[eschaider]

Very nice walk down memory lane, Randall, including lanes I had never visited before. The pictures and look at the inside of Hi-Tech and how they create these cars was absolutely spectacular!

The North American parts availability for the Australian BTR units, component pricing, import expense along with their smaller diameter 7.75" ring gear were troubling for me from a inherent strength, potential need for service and cost of service point of view. The Aluminum 8.8" Ford IRS center was an easy fix for me. A significant contributor to my decision process was the substantial aftermarket support, stateside, for the 8.8 inch Ford unit.

Different resources, different needs and different component availability can move other owners in directions other than the one I had chosen. Probably the most important consideration for anyone considering this sort of modification is, no matter the number of alternatives, the choice of a final solution (if there is such a thing) should address the owner's specific needs and budget. Although not impossible, it is still pretty hard to improve on that type of an ending.


Ed