Topic: Correct Battery

[rrenz]

What would be the correct battery for a NJ late January 66 Build? Yellow caps or Red Caps? Ive seen allot of discussions about batteries but there doesn't seem to be a good transition date that I can nail down.

[Bob Gaines]

What would be the correct battery for a NJ late January 66 Build? Yellow caps or Red Caps? Ive seen allot of discussions about batteries but there doesn't seem to be a good transition date that I can nail down.

Does your car have A/C  or maybe smog?

[rrenz]

Does not. Bare bones c code.

[CharlesTurner]

For 65-66, the 22F battery had yellow caps and 24F had red caps.

24F was a production option, as Bob alluded, there may have been options, such as A/C that required the Heavy Duty battery option.  Otherwise, unless specifically checked on the order sheet, cars would come with a 22F.

There is no reproduction of the 22F currently.  The reproduction topper with yellow caps is made to fit a 24F size battery, which doesn’t make any sense.

I’m sure we’ll start seeing the yellow caps used incorrectly at shows.  In judged concours classes, there will be deductions.

[hopeto]

For 66-66, the 22F battery had yellow caps and 24F had red caps.

"66-66" Typo?
Am I assuming correctly that this applies to 65 also (Feb, 65 San Jose)? So no 24F ever came with yellow caps? Thanks

[Bob Gaines]

Does not. Bare bones c code.

The base battery for a no option or minimal option car 65-67 was the 22F battery with yellow caps . The heavy duty battery for a 289 would be a 24 F with red caps. The current repro battery is a 68-70 style 24 F battery. There is a distinct difference between the top style of 65-67 assemblyline batteries and 68-70 assemblyline batteries. No one is currently making a repro 22 F battery

[sgl66]

What would be the correct battery for a NJ late January 66 Build? Yellow caps or Red Caps? Ive seen allot of discussions about batteries but there doesn't seem to be a good transition date that I can nail down.

Heavy Duty battery will be specified on the build sheet if it came with one....that’s if you were able to find a build sheet

[67gtasanjose]

Does your car have A/C  or maybe smog?

For 66-66, the 22F battery had yellow caps and 24F had red caps.

24F was a production option, as Bob alluded, there may have been options, such as A/C that required the Heavy Duty battery option.  Otherwise, unless specifically checked on the order sheet, cars would come with a 22F.

There is no reproduction of the 22F currently.  The reproduction topper with yellow caps is made to fit a 24F size battery, which doesn’t make any sense.

I’m sure we’ll start seeing the yellow caps used incorrectly at shows.  In judged concours classes, there will be deductions.

I know this thread is for 66, but FWIW, my 67 with factory Select-Aire and Smog, has a date-correct 22F battery tray in it. HD Battery is also NOT called out on the Marti. My example may be an exception to these rules. My plan is to upgrade to a 24F H.D. anyways and retain my 22F battery tray as a wall flower.

[Bob Gaines]

I know this thread is for 66, but FWIW, my 67 with factory Select-Aire and Smog, has a date-correct 22F battery tray in it. HD Battery is also NOT called out on the Marti. My example may be an exception to these rules. My plan is to upgrade to a 24F H.D. anyways and retain my 22F battery tray as a wall flower.

Typically the air conditioning option triggered the next level battery ,alternator and regulator upgrade.

[mgmradio]

If you have the original window sticker it would also show if it had the heavy duty battery upgrade. Both of my June 65 built cars list the heavy duty upgrade battery on the window sticker.one I'ds an ac car, the other not.

[CharlesTurner]

"66-66" Typo?
Am I assuming correctly that this applies to 65 also (Feb, 65 San Jose)? So no 24F ever came with yellow caps? Thanks

Sorry, typo, corrected.

[CharlesTurner]

I didn’t include 67, because I wasn’t sure on the caps... although have a 67 new car pic of a 24F with red caps.  I had only seen what I thought was a yellow cap 24F on a restored car.  The repro yellow cap battery topper is only going to confuse things further.

Will have to look through my reference pics to see if I can find any order sheets without HD battery checked and then the car came with the larger battery.  I had thought, like Bob, that options that triggered higher amp alternators/regulators would also trigger the HD battery option.

[carlite65]

"The repro yellow cap battery topper is only going to confuse things further."
you better believe it will. i cannot for the life of me understand why vendors can get something so wrong. it takes just as much effort to be incorrect (tooling,etc.) as it does to do it right. shame on whomever came up with that idea.

[CharlesTurner]

"The repro yellow cap battery topper is only going to confuse things further."
you better believe it will. i cannot for the life of me understand why vendors can get something so wrong. it takes just as much effort to be incorrect (tooling,etc.) as it does to do it right. shame on whomever came up with that idea.

All they did is use the same repro battery topper, put a decal that fits on the raised section and include yellow caps.  Not even new tooling.  I just don’t see how this item is helpful to the hobby.  I guess if red caps are used with the yellow lettering decal, it would be slightly better.

[rrenz]

I drive my car so one exception I’ve always taken is with the battery. I’ve been so turned away by the reviews on these repro batteries that I’ve been using the red cap topper for years. In anyone’s opinion Would it be more acceptable to continue using a red cap topper on a car that didn’t have a heavy duty battery or use a yellow topper on a incorrect sized battery for a more correct look?