Home page
SPONSOR AD

Support our Vendors!  |  Advertise Here

Topic: Battery Recommendations

in Forum: C3 Electrical


Already a Member?
Login
Not yet a Member?
Register for Free!

Battery Recommendations (1/10)
 11/23/14 6:24pm
79FOREVER
Former Member

Send Private Message

METAIRIE, LA - USA

Vette(s):
1979 BLACK COUPE


Joined: 6/7/2007
Posts: 144

I have 800CCA,  1000 CA.  Looking for the highest I can go.  Any recommendations.  Highest Duralast now is only 750CCA.

Our Sponsors help support C3VR
Re: Battery Recommendations (2/10)
 11/23/14 7:30pm
Gunslinger
Former Member

Send Private Message

Frederick, MD - USA

Vette(s):
1969 convertible L71 427/435 4-speed black interior


Joined: 9/8/2003
Posts: 3398

There's actually few battery manufacturers and they make most of the brands you see on the market.  That doesn't mean they're all equal...each line is made to different specs based upon costs and retails between the manufacturer and reseller.  

Consumer Reports often tests car batteries and they've generally been very complimentary on Costco brand, Walmart Maxx, NAPA Gold and Interstate Megatron.  Costco now carries Interstate rather than their own and while I've bought several Walmart Maxx batteries, the last time when I required a warranty adjustment (it crapped out nearly at the end of it's warranty), I had a bad experience with the monkeys working in their install shop...so no more Walmart batteries for me.

Auto Zone does carry a AGM battery in their line similar to Optima, but it's in a conventional case, not like the Optima, so it's easy to fit in.  I purchased one of these in my '69 Vette.
Re: Battery Recommendations (3/10)
 11/23/14 11:17pm
F4GaryGold Member
Gold Member
Send Private Message

Grapevine, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air.


Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1406

I just replaced my truck's Optima with a Costco Interstate for about 90 bucks.

Don't buy an Optima!  I've replaced 3 of them.


______________

   

Re: Battery Recommendations (4/10)
 11/25/14 7:11pm
cingraham
Former Member

Send Private Message

Brookline, NH - USA

Vette(s):
1976 corvette L82 red interior with white seats and door panels with ceramic headers and flow master exhaust and a Crane Cam


Joined: 5/2/2014
Posts: 46

I use only interstate for all my vehicles

______________
There's nothing better in life then a Vette Smile
 
 
 
Re: Battery Recommendations (5/10)
 11/25/14 10:52pm
tb2k82ceLifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

Lemon Grove, CA - USA

Vette(s):
1982 C3 Collectors Edition 44000 miles, sat in the sun most of its life, My wife purchased it for me for Father's Day in 2007 from her girlfriend that had it for 19 years. It is on the road again. I'm retired but it is now my daily driver.


Joined: 10/17/2007
Posts: 2041

I also only use interstate. 

15 years ago I was at the LA convention center alternator belt broke on my diesel Cadillac. It was 2AM downtown LA at 2 AM is not a place to be stranded.  So I decided to see how far I could get toward San Diego.  All I had to do is keep the car running and headlights on.  Diesel do not need spark.  Lots of highway road work that night took me 4 hours to get  home.  Interstate battery held up.  Even cranked the car once when I was in my driveway.  Just had to try and see how much was left.  Would not start it a second time. 

Never purchased anything but interstate after that.  As far as I know interstate still uses lead plates instead of lead oxide over fiber that most other batteries use.
Re: Battery Recommendations (6/10)
 11/26/14 12:44am
F4GaryGold Member
Gold Member
Send Private Message

Grapevine, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air.


Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1406

Just did a Yahoo search, dang, looks like Johnson Controls makes just about all of them.

http://bestbatterytips.com/best-brand-battery-manufacturer/johnson-controls/


______________

   

Re: Battery Recommendations (7/10)
 11/26/14 3:21pm
stingrayjim jrLifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

SHELBYVILLE, TN - USA

Vette(s):
1976 L48 auto

1978 L82 4speed

1994 LT1 6speed


Joined: 7/5/2002
Posts: 3942

Basically only 3 major battery manufactures. Johnson Control, Exide and Deka/East Penn.  While I do have to be a bit bias as I work for an Interstate Battery distributor, Costco batteries are now labeled Interstate instead of Kirkland(Costco's label).  In fact, the batteries are the same batteries, just the label has changed... and as far as I know they do have the best prices, and most of their batteries are equivalent to our  Megatron Plus line(basically the heaviest battery line we have). Going through the core returns we get from Costco, it looks like their sale price is actually lower than our wholesale cost on most of the batteries they carry. 


