Restoration Battery

[Bob B.]

Re: Restoration Battery

Jeff,

I had the old style resto battery in my '60 and I finally got all I wanted of the maintenance and acid leaking all the time!

So, I converted it to a cover for an Optima and added tar to the top of my resto battery. It looks great and I have Optima amps.

This is a weekend project and not an afternoon one. The article on how to do this is pending in the Restorer, so that will give all the details.

Bob

[Peter G.]

Re: Restoration Battery

James not long!!
Not worth the high dollar to me.
I have written a extensive posting on Restoration Batteries.
I'll take the standard deduct on originally I think 15 points instead of 9 points on Ops with the car not starting and pi..ing off the judges. With the battery behind the driver's seat and heavy in the C3...not worth it.

[G A.]

Re: Restoration Battery

the Odyssey battery is going on 4 years now.
Although - I don't think I tried to start the car in almost a year.

Hope the Stabil is still working.

Jeff - This is brilliant. Where do you get fire-proof foam?

[Dennis O.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but there seem to be a lot of problems with newer Optimas. I am a frequent poster on the H.A.M.B, (the traditional Hot Rod internet forum), and there has been a lot of discussion about OPTIMA batteries over there. Apparently, Optima sold out several years ago, and the manufacturing operation was moved from Colorado to Mexico. It seems that since then, the quality of their product has gone dramatically downhill. The consensus over here is that Optima batteries are questionable at best, and no one buys them anymore. Many, many sad tales of problems with newer Optimas.

Just so you know, I have a 6 volt Optima in my '51 ford, and it has served me very well. It's about 7 years old though.

[Randy G.]

Re: Restoration Battery

4 months ago when I bought a battery for my '54 I went to NAPA and got an 800+ amp commercial 6 volt battery compared to a 400 amp restoration battery. Folks tell me the 400 amp unit was good for about 2 attempts at starting the car before the battery would go dead.

I'd rather have the amps than the "look" of an original battery along with having to carry jumper cables and holding high hopes of not frying my wiring harness, lights, clock and Wonderbar radio while jump starting off a 12 volt volunteer's car or truck.

The restoration battery in my '57 fuelie just died last week as well. I started it a couple weeks ago after charging it. I tried starting it last Saturday and it was dead. I keep it disconnected. It was new in 2006 so I guess I can't complain.

[Jeff A.]

Re: Restoration Battery

Jeff - This is brilliant. Where do you get fire-proof foam?

I simply used the "great stuff" from the hardware store - they don't claim that it is fireproof,
but it would not carry a flame and simply melted when I tested it.

Seems the price on the Odyssey batteries are a LOT more expensive then they were 5 years ago,
had to pay $180 this time. Cheapest price was Summit Racing.
Still less then a resto battery, but considerably more then a standard battery.
Hope I will get another 5 years - then it will be worth the expense.
I really need to drive the car more...
If I'm not going to drive it - then who cares if it starts?

[Anthony P.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I have been buying my batteries from Antique auto battery and have 2 maintenance frees that are 4+ (and 1+) years old, and another that I have to add acid that is over 5 years old. They still work fine. I keep them on a battery tender trickle charger all the time. With the one that I have to add acid, I do check the levels and need to add water 2-3 times year.

I learned after letting one battery go dead over the inter and it was junk after.

Tony

[Jeff A.]

Re: Restoration Battery

Article in the restorer this month about using an old battery case. What a great idea - glad they thought of it. LOL

But very dangerous for them to recommend a little 680 battery - if your car won't start right away, you are going to be in trouble -
better to use the 925 for peace of mind.

[Jerry B.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I recently spoke to one of the major battery manufactures and they told me a 10 amp is more affective than a battery reminder. The 2 amp charge is not effective for a long term charge. Who knows!!!

[Joe R.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I recently spoke to one of the major battery manufactures and they told me a 10 amp is more affective than a battery reminder. The 2 amp charge is not effective for a long term charge. Who knows!!!

Sounds like you got the warehouse boy on the phone when you called.

JR

[Norris W.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I've got a Restoration Battery in my LS6 Chevelle and it's about a year old. I've had it on a Battery Tender Plus as all of my other stuff is. I have about 30 Battery Tender Plus' and have had good luck with them with one exception. My '69 Camaro in storage blew the whole side and back out of a wet type battery that'd been in it for about 3 years and it got acid EVERYWHERE. My Dodge Viper is a '96 model with about 4K miles on it. There are times when it sits for over a year without being cranked, BUT it stays on Battery Tender always. I replaced the original battery in it for the first time in late 2010. 14 years on one battery is a pretty good argument for the BTender+.

As for the current crop of Restoration Batteries, the one in the Chevelle came in damaged with the lid knocked loose so I got to see the inside. All it is is a small race car battery from Summit in a plastic case with internal wires to the terminals much like someone fabbed back on the first page of this discussion. I was pretty disappointed when I saw what I'd just paid over 300 bucks for, but so far so good.

I agree that some of the things we worry about are foolish ways to spend money, with batteries being at the top of the list, and the worthless lead free laquer that's available now being close behind. I remember my first trip to a concourse d'elegance with Ferrari Club N.A. and viewing what was described as the finest 275 in the world. It had a Sears Die Hard battery and not a word was said about it.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Restoration Battery

Curious if you guys have looked at Restoration Battery website.

They cite a Delco battery plant that does not show in the Delco Remy history.

I've always heard of the Olathe KS plant, moreover inside sources indicate that plant supplied Kansas City but not St Louis.

Anyone with original batteries that can comment on the date codes on the top???

[Duane D.]

Re: Restoration Battery

My Restoration battery failed after a year and a half. I called the home office and was directed to a lady named Delores. She asked me some questions and had me perform a few tests. The tests failed and when I called her back the next day, she asked me to return the battery. A few weeks later a new battery showed up at my house. Since then, I disconnect the battery after use with the round knob shutoff. After six months, everything works perfectly. I have good things to say about Restoration battery and how they treated me.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Restoration Battery

Is the date code burned in as the plant in Kansas and printed on the side Anderson Indiana?

[William B.]

Re: Restoration Battery

I have Restoration Batteries in my 60 and 67. The one in the 67 is about 5 years old and the other is older. Still no problems. In fact the 2010/2011 winter is the first winter I had heated storage as I had a garage built. Never used a trickle charger of any type. Do disconnect after each use even if just overnight.