C2 - 1963 Correct Battery Size

[Norm B.]

Could someone please tell me what the correct "Group" number or correct dimensions are for a 1963 340 HP coupe battery? Time to replace mine and the one in it is too short so can't use it as an example.

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 - 1963 Correct Battery Size

Norm-----

A Group 24 battery should be what you're after. Alternatively, I think that you could use a Group 78 DT (DT= dual terminals).

[Norm B.]

Thanks Joe *NM*

[Joe L.]

Addendum

Norm-----

As an interesting side bar, Corvettes switched from the top terminal R-59S (later called a Group 24) battery to the side terminal R79S (which later became known as a group 78) in late 1969. In fact, my September, 1969 built car was one of the first Corvettes built with the new style battery. Since 1969 Corvettes were the first cars to use the side terminal batteries, it was one of the first cars, ever, to use a side terminal battery.

Side terminal batteries were rapidly phased into just about all GM cars, although many other manufacturers continued to use top terminal.

Well, things have come full circle. The 2004 Corvettes, at least ZO6 if not all, will be returning to top terminal. I think that the battery used will be a Group 24, last used on Corvettes in 1969 before the switch to the top terminals.

[Kenneth S.]

[Dino L.]

Re: C2 - 1963 Correct Battery Size

I noticed that my original battery holdown retainer has an offest cut into for the positive and negative terminals, and it also appears that the offsets were offset from each other, in other words the positive and negative terminals would be a different dimension from the edge of the group 24 battery, but looking at restoration replica batteries the terminals are equidistance from the edge? can someone comment on exactly what I might be confused about?