Topic: Correct Battery

[Bob Gaines]

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?

The red cap topper is meant to look like the top of a 68-70 battery . The yellow cap topper resembles the 65-67 battery top. With that information you can decide which makes the most sense to you.

[Bob Gaines]

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.

Charles, the 67 390 or 428 GT500 had their base battery as 24F with yellow caps it was a lower capacity battery . If the car had A/C and or smog it triggered the heavy duty battery option which was the 24 F with the red caps (higher capacity) and related parts. FYI I think that the A/C cars many times did not have (not always)  the heavy duty battery option listed on the Marti because it ,the higher capacity Alternator and regulator were triggered by the A/C option.

[ChrisV289]

I know someone mentioned it before but if we start taking points off for even the reproduction battery that isn't correct at MCA shows, maybe vendors will step up and start making the correct one.  Especially with today's technology and 3d printers available I'm surprised one hasn't come up yet.  I use the shell of a dead repro 24F since my car has AC but would love to have a more correct looking one with the yellow lettering in between the terminal posts. 

[carlite65]

' if we start taking points off '

who is the 'we' you refer to. this has been brought up at mca rules meeting several times & voted down.

[ChrisV289]

' if we start taking points off '

who is the 'we' you refer to. this has been brought up at mca rules meeting several times & voted down.

I haven't been to any of the rule meetings yet.  Still have that pesky job thing going for another 30 years or so.  I know Scott is now AHNJ and works for NPD so maybe now would be the opportunity to start looking at reproducing a more correct battery.  I know at the last Tucson show I asked about the heater plenum and they are still working on that I think...

[carlite65]

i'm all for the absolute correct reproductions. all we can do is wait & see.

[J_Speegle]

' if we start taking points off '

who is the 'we' you refer to. this has been brought up at mca rules meeting several times & voted down.

Guess it could apply any of three or four other national organizations plus dozens of more local "we's" 

[1966KGT]

I would purchase  4 reproductions for my cars, if acceptable when they become available. The others I bought failed.

[66RavenGTCoupeAgain]

I use the shell of a dead repro 24F since my car has AC

Hey Chris,
How did you do this? Im looking for tips to make what I have useful.....

[CharlesTurner]

I looked through a bunch of original window stickers/build sheets for 65-66 cars and could find no automatic triggering of A/C cars requiring a 24F size battery.  I really could find nothing that required a 24F other than it being marked on the order sheet.

[Bob Gaines]

I looked through a bunch of original window stickers/build sheets for 65-66 cars and could find no automatic triggering of A/C cars requiring a 24F size battery.  I really could find nothing that required a 24F other than it being marked on the order sheet.

I suppose you might want to investigate what alternator and regulator that a given car may have . I have seen a distinct correlation between which size battery and alternator /regulator.

[67gtasanjose]

I suppose you might want to investigate what alternator and regulator that a given car may have . I have seen a distinct correlation between which size battery and alternator /regulator.

I have a curiosity of the correlation too (all year models). I would also be curious (Bob) what vehicles you have correlated your data from. As stated earlier, my interest is mostly for 67's with factory AC and found with a 22F. This "find" on my example seems isolated as an example at this time. I would assume (there's that word) that a Factory AC car must have been built with a 55amp alternator but hey, who knows at this juncture.

[Bob Gaines]

I have a curiosity of the correlation too (all year models). I would also be curious (Bob) what vehicles you have correlated your data from. As stated earlier, my interest is mostly for 67's with factory AC and found with a 22F. This "find" on my example seems isolated as an example at this time. I would assume (there's that word) that a Factory AC car must have been built with a 55amp alternator but hey, who knows at this juncture.

I haven't studied 65 and 66 in that regard as I have for 67-69 . I have not come across a 67-69 air car that did not have the 55 amp alternator and the corresponding higher capacity regulator (C5TF/C8TF).

[CharlesTurner]

It may have been a 65-66 thing.  Posting numerous examples of build sheets of cars with A/C, but no HD battery.  Have examples of window stickers with A/C and also HD battery.  I also have the order punch card for a '66.  It was ordered with A/C and HD battery, but there is no call out for anything other than the base alternator/regulator.  Just going by the documentation, but it does not appear A/C, nor power top automatically triggered an HD battery (at least for 65-66).

[CharlesTurner]

Here's the '66 order and punch card.  Section 46 lists all the alternator/generator options.  Note at the top of the card for the build image, box 46 is blank.  Box 57 has code 5, for Fordaire Cond.  The dealer specifically checked HD battery on the order sheet.