Hot Rods what the heck do I do with this...boat anchor not an option!

so in a motor trade I worked out with a buddy's dad,-he is a little more "old school" (or just old) than me so he forced me to take this in the trade and swore I could make a few bucks off it to counter the cash I gave him in the trade.
it is a 70's corvette rear end that he had set aside for a model A build. I haven't come across one of these before-save in a corvette. he said it has been shortened. I measure 50" from axle to axle. it has disc's, two mini drivelines, and is cool looking, but I don't know if hot rod custom builders -not me I am more of a 50's 60's cruiser guy-use these at all or would be interested in it. I could sell it to a 70's corvette guy who wants to run meats on his vette, but there aren't a whole lot of those guys around.
so if it is something cool let me know (maybe not to you but to anyone in the hobby/life style of building cars) or if it is junk let me down easy as I need to get some money out of this thing.
if you have any idea of an estimated value, let me know and if you are interested in it let me know as well.,

 

I've paid $200, in 70, and $600, in '08 for them. I am unsure about the amount yours was 'narrowed,'
but in the right light weight rod (A's in particular) they perform beautifully.

 

Well to start with learn the lingo, those mini drive shafts are called half shafts. That will go a long ways to helping you to get parts or sell it.

In the street rod community those are probably still pretty popular not so much our community. Tow reasons one is that IRS didn't become popular until after our era and two because if it wee going to fly with our community it would probably want to be either the older version or an E type Jag rear.

You may find a custom guy that would use it just because they ride nice enough and they won't really show under say a 50 somthinerother. LOL. At eat width it would be really nice under say a '53 Stude.

Anyway you n may find a buyer on the board here or C list it. Or I suppose you could throw it under something that you won and just forget to pay attention when someone says they don't like it. I personally always liked the look of an IRS once they became popular or even under an E type jag, especially going down the road the half shafts spinning and working l just looks cool.

 

you might want to identify what year it is.it will have a code on it that will tell what year and if it was behind a big block. the corvette guys LOVE to decipher numbers. www.corvetteforum.com

 

Numbers will not be so important to a vette guy considering that it has been narrowed. Unless of course all he is using is the punkin and the brakes.

 

That particular design makes narrowing, or widening, a fairly simple task so it could be used under a multitude of projects. Yes, with the leaf spring the ride can be easily tailored and so, like the Jag, it should not be shunned for use, especially if you keep the ride height low enough so the nay-sayers can't see it....

.

 

Your "OLD" Buddy didn't screw you, he's just helping you get a broader education. That's still a good piece and worth far more that scrap iron. I've installed several of them in a wide range of vehicles including Trucks. You just have to understand good driving Toys to know the advantage. Just think about it, today in the new car industery I.R.S. is the new standard.
The Wizzard

 

A couple of the coolest T-Buckets around ran these narrowed rear ends. Build one of these!

 

IRS,both Jag & vette are still popular with the street rodders,you shouldn't have any problem in selling it if you market to that crowd. HRP

 

LOL the whole idea of using one is so that it shows. All glitzed out they are just cool to look at.

I can still remember riding with the Ol' Man and him pulling up behind an E type and pointing out the half shafts spinning. I was so easily entertained.

 

I'd use it. I wouldn't pay $500 for it, but if I had the option of that or a 9" for the same price, I'd pick the IRS... And as stated already, it looks like it could be very easily modified to cater to different widths and spring rates by swapping bits n pieces.

 

There is no doubt that a Model A sedan with the half shafts spinning,especially if they have been chromed and running a slow speed are absolutely mesmerizing! HRP

 

There were a BUNCH of the IRS equipped Corvettes (63 and up) modified for drag racing over the years, with the IRS being replaced with standard rearends, so the Corvette restorers will still be interested in it, original halfshafts are still pretty easy to find so don't think that those shortened halfshafts limit the resale value.

 

when I've had spare vette parts laying around, I put them on ebay and was amazed what folks would pay for them.

 

Might get some interest on a street rod, or t-bucket forum.

 

Build a car to go with it!

 

Thanks all. Sounds like it will sell, but it could be a part i have for a little while til the right guy comes along.

 

The Vette rear ends had a metal tag to identify it as a posi and the gear ratio.
The first question someone will ask is how much it was narrowed.......

 

I could see using it under a custom if you wanted to get it LOW without the rear axle hitting the floor and without ruining the ride.

 

I think you have a decent piece there, a few observations though, the trailing arms seemed to have been cut off and shortened, they normally have a rubber bushing that connects to the chassis also are you sure its been shortened? I find someone with a 67 to 73 corvette and measure it up. If the half shafts where shortened the spring needs to be shortened the same amount and although you can drill a leaf spring it ain't easy, that spring looks original. It's probably worth around $400 to $500 but thats with usable trailing arms if they are cut off they are almost useless. I've used them and Jags in a lot of street rods and everyone that rode in the cars loved them.
Pat

 

My '32 5W has had one in it for 35 years. The PO had coil-overs AND the stock spring. It rode ruff..I replaced the coil-overs and it worked great. Yes, you can see it, but I don't care, it works and it's there.

 

Stock Vette rear is 59.5" wide.

 

I can think of a lot of other 1st questions.
Posi?
What gears?
What year is it?
How much?
Then maybe, how much was it narrowed?

 

I'm thinking the first question someone will ask is 'Why is this a Featured Thread'?

 

Because it caught your attention!

I had to, cause reading the HAMB, I knew you could take it

 

find a vette forum or go to hotrodders.com and post a classified.

 

in the '70s that was the hot setup, especially when all the moving parts were chromed. quite the "light show" on a sunny day!