Hot Rods Quick change for a lot of change

I have been overtime perusing the classifieds here, Speedway Motors etc. I know nothing is cheap , mark ups on price set al. How do you justify spending that sort of cash compared to buying a used one and rebuilding it? Asking for a friend .

 

I have often wondered that too, but I'm just use to rebuilding someone's wore out leftovers. Fits my budget, and can learn a thing or two.

 

Depends on the jingle in your pocket. When it's light you do it yourself. When it's not, you let someone else do it. Me, I'm at the stage I don't rebuild anything anymore. Been there, done that, don't have to anymore.

 

I guess looking back over the years past in the end I am better off wether holes in my pockets or “ I am not going to pay that much for that “ has made me a little smarter. I hope. But I do like getting my hands dirty.

 

Back when I bought my Quick Change from Winters Performance, I WAS going to use a Ford 8".
The reason for the 8" means nothing here.
Anyway, after looking at prices for either a Ford 9", or a (full sized) Quick Change, axle to axle, equally set up, the price difference was only a coupla hundred dollars more for the Quick Change.
I could afford that easy enough, for something a little different.

So, at the insistence of a friend, my 54 Studebaker Conestoga got a Quick Change.
Modifying the gas tank was the hard part..!

I have no idea what the price differences are today.

Mike

 

I like to buy loose parts off of that auction site, or from my local track stars.

@GearheadsQCE sees to it that I get the proper new stuff to make it all work nicely.

 

Did I need it, no. Did I want it, yes. This view makes it worth it to anyone who ever owned any kind of race car. Bought it brand new because I didn't want someone else's problems.

 

I have been lusting for a QC for years. I keep my eyes open for parts and complete units...
but, my car is running and driving and there always seems to be something else that those "spare" hot rod dollars end up getting spent on.
A QC is on the list of must haves for the next project. However, based on current budget projections, it looks like I will be cobbling it together from random parts and learning how to build it myself if it is going to get done.
I have always preferred to do my own work if possible. Instead of paying someone else for their knowledge, time and tools i can gain the knowledge, and have an excuse to buy a new tool....
Chappy

 

I got a Frankland sitting on the floor in my shop....all apart.....was circle track shit(got a spool).....is it goin' back together.., I don't know, I got new tubes and Torino ends, ain't got energy or motivation.

 

The straight cut gears in back are very noisy, research who has the angle cut rear gears, might help you make the decision on brand/new/used etc. Here on the HAMB is a quick change guy, believe it's his business, again research for him.

 

If you take a 9in, narrow it, and let the games begin, and before you know it POOF look at my 9in Q/C

 

Well one of my inspirations for this post is an ad in the classifieds for quick change center section , used , been repaired for $3,000.00. I mean why wouldn’t you grab a bunch of used and new parts or buy a new one for that price. I know I was lucky one time getting a complete center section with 2 or 3 gear sets for $75, brand new axles , one set for $.99 and one set for $1.99 and I already had the hubs but heck I could buy one or two or three rears from racers and rebuild them all shiney like for less than three grand.

 

Dean, just a little rant here but have you ever wondered why people have such an aversion to buying new parts? and I'm not singling anyone out here especially not the OP.
I get the whole "everything is made in China attitude" nowadays because it seems it has come to that but there are plenty of mfgs that have not sold out.
And the other thing is a matter of sacrifice, if you want something bad enough, specifically the new and so-called overpriced, made in USA parts you will find a way to get them.
There are a lot of things I have given up to not have to deal with trying to fix things that other people have given up on, namely a cel phone, cable TV, kids, etc.
I guess everyone establishes their own priorities but it gets a little tiring hearing people say "I've been dirt poor all my life and that's all I know".
Rant over.

 

In fact my 1948 Ford F1 has a 1968 Camaro 12 bolt in it right now and I am tempted to get a another quick change and stuff one under it. This could be a stupid question, and I know they beat on them in racing but sporadic towing with a quick change ( trailer and car) work okay.

 

Depending on the particulars of that 12 bolt you may be able to buy two new QC's if you find the right buyer.

 

41rodders, I believe even heavy towing with a v8 QC will put less stress on the QC than blasting through the gears occasionally without a trailer. Unless you really try to abuse it you should be ok. I personally question the use of bevel, spiral, spur gears. Seems to me they might put excessive fore & aft thrust on the bearings & thrust washers in the rear cover. If you do your best assembling the QC I think you will be happy with the fairly quiet result. Greg

 

