57-64 olds rear?

im trying to get an idea of a good average price for an untouched early olds rear end. Im looking at one for my 55 belair.. but i have no idea what the goin rate is these days. please help!!

thanks

 

nobody????

 

I picked up a complete drum-to-drum rear from a 61 Pontiac for $225 a while back. Same rear as the olds, 'cept wider.

 

cool i was hoping for somewhere in that range.. did it have 10 spline axles or 29's
thanks

 

I paid $100 for a late fifties-early sixties rear complete drum to drum about two years ago
paid $400 for a nice posi pumpkin for it a bout the same time

 

I haven't pulled it apart yet, just put it in the shed to "wait" 'til later this spring until after I get the honeydoo list shortened a bit.

 

what posi units will fit... what should i keep an eye out for??

 

I was told by my drag racer buddy, that the 62-64 olds rears are the ones to get, they are 31 spline and the ealier ones are 28 spline. I just talked to him yesterday cause I'm trying to unload 2 59 olds rearends!!

 

nice thanks!!

 

Im pretty sure that the coarse spline axles were first year only (1957).

 

I've got a '59 Olds rear. How would I go about deciphering what's inside it? Posi, ratio, splines, etc without pulling it apart?

 

I'd say $300-400? depending on condition and how desirable it was either being one of the early housings or posi. A 57-58 Pontiac rear (unsure of the olds widths) are the narrowest and wouldn't need narrowed to fit in the 55 Chevy and are 29 spline, 59-64 are wider and 31 spline. Do a search there is a good tech article on info for Olds/Pontiac rear ends. 60 olds 31 spline axles i've heard if anyone can confirm that should fit the earlier 57-58 housings and the 31 spline posi units are easily more available than the 29 spline posi. Or just have the 31 spline axles narrowed. Fabcraft has just about anything needed for this rear.

The 10 spline rear axles are 56 and earlier rear ends. And no posi available.

 

'57 and '58 both used coarse splined axle shafts, and (as near as I can tell) '58 was the first year that limited slip was available for this style rear.

 

man thanks for the info guys, are there any good ways to tell the years apart since there are so many differences.. i dont want to get burned!

 

The center sections usually have a casting date code on them, much like the code cast on G.M. engine blocks, heads, and intake manifolds. For example, D 4 1 would stand for April 4, 1961. They also have a small pad in the 7 o'clock position (when looking at the center from the front side) with a single digit stamped into it that identifies the gear ratio, although I wouldn't trust the code number if the rear end had any drag racing history, where gear swaps are normal.

 

awesome! thanks Heathen! you guys are the shit!

 

Let me guess - that's a GOOD thing?

 

I sent you a PM.

 

I've got plenty of complete open rears or housings but, being in Az is probably no help to you.
The good POSIs are 29 spline and 1959-1964. My understanding is they will fit into earliler housings back to '57.

You can also get POSIs in 33 spline and spools in 35 spline.

Good luck with your build.

Steve
Hosting-
Thur-Sun April 8-10, 2010 12th annual Pontiac Heaven Phoenix www.pontiacheaven.org
Sunday April 11, 2010 8th annual Nostalgic Show & Go! Phoenix www.nostalgicshowandgo.org
Saturday May 22, 2010 1st annual Chili cook off and car show St Johns www.sjchilicookoff.com
Saturday August 28, 2010 2nd annual Apache County Motorsports Day St Johns www.apachecountymotorsportsday.org
Saturday November 13, 2010 2nd annual PBO Fall Fest Phoenix www.pbofallfest.org

 

What is the outside drum to outside drum width on these rearends?

 

I sold a 3:08 64 Olds rear end that was behind my garage for 5 bucks!

 

I think that the "the" makes it good...if he just said, "You guys are shit", we'd have to hunt him down and kill him.

 

I have one for sale now in the clasifieds, but I dont think it will be much good to you in California

 

haha yeah thats kind of a hike..

 

The width varies depending on make and year. '57 Pontiac and Olds are bolt-in to a 55-57 Chevy. They need some work inside and custom axles to make the posi work in that case though. Well, the Pontiac case does, not sure on the Olds. '58-up Pontiac are set up for trailing arms and coil springs.

I have a '64 Pontiac rear I saved out of a Gran Prix, but I'd want to open it before I sold it to make sure it didn't get flooded for one, and make sure whether or not it's a posi for two.

 

First of all, I'm pretty sure there is a sticky about the 57-64 Olds/Pont rear ends in the tech section here; good info sourse. Now, 57-58 are 29 spine, posi was available in 58 but EXTREMELY rare. So, what most people do is shorten 59-64 axles 1" on each axle so they'll fit the 57-58 housings, use the 59-64 posi, that has 31 splines, and you're set. There's an early and late style posi, both will work fine. Gears, bearings, and aftermarket axles are still available; FabCraftMetalWorks.Com is a good site for gears and such. MY 57 Olds rear end came from a second hand store, and the owner tried to tell me it was a 9" Ford from a truck; I did'nt let on, and gave him the $15.00 he was asking for it! I have two pumpkins, a 4.88, and a 5.38, both posi, and Summers Brothers axles I shortened 1" each. Also, the axles for these rears are BOTH the same lenth. I just wish my 57 Olds housing was a 57 Pont housing, so it would sit on the rear springs without having to move the perches. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

There's a guy here in Saint Augustine with a '61 Olds. in his yard and myabe two others. He just started crushing stuff so I don't know if it's still there. I know he wanted $250 for the 394 and tranny. So the rear was probably relatively cheap.

Leths Auto Parts
675 S Holmes Blvd
Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 824-0303

 

Oh yea, by the way when I asked the manager what he wanted for the engine he wasn't even aware of the cars existence. Just a heads up, in case he says "What Olds?".

 

anybody with tech questions...read this little beauty.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129676

its long, but theres a shit load of info... thanks to everyone involved

 

I purchased one out of a salvage yard 5 or 6 years ago here in Massachusetts.
It came out of a very clean '63 Olds '98' 4 door.
The car appeared to be too nice to be junked. It was missing all it's plug wire and the horn ring.
That was it!!!
Holland Auto Parts if you must know.
Anyhow..........I paid them $65 for it and another $25 to remove it for me because I didn't have enough tools with me that Saturday.
The rear end was very tight and super quiet, no funny noises.
A year later I had it narrowed 7 inches and had a shop pop on Econoline big brakes and big bearings into the Ford axle ends they welded on.
Now the saga gets better.
A couple of months later I'm wandering the fields of Spring Carlisle and I spot a freshly rebuilt 4:11 POSI center section from a ''64 Starfire.
The guy built it for his Starfire then he told me he sold the car before he installed the 4:11's into it.
$275 netted me his fresh like new posi center section.
I feel like I struck gold twice!!!