59 Corvette Battery

[Eric Smart]

My father owns a 59 Corvette that he has owned since 1960. He is having a hard time finding a battery. I guess it is a really tight fit.

Anyway, here is a quote:

"I'm finding it hard to find a battery. They all have sideposts now and if they have top posts also, they protrude too far????????"

Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

eric

[Debra P.]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

Hi Eric, Have you tried Restoration battery. I regently bought a Delco that is correct for my 1958. I am very happy with the service from Restoration. They advertise in the Driveline, if you are an NCRS member. If you can't find them email me. I will be happy to give you their phone number.
Deb
NCRS 42699

[Don Izzo]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

I got my battery from Sears. They car wont ever be judged so I just wanted a battery with a good warranty. It fit in my batter compartment with all the hardware with no problem at all.

Don

[Dick W.]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

You might go to your favorite auto parts and ask them if they have a 24F battery. This is the BCI size which is used by all manufacturers. This should work in your car if all you are wanting is a generic battery

[Christopher R.]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

Your 1960 takes a Group 24. That used to be the most common and ordinary size. Not so any more. But not rare by any means. Just about any battery place will have a Group 24. I've bought and installed a few Group 24s in my '62. No fuss, no muss.

It is a tight fit down there. You'll need to undo the back end of the fresh air hose and get it out of the way. You will have to tilt the battery on its side. If you remember the old wet batteries with caps, tilting the battery will make you nervous. I wonder how they did it in the old days. But with the new sealed batteries, it's no big deal. The posts go towards the front, so you shouldn't care if they protrude too far. They don't though.

Don't know what else to say. A Group 24 battery will fit without any problem. Now if you've modified the tray, the hold down, or the cables, that's another story.

Consider installing a battery shut-off while you're there. The "green knob" one is popular.

[Dick W.]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

The battery needs to be a 24F or 24R. The 24H is 3/8ths of an inch taller and the 24R is 3/4's of an inch taller. The only difference between the F and R is the location of the terminals.

[William C.]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery

NEW Castle Battery, New Castle PA is an option if you want a true tar top.

[Jimmy J.]

Wall Mart has the 24 Battery *NM*

[Brad K.]

Re: Wall Mart has the 24 Battery

To those folks who would like to have a safer method of installing your battery in a straight axle Corvette, try placing the battery in a WalMart plastic bag (or any other plastic bag for that matter), remove your fresh air hose and then lower the bag/battery into the cavity by grasping the bottom of the bag and the handles of the bag. It sure makes it easier and reduces the potential of spills and pinched fingers.
Brad

[Eric Smart]

Re: 59 Corvette Battery - Thank you!

Thanks to everyone. My dad is off and shopping today.

This forum is great. I wish they had one this good for GTO's.