I wanted a Champ QC under my RPU because I love 'em, and I had Halibrands in my first RPU, and my '28 Tudor. I started a fund, saving money as I could for 3 years, to by the Speedway QC in my current RPU. My good friend, and neighbor, the late Jim Thomas, bought an old sprint car Halibrand champ center section. He kept telling me I should have done the same instead of "wasting" all that money on the new Speedway rear end. But I had done my homework. I knew the Speedway Engineering rear ends had the best rep. in the field. Every piece of one of their rear ends is made right here in their shop in Ca. They are the ones that engineered the NASCAR adjustable camber rear ends, and supply most of the major teams. So I bought a Seedway Champ QC complete with Willwood brakes. Jim decided to have his used parts checked out, and let Speedway do it. By the time Jim paid the labor and parts to replace every bearing and seal in his Center section, buy side plates, get axles and bells set up, and buy complete brakes, guess who had spent less money? Hint: it wasn't Jim. Did I give him shit about it? You bet! When he built his '32 highboy, he bought a new Brookville body and frame rails. When he built the blown 392 for it, every part was the best money could buy, including a new Mooneyham 6-71. Loved old Jim like a brother, but just didn't understand his thinking sometimes. One last thing, my Speedway QC is now under my RPU almost 15 years. Still does not leak a drop. Jim's OG Halibrand leaked gear oil the first day he filled it. I understand your rant, and completely agree.

 

Seems you're answering your own question....

 

One of the positives of a quick change since I will be running a 4 speed is changing from a highway to a towing gear mostly for say a long trip.

 

I like tech tips and reading a lot of you hambers experiences . So from a technical slant is a quick change and say a 12 bolt or 9” run comparable operating temps ?

 

That helical cut spur gears are hard on the end plate bearings simply isn't true. I ran helical gears in my 28 Tudor for over 30K miles. No adverse wear anywhere. I have helical cut gears in my current RPU. Over 15 years on the street, no adverse wear. Wouldn't run them in a race car because of the added drag, but always run them on the street so I can hear myself think.

 

I love this thread

I love Quickchange rear ends

Everyone of the above posts is valid.

I sell new and used Quickchange rears and parts. I got into them because I was building a bracket race Corvette and was going to put a narrowed 9" in it. When I started pricing all the parts needed to build a 9" with spool, axles etc. I got a bit gun shy. Because I was going to have multiple engines over time, I was going to need different ratios. Now, when setting up several pigs (chunks on here) you can get a bunch of money sitting in the trailer.

Along about the same time, I was helping a local circle track guy and I asked him his thoughts on using a 3/4 ton QC in my car. His thought was that it should work fine, especially since it would be behind an automatic transmission.
Because it was an experiment on my part (and also 'cuz I'm a cheap bastard), I built one up from parts from several sources. even the ring and pinion weren't a matched set. It was quiet, bullet proof and oh so cool. Sold the car without ever changing the engine and settled on the first gear set (6.20) after trying a half dozen or so.

I really like to assemble new ones as everything fits (generally) and just plain work. I also like to fix up mongrels because there is just something about saving old stuff that is so satisfying.

Now the good news. After doing this for 40+ years (I'm now 72) I'm getting a bit worn down. I am starting to downsize and will not be assembling many more. I will continue to sell new ones in any configuration the customer wants. Also, I will be selling off my current inventory. This includes the adapter side plates. I have several sets of 11 and 12 bolt styles.

I also will continue to be available for questions here. I have gathered over a thousand pictures and lots of information to put into a book. I hope to work on this and get it published so that future hot rodders don't have to learn this stuff the hard way.

If you want to learn more about my QC mentor, Joy Fair, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=joy fair racing legend

 

The guy with the Camaro 12 bolt, get on the internet and price a 12 bolt used, prices are crazy. I had a guy offer me $1700 for the one in the chevelle I had, thought he was crazy until I started pricing used ones. I know the straight cut gears make a lot of noise but how bad are the angle cut, or whatever they are called, when it comes to noise? I love the looks of them and being able to change gear ratio that quick would be awesome.

 

Glad you are enjoying the thread. Any info / tips would be appreciated much . I get it, about retaining/ reusing good old parts.

 

Never noticed them being noisy in my sprint cars.

 

The helical cut ("angle cut") gears I'm running now are dead quiet during acceleration. On deceleration they have a slight howl between 35 and 30. If you didn't know, you wouldn't think the car had a quick change.

 

I put this one together for my '33.



I put quickies in alot of my cars, so I always grab QC parts when I see a good deal on them. I paid about 300 bucks for the mag center with pinion and ring gear, 100 bucks each for the bells, and 300 for the differential. I bought axles, brakes and axle tubes new from Winters for about another grand or so. Add a bearing kit, spur gears, and nick knacks, I probably have 2K in it.

On the other hand, one of my buddys bought a quickie straight out of a circle track car for 500 bucks. Spool, wide 5s and all. He threw it under his Model A 10 years ago and it is still kicking.

-Abone.

 

x2.. weren't a bit noisy in mine either.

 

I wanted to make sure that I could not hear the gears in mine. Folks have told me that it can be really annoying.

I came up with a solution that will prevent that.

I put a blower on my my Hemi.

 

Yup, a blower with the belt run tight will out whine a QC.