Ok guys, I need some input here. Locally someone is selling a 12 bolt for a good ( maybe too good) price. The catch is that it has a broken spool and has ladder bars/brackets? welded onto it. Sounds like it has been beat up pretty well. I would be having it rebuilt anyway so don't mind doing that, but before I take the time to travel to see it should I go check it out or forget about it?

If it's been massively 'beat-on' over the years then the housing can be "tweaked" enough that it may be junk - the seller may know this ...
If a spool grenades, then the case has been exposed to stresses it may not be able to handle.
Not saying it couldn't be a good deal - I'm just always warry of one that's lead a tough life ...
The amount of money to rebuild/repair (if even possible) may exceed the cost of finding a serviceable one.

You can contact (or he may chime-in here) "Big Gear Head" on the forums and he can give you some specific areas that can be measured to see what shape it's in.

If it damaged a spool then it got broke pretty bad. Check the axle tubes to see if they have spun in the center casting. Check the housing for straightness. The tubes could be bent forward from drag race abuse. Check the bearing caps for cracks. Look it over well. Welding the ladder bar brackes on could have warped the tubes slightly.

thanks guys, I was thinking that no matter the price it had already had a beating and I'm not about to chase good $ after bad. I also am not going to buy it and take it to someone to checkout.....just to find out I just bought another boat anchor!

I just had my '68 BV code 12 bolt housing checked for straightness, and it needed to have both tubes massaged - NEITHER TUBE was concentric with the carrier bearing bores. And the car only has 25,000 original miles! This was a $100 job to fix - I thought that was pretty reasonable. I had it done at Ring&Pinion Service in the Detroit area - they did a nice job. The bottom line is that any 30-year-old rear axle may be tweaked.

Hey David..
Call the guys down at Front Range Driveline.
(just south of Hampden on Federal, next to Classic Mustangs.)

These driveline guys are great and fair priced.
They built me a new drive shaft and will be building a 12-bolt posi for me.
They have a bunch of old rear-axles, or will tell you what to look for in a used one.
For those who perfer a 9", they will built to fit your Camaro.

There are also 5-6 junk yards within a few blocks of this place.
(between Federal-Sante Fe and south of Quincy, hidden behind Svigels yard.