Rebuild 904 or swap for 727?

I wish that was possible, but every situation is different because it depends on what you have and what you intend to do with it. The 71 to 78 727s are the best, but many times parts have been switched with older units so that can't even be a rule of thumb. And with 904s, there are later 998 and 999 units that have some fantastic upgrades; like more clutches, wider band, lower gears, and dual bushings in the direct drum, but it can be confusing and sometimes machining is necessary to adapt the upgrades into an older 904. Plus the fact that the "upgraded" 904s; the 998 and 999s; are all lockups from what I've seen, and those converters are more expensive. So what we end up with is a situation where folks think all these fantastic upgrades are a bolt-in for the old 904, but most of them aren't. A trans with six thin direct Red Eagles, wider kevlar band, and low first gearset is a killer tranny, but don't confuse that with a 904 with four directs; the strength difference is night and day. That's why I steer customers to wards the 727; it's cheaper. And another thing...just because some place rebuilds trannies, don't even go thinking they can build a performance anything. There are 904 specialists and there aren't. I have never met one. The one individual I have confidence in as a 904 specialist (besides myself) is Duane, but his knowledge far surpasses mine in upgrading the 904 to the better pieces with machine work.