Which is better value for the money, rebuilding the original carb or just replacing it with a new one?
I've rebuilt a lot of carbs in my time so I would not hesitate doing a rebuild if my carb was in decent shape. $40 ish for the kit and some solvent vs $175 or better for a rebuilt. The advantage to a rebuilt is no fooling around. 30 minutes to swap them out and you are done.
With a serviceable core I'd clean and rebuild every time, but that's just me. Other than throttle shafts so sloppy they leak air or mixture screws that have been bottomed out so hard the taper is ruined, they're normally good as new after a rebuild.
"Remanufactured" carburetors are a gamble. There's so much shoddy work performed, and even mixing parts from different year and model carbs. If you (or someone you know) have the ability, it's better to rebuild an original. Oh, and any "new" carb you find for these cars will be made out of parts from China. That's not to say they they don't work, but rather an original is preferable...
If worried about getting someone elses junk with a remanufactured, you can send your carb out for rebuild to Champion, (formally Pony Carburator) - $250 for a 71-74 Carter RBS. Their work is 1st class. 71-74 Carter RBS Carburetor w/ Climatic Choke, (1v), 225 CFM, Remanufactured [7145S] - $249.99 : Champion Carburetor, Your Carburetor & Parts Specialist
Rebuild the original carb. Factory carbs are built/jetted based on the year and motor size. It's a gamble with anything else.
I bought a rebuilt and had trouble with it after a few months. Luckily I did not send my original back to them and let them keep the core charge. I later heard of an older gentleman who owned a carb shop for over 30 years that still did work out of his garage. He said always go with the original, he rebuilt mine and no problems since.
