Optima Battery!

81NMVETTE · 04-10-04, 07:53 PM

Hi all
I have been away from the boards for quite a while due to work. But I did drop in once and a while.
My ? for you all is there anybody out there that uses an Optima Battery and if so what size do you use ? My car is not stock so I dont care about keeping it looking stock.
My car (Ella) dident like me not driving her for weeks at a time so she showed me who was boss by shorting out my battery

and leaving me stranded at the local gas station.
Thanks
Earl
Hi Gerry I stoped by your house a few weeks agow but you were not arround.
I wanted to talk to you about doing a street course that will be in a few weeks.

C3RVETTE · 04-11-04, 03:09 AM

I just put in a red Optima in my '79.Not sure offhand what the size rating was.I got it mainly because of they're sealed,vibration resistant,and have more power retention.But mainly if there was ever a leaking battery behind my seat,there's the potential for alot of damage.I got it at Costco for $99.

81NMVETTE · 04-11-04, 11:28 PM

Thanks for the info Jon. I dident think of looking at Costco that 99.00 Beats 130.00 That i have seen on the web.
Thanks again
Earl

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 81NMVETTE

Thanks for the info Jon. I dident think of looking at Costco that 99.00 Beats 130.00 That i have seen on the web.
Thanks again
Earl

Yeah,even Jegs & Summit couldnt beat that price,and then there was shipping.I just drove about 45 minutes,and looked in Costco's Optima booklet.It didnt list a '79,but it was close enough.I wasnt sure if New Mexico had one or not.

WayneLBurnham · 04-12-04, 05:49 AM

Just the "cheapy" redtop. The battery has worked great. I got it at, of all places, an AutoZone! It was a little higher than that Costco price, but not much. Get some good new ends too - brass or gold plated are nice. A quick disconnect is a very good idea too.

I just got the biggest size they had - it fits. One of my imbedded mounts is messed up so the battery is restrained with the internationally acclaimed "crap stuffed around it" method. (So was the previous one...) Amazingly the compartment is FACTORY DESIGNED! to hold three one quart bottles - oil, atf and ps fluid, a funnel and a can of brake fluid on two sides - even a few small soda bottles of radiator fluid if you're "creative"! If you don't turn over or jump cars that's more than sufficient.

BTW, without sealing the drains or messing with the vent hoses, you may want to insulate the compartment since the inside runs close to the pipes, the bottom is only a few inches off of the 140 degree pavement and there is no air circulating. Temperature extremes are rough on any battery. Make sure any foil coating is well away from both terminals though!

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 02:59 PM

Well,we dont get as hot here in Washington State as in the big stat of Texas,but I suppose insulation in there might be good..just never thought of it.It'd have to be that thin foil stuff cut low,eh?

Vett-Less · 04-12-04, 05:14 PM

Stick with the GM Batt. best Batt in the world and $cheap$.

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vett-Less

Stick with the GM Batt. best Batt in the world and $cheap$.

04-12-04, 08:08 PM

Just replaced my 2 1/2 year old Red top,Went back to a good old A C Delco right from my buddy at my local GM dealer, 70 bucks with the tax!!!! 6 yr warr.

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 08:29 PM

So,basically,you returned to older technology,that has a potential to leak acid,hydrogen gas,or explode.If it leaks,its not in the engine compartment,but in the passenger compartment,right behind the seat,where it can leak on more of the body,electrical,& chassis components than in almost any other car.As opposed to a completely sealed & vibration resistant version that technically can be mounted on its side! Its your Vette....

04-12-04, 08:49 PM

Well,NO, I didnt returm to old tech. The new delco IS a sealed battery!!! AND IF it did somehow leak or out-gas,It IS under the hood on MY car. AND what danger is a battery that wont hold a charge, ANYWAY, Have your wife get stranded with the dead red top,and I would be willing to bet,

you would be buying the DELCO too!!!!!!!!

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drags1998

Well,NO, I didnt returm to old tech. The new delco IS a sealed battery!!! AND IF it did somehow leak or out-gas,It IS under the hood on MY car. AND what danger is a battery that wont hold a charge, ANYWAY, Have your wife get stranded with the dead red top,and I would be willing to bet,

you would be buying the DELCO too!!!!!!!!

Oh,I see you got the "sealed-power" battery?And you must have a bad ground or something,and a wife that needs grounding!

WayneLBurnham · 04-12-04, 10:41 PM

I was going to reply to the original argument post Vette-less started, but, seeing the "moderated" label thought better of it, but now....

To me the notion that a particular brand of a consummable product should be used on a collector car not being then judged in a Stock condition type competition on is just absurd. You use whatever works the best to get the most out of it. Then again, my vette SHOULD have been named "FrnknVet" instead of "LEFTLN" because I am not interested in that sort of thing.

Spiral gell cells like the optima were a major revolution in battery technology when they first came out, 15ish years ago. Regular liquid acid batteries have a lot of drawbacks and simple gell cells were not durable and lacked power for the size/weight. No decent REAL four wheeler or harsh condition use will have anything but an optima or equivalent as permanent equipment (I think there are some competing brands now.)

There could be arguments whether a sportscar has those same needs.

ALL batteries wear out and can leave you stranded, and a Delco is not less likely to do that than an Optima.

The spiral gell cells of the Optimas, both standard Red top and HD semi-deep cycle Yellow tops have the overwhelming advantages of being leak FREE, even if the outter case cracks, running in any positon - even UPSIDE DOWN, being enormously shock resistant, having a much more secure internal post connection arrangement and venting very little free hydrogen upon complete discharge or recharging than liquid lead acid designs.

You just can't successfully argue against those advantages.

Now conventional lead acid batteries typically have some more power and are a hell of a lot cheaper. They also have much longer available lifespans. Optimas are not supposed to last 72 or 84 months, which has been common on high end liquid lead acid batteries for decades. Advanced sealed liquid lead acid batteries absorb most free hydrogen produced like the optimas and leak less (they DO still leak relatively easily though.)

Again, some of these advantages and disadvantages are not as clearly determinate in a sports car application as they are in an off road vehicle.

The person starting this topic was both a C3 driver and a "readily modifiable" sort. Thus hydrogen build up in the cab and, more realistically important (most C3's leak so much the HINDENBURG could dump into them with little danger...

) the problem with leaking acid and corrosive salts, were legitimate concerns to the original poster (and those in this forum).

I'd go with the optima, and remember to replace it every 2-3 years at maximum (4-5 with 6-7 year regular batteries). If it is running down during extended idle periods, for any battery you should consider a low amp maintenance trickle charger - even a solar one if it's kept outside or under enough incandescent lights left on. No non deep cycle battery is great at long periods of inactivity and then full recharging, although at least the optimas will not suffer conventional sulfation of plate metals to any large degree.

C3RVETTE · 04-12-04, 11:41 PM

I am also using a battery disconnect,that could double as a anti-theft device if I took the knob with me.The only connection would be the jumper that allows an alarm or digital clock to operate,so not much battery drain.

WayneLBurnham · 04-13-04, 03:16 AM

I have been installing those in all cars now...make it a LOT easier to "turn off" a battery too.

I couldn't see a good way to do the bypass deal many offer. The cut off I have only fits readily on the negative terminal restoring ANY ground function can allow considerable current flow. If a potential thief (or forgetful user) tried the starter anyhow, they would just burn that bpass in half in an eyeblink - or pop the fuse if so equipped.

I stopped using mine frequently because of losing the radio settings. Very handy thing to have though. Few people even KNOW where the battery is on a C3!!!