Full Built vs. Full Billet pricing

Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis

6.4LTTFMF
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Dec 12, 2006
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Ive got a buddy back home that is starting to get a little slippage in his 06 truck. He wants to get it built but he isnt sure about weather to go billet or not.

How much price difference are you looking at going from a standard build to a billet build?

For that matter, how much does a standard build from someone like HTS, Garmon, Goerend etc. run.

Just looking for a ballpark of what you actually paid.
 
From my experience a billet build will be close to double the price of a built trans without billet parts. I have aroud $6400 in my Goerend. Billet flexplate, All billet shafts, Billet clutch drum. Once you start adding billet parts it starts to go up quick. Each billet shaft is around $700-$750 a pop.

At the very least I would reccomend a laminated flexplate and a billet input and billet apply lever. Definitely worth doing right the first time.
 
I would say go FULL BILLET if possible then you'll never have to worry about anything again. Garmon makes a great unit, I got his fully loaded trans and it works great, after shopping around he came in with the best price. Service is second to none.ROB
 
If your buddy is cash strapped, have him do the input and intermediate then output. Prioritize in that order.

My reasoning:

Input, no brainer. If you go triple disk or better you WILL break your input eventually regardless of power level.

Intermediate, not as prone to breakage especially in lower HP levels. But if it does you'll write the big check again to do it right as it makes a spectacle of itself when it fails. If he has no huge aspirations of hp, you might could skip this one.

Output, if you break it, it's the easiest to replace and collateral damage is minimal if ever. If you come into some cash, its the easiest one to add later.

Some may differ, that's ok. The above just made sense to me when I did my build.
 
I can only speak for what I know about what Garmon does with his builds.....

He will build the trans in I, II, III stages. They start at around $2500 and go up to a fully built for $6800. Other builder are close to the same but.... the difference with Garmon is he uses " Opie " shafts, custom built converters from Phil and some special Thee Jeff Garmon touches to the VB.

I'd say Amish covered the order in which it's done pretty well.
 
I'll disagree and say leave the stock intermediate and do a Input, and possible out put if $$ is there, but first off, how much hp is gonna be put to it and whats he gonna do with it?
 
dzlfarmboy said:
I'll disagree and say leave the stock intermediate and do a Input, and possible out put if $$ is there, but first off, how much hp is gonna be put to it and whats he gonna do with it?
Click to expand...

I see where you're coming from on the first part. But in regard to intermediate shaft, I tried to illustrate the power usage/factor in my reasoning. If he's sub say... 6 bills maybe a little higher (admittedly,picking somewhat arbitrarily) as a goal and has no regular competitive aspirations leave the intermediate stock. If he wants to piece together a 7-800 hp monster over time, might as well do the intermediate during the build, then the easy upgrade to complete the trifecta is the output. $.02

Different strokes... but I see where your coming from.
 
Amish Elegance said:
I see where you're coming from on the first part. But in regard to intermediate shaft, I tried to illustrate the power usage/factor in my reasoning. If he's sub say... 6 bills maybe a little higher (admittedly,picking somewhat arbitrarily) as a goal and has no regular competitive aspirations leave the intermediate stock. If he wants to piece together a 7-800 hp monster over time, might as well do the intermediate during the build, then the easy upgrade to complete the trifecta is the output. $.02

Different strokes... but I see where your coming from.
Click to expand...

Yeah def the overdrive section is quite easy to pull and swap outputs, so if you were to 2 shafts and add one later that would be the best option
 
Thanks for all the input guys!

I bet he never makes it over 600hp. He just likes to add things here and there and pretty much play with it on the street. Custom twins, full motor builds, things like that will never happen with this truck. He just wants the tranny to be reliable from here on out. He beats on it pretty good and drives the truck every day.
 
The "Big Swole" Discount!!!

Call Jeff and ask for the "BIG SWOLE" Discount!!!!! LOL

That'll get you a Full Billet Tranny, Triple disk TC by Phil Taylor (slowpoke), Billet Flex Plate, Garmon VB and a Mag Tech Double deep pan for the LOW LOW of:

$6250.00

That'll get ya Garmonized with tricks/parts that none other have.....

Or PM me and I'll get ya in touch with Jeff!!!!
 
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Billet flex plate and intermediate are two items not needed on my truck. And considering the input, output, accumulator, servo, 3rd gear drum, apply lever, and anchor are billet I figure I've pretty much got a full billet LOL.

And I was wrong on my price. I went and looked through my receipts and I spent $5700. $6200 would have been if I didn't already have a DTT VB and double deep pan.
 
Is anyone making intermediates that are holding up? Last time i heard some tranny builders didnt like using them. That the stock shaft had a little give and they were breaking more billet units than stockers.
 
My DTT was built with everyting except a billet intermediate shaft. Cost was almost $9k.

OldSmokey the stockers do seen to hold up well. I have seen them break though. I have not broke one myself. My builder (DTT) recommended keeping the stock shaft.
 
9K, holy poop!!!! Like Swole said, call him or Jeff Garmon. $6250 for everything, done deal. OPIE shafts as well, just can't beat it...
 
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