[ponyakr]

Well, I've had some interesting trade offers. But none are Pontiac, and none are trailer towing pickups.

Yesterday, I was offered what appeared to be an ambulance, converted to an RV. And all the lights work. It appeared to be a dual wheel van chassis, with an ambulance box.

Anyhow, this got me to thinking. Since I haven't come up with a cash buyer yet for any of my stuff, I might consider trades for something I don't particularly need, but think I could possibly sell, easier than my Pontiac stuff. Or maybe something I don't particularly want, but could use til I find something better.

So, this opens up LOTS of possibilities. The 1st thing that comes to mind is Chevy stuff. I don't really want any Chevy stuff. But, there are quite a few Chevy vehicles I could use and/or sell. And, as we all know, there is a LOT more Chevy stuff out there than all the Pontiacs & GMC trucks combined.

With this in mind, I'll now consider any Chevy 1/2 ton or larger pickup. I'll include the El Camino & the GMC version of it.

Also I'll now consider any model, full size, clean Pontiac wagon. I've seen several Pontiac wagons pulling another Pontiac on a trailer.

I'll include any clean, rust free '68-'72 GM A-body, or '68-up X-body with an 8.5 or 12-bolt rear.

Will also include most any clean 2nd gen Bird, even the non-Pontiac powered '79-'81 models which I don't particularly like.

Hey, I'll even consider a 3rd Gen Bird, ONLY if it's real clean inside and out.

All these vehicles must have a clear title, and be street legal, with no more than minor repairs or changes needed. No rust buckets or disassembled projects. No strip only vehicles.

I'm sure there is lots of other stuff that might work. But that's all that comes to mind right now. That should open up lots more possible trades. So, how 'bout it ? Any of you guys got any of these units you'd like to trade for some of my Pontiac stuff ?

[ponyakr]

Well, I've been doing some searches today. Since I knew VERY little about the El Camino/Sprint/Caballero, I tried to learn a little about 'em.

It seems that the '73-'77 models share a lot of parts with the '73-'77 Chevelle. And, I assume many of the '73-'77 Pontiac A-body parts will also interchange. But, I know very little about those models. So, I need to ask some dummy questions.

(1) Do all '73-'77 A-bodies have the 8.5 rear end ?

(2) Do any of these have bolt-in axles ?

(3) How about wagons & GP's--any bolt-ins ?

(4) Are the 8.5 wagon rears wider than the A-body rears ?

(5) Are the rears from any other years, direct bolt-ins for the '73-'77 A-body 8.5 ?

(6) I have an 8.5 in a mid '80's Safari wagon. Any chance it might bolt into a '73-'77 A-body ? Don't know if the control arm brackets & ears are the same or not ?

Some of you guys might be wondering why all these questions about El Caminos & '73-'77 A-bodies. Well, during my search today, I saw a pic of an El Camino with what appeared to be a Grand Am front cap. I thought it looked pretty cool.

So, I began to think of the possibilities of a street/strip Pontiac powered El Camino or Sprint. Talk about an all purpose ride. It would do all my light hauling, including engines, trans, and other parts, as well as just hauling off trash and junk. Plus, it would burn rubber when desired, and do a little bracket racing on weekends. Hey, if the body is decent, you could even take it to a few shows.

So far, I think I like the '74-'75 models the most. The '73-'75's have 2 round headlights. The '76-'77's have 4 rectangle headlights.

The '78-'87 models actually look better. IMO But, they have the 7.5 rear. I think you'd need a G-body 8.5, to bolt in. i think those came only in the Buick GN, the '80's 442's, and maybe another model or 2. Probably high dollar rears nowadays.

So, I think the '73-'75 models would be the best way to go. I was surprised to find quite a few of these online, for a reasonable price. Looks like around $4k or less will buy one with a decent body. Might be able to buy a roller, or one with a bad(or no) engine and/or trans, a bit cheaper.

Any of you guys know where a good buy is on one like this, anywhere within say about 500 miles or so from North Louisiana ?

Anybody own one you might swap for some of my Pontiac stuff ?

[ponyakr]

Wow, no decent trade offers, and not 1 single cash offer for complete car or roller.

So, is there anybody on this site that will make a serious cash offer for any part of this car ?

It seems that buying is easy(if you have the cash), but selling is hard, even if the price is reasonable.

Just wondering if anybody is selling anything in the classified section. Or is there just a lot of stuff FOR SALE ?

[rexs73gto]

To answer one of your questions about the rear ends. Some very early built 73 GTO's had an 8.5 rear with bolt in axles in them. My car came with one but it is now buried in my parents old back yard where the pool use to be. It had bolt in axles but I blew it up in DC when stationed there in 1976. It shows them in the old parts book if you have one from early 73 , but Pontiac went to all C-clip style axles after about 3 months of the build. They were built with the clutch style posi to. The only rear end that will bolt right in to the 73-77 A-bodies are just those, the earlier ones & later ones are a no go. Also the wagons are the same width.

[ponyakr]

OK, thanks for the info !

I've never really had any problems with C-lip axles, so it's probably not worth the $$ to switch to bolt-in. I figure anybody who knows what they are, would want max $$ for one.

A complete 9" Ford to fit, is around $2k. So, if you had to add a new posi, gears, set-up, and a brake job, to an 8.5, after purchase, the 9" would probably be a better value. Hey, just thinkin out loud.

http://www.quickperformance.com/9-Fo...7_p_20387.html

[pontiac_boy]

Where are you located?

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by pontiac_boy

Where are you located?

I'm in North central Louisiana. zip 71251, out in the sticks.

You can Google your zip to mine & see how far it is and the quickest route.

Looks like I'm about 700 miles from Augusta, GA, I-20 most all the way.

http://www.distancebetweencitiescalc...o-la-71251-usa

A few years back, I had a Ventura shipped to me from Topeka, KS. It cost about $550. I just Googled the distance. It's about 680 miles. So, unless shipping has gone up a lot, you should be able to get a car shipped from here to South Carolina, for less than $700. Obviously, I don't know for sure, tho.

If you're thinking about buying my Bird, you might oughta make a decision soon. A guy has called me twice saying that when he comes home for Christmas, from working construction up North, he'll buy the roller, less engine/trans, if I still have it. I told him to send me $500, to let me know he's serious, and I'd hold it for him, til Christmas. But, he declined, saying he's not absolutely sure he'll be able to get home for Christmas. So, unless somebody buys it before then, I'll just wait to see what he does. The engine/trans is still in it, as of this post.