how much does it cost to rebuild a carburetor or to buy a new one, where do the prices usually run around?

 

That all depends upon what kind of carb you have, what's wrong with it, how much you want to have done to it, what type of carb you buy to replace it - things like that.

 

just in general, give me the highest price and lowest for a new carburetor. my carburetor is really out of tune, it might need a rebuild, but i have to find out for sure.

 

do you want a new qjet, edelbrock, holley, demon, etc. what kind do you have?

 

i think i just have a stock carburetor that came on LG4 engines. i don't know which kind i want, not one in particular, i'm looking for a range of prices.

 

Rebuilding it yourself will be the cost of the kit (probably around $25-$40), plus carb cleaner, plus any tools you might not have (like a high impedance multimeter).

Getting a rebuilt carb from a parts store like Checker/Shucks/Kragen will run you about $360.

Getting someone to rebuild your carb will be somewhere between those two, or could even be higher if they do the removal/reinstallation/adjustments.

Getting an aftermarket carb like an Edelbrock Performer will run at least $260 plus a vacuum/mechanical distributor (~$160 new and higher), plus a spreadbore-to-squarebore adapter, or an aftermarket intake manifold that has the squarebore pattern like Edelbrock Performer or Weiand Action +, plus some way to lock up the torque converter clutch.

This all assumes that what you are trying to fix/improve would be fixed/improved by rebuilding/replacing the carb. Since this often is not the case, especially the "improve" part on a stock 305, what exactly is it you are trying to fix/improve?

 

Although many people tend to avoid Ebay, I've seen a lot of good hot-rod carburetors going for around $50-150. They're usually a bit old, but carburetors haven't advanced much in the last few decades. I'd just get one that looks likes it is in good condition, and invest in a rebuild kit. I'd suggest an old holley. They're not that great for street use, but on the strip they run great, and Holley still manufactures most of the accessories for it's older models.