As for recommendation for your car, it kinda depends on what part of the country you hail from. If you are in a colder climate area (Minnesota for example) you would want the heaviest cold crank amps you can get. But if you store your car for the winter that would probably not be an issue.  Around my parts(Tennessee) we tend to see the middle of the road cranking amps batteries have a better life span.  Seeing you are in Louisiana, especially if in the southern area where temps don't get all that cold, I personally would say a MT-78 should do if you still have the side post set up. If by chance you converted to a top post battery, then a group 34 (MT-34 interstate part number or even a C78DT-XHD which is a dual post(top and side post) or MT-78DT.  Personally I do like the MT-34 or C78DT although the C78DT does have a shorter Warranty life....


 



______________

StingrayJim
NCM Lifetime Member #1936

Stingray's '76���������������������������� StingrayJr's '78���������������������������Lil Red '94

(click each one to see a bigger version)

Re: Battery Recommendations (8/10)
 11/26/14 3:31pm
F4GaryGold Member
Gold Member
Send Private Message

Grapevine, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air.


Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1406

So are the guts the same if Walmart, Costco Interstate, Interstate, and Duralast are all made by Johnson Controls?

______________

   

Re: Battery Recommendations (9/10)
 11/26/14 4:10pm
Gunslinger
Former Member

Send Private Message

Frederick, MD - USA

Vette(s):
1969 convertible L71 427/435 4-speed black interior


Joined: 9/8/2003
Posts: 3398

The guts are not necessarily the same as each retailer contracts for different specifications depending on the price points.  For instance a retailer can go to Johnson Controls (or other manufacturer) and ask for the best battery possible and the cost and retail will be determined later...or the retailer can go to the battery maker and ask for the best battery that the retailer can sell at a particular price point.  Those are two different ways to contract for the product and quality levels and specifications can vary greatly.

An example of this (with a different product) is the Michelin LTX tire...an excellent tire.  The standard LTX (sold by most tire sellers) says on its sidewall "Michelin" and "LTX" opposite one another on the sidewall.  The LTX tires sold by Walmart have the identical tread pattern and are the same quality...but for two things.  Instead of "Michelin LTX" on the sidewalls, have "Michelin" twice...opposite one another.  The other difference is the tread is somewhat shallower...1/32" or 2/32" of an inch less depth.  Less rubber equals lower cost and allows Walmart to sell the tire at a lower price than otherwise.  The tires are the same build quality but the contract allows a lower cost and retail.

Batteries are contracted for and sold much the same way.

Re: Battery Recommendations (10/10)
 11/26/14 11:58pm
stingrayjim jrLifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

SHELBYVILLE, TN - USA

Vette(s):
1976 L48 auto

1978 L82 4speed

1994 LT1 6speed


Joined: 7/5/2002
Posts: 3942

That's true to a point Gunslinger...  but when you consider a JCI is pumping out over 135 million batteries a year, it would seem a bit illogical to have multi-multi spec batteries.  While there is 3-4 different variants of one particular size of a battery, it stands to reason that JCI couldn't make production quota's if each customer had a particular spec.  For the most part, Wal-mart, Costco, and others buy their batteries in lieu of warranties from JCI.  Interstate doesn't.  That kinda gives us a bit of an edge as far as warranties for customers. Wal-Mart, Advance,Autozone, and others tend to have shorter warranty periods and that gives them a little bit of an edge for pricing to their customers.  Basically with an Interstate battery you are paying for a little better warranty as compared to most others outlets and a Green or Black and white case instead of the all black case(which does add to the overall cost to our batteries... 

As for varying the specifications for a battery, it really boils down to the number of plates per cell. The more plates the more cranking amps.  So if Wal-mart has a battery rated at 500 CCA(cold crank amps), then there has to be a certain number of plates to obtain that particular rating. Well, if Interstate has the same group size battery with a rating of 500 CCA, then it too would (or should) have the same number of plates.. a lot of times the battery rating on the label is often under-rated so that the customer gets their spec, but the plant doesn't have to change their process just for that one customer...

I've noticed this past year that some of our batteries are starting to go to the all black case without the Interstate name imbossed on the case. Instead they just have the name Interstate on a label. This is happening on our odd-ball sized batteries, ones that do not have much of a market to make it viable to have the molded case with the Interstate name and colors. 

Oh since I mentioned plate numbers within a battery, kinda like putting rocks in a glass of water, the more plates or rocks, the less acid or water(in the case of the glass).... while most of our vetts the battery is behind the seat so engine compartment heat is not much of an issue, but if it was under the hood, as we all know, heat kills.  No different with a battery.  The acid solution does help 'cool' the battery. So high crank batteries do not fair well in the deep south and west. up north and beyond are more suited for the '1000' cold crank batteries.. Granted this is not an absolute, but it does trend this way more often than not... 


hope this helps and enlightens someone... given my typing skills are severly taxed ;) 

 



______________

StingrayJim
NCM Lifetime Member #1936

Stingray's '76���������������������������� StingrayJr's '78���������������������������Lil Red '94

(click each one to see a bigger version)

Our Sponsors help support C3VR