benefit.

[i82much]

Originally Posted by The Champ

I'm with NC on this one if the 12 bolt is "perfect" as you say.

If it had the an original, worn 8.2" rear, I could understand the decision to go to a 9".

Why do all the work for very little, if any, benefit.

agree. "the juice ain't worth the squeeze."

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by i82much

man i miss the early 90's when you could still find a good 12 bolt for 300 bucks by calling a good junkyard!!

The 90s were great. You could still find parts for cheap and even whole cars cheap.
I was in High School and the early 80s when muscle cars were 10-15 years old and 1500$. We had Hot Rod Row in the school parking lot. Everything you could think of and you were nuthin if you did not have one.'
Lunch time drags was a normal thing. Talk smack in before lunch and settle it with other kids spectating at the finish line in their own Hot Rods.
We did not know how good we had it. I would give anything for a picture of our parking lot back then.
90s ? All you had to do was turn on the radio to find great music all across the dial.
Simpler time and most of the time, simple is good.

[64speed]

I had a 58 Delray and a 77 C10 in 1997

[1968GTO421]

Originally Posted by The Champ

I'm with NC on this one if the 12 bolt is "perfect" as you say.

If it had the an original, worn 8.2" rear, I could understand the decision to go to a 9".

Why do all the work for very little, if any, benefit.

I se where it was mentioned in Post# 1 that FIL wanted a removable pumpkin, hence the 9". Is he planning on racing the car and wants the ease of changing rear-ends for the ratios?
If he is street only or 50% or more street only, again the juice ain't worth the squeeze. Keep the 12 bolt with Eaton posi.
There are plenty of techs here in upstate SC who can correctly do the gear switching for him to have a more streetable ratio than 4.11.

[Formulajones]

If he's just worried about a 4.10 gear on the street you already know what to do 64speed. Just tell him to put an overdrive in the car and forget about it. That 4.10 becomes a pussy cat when you want it too

Besides, for the cost of what he's looking at to do an entire 9" swap he could put that money towards an overdrive and pretty much pay for it.

On top of that, having a 9" just so you have the ability to swap pumpkins and gear ratios really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Not only the added expense of keeping 2 or 3 pumpkins around setup and ready to go isn't all that cost effective, You'll also get tired pretty quickly of swapping them ......trust me.

[64speed]

Previous owner LS3 swapped it already ��. It has a 4L80

[64speed]

I think I talked him into leaving it alone

[Formulajones]

Perfect. I run a 4L80 in front of 4.10's in one of my cars. Although only a .75 overdrive it still works well enough with a 28" tire and the converter locked. After 35 years of driving it with 4.10's even the mild .75 overdrive was a welcome change.

He could always do just a gear swap in the 12 bolt at a later date. That's cheap to do compared to what he was originally thinking.