Group 27 Mopar Restoration Battery - Buy New or Gut Old?

[robl72]

Looking to buy a new restoration battery or convert my Dead one using a regular battery. Does anyone know the best place to buy a good one.

If not does anyone know how to gut the old one and put a new battery in it.

Thanks,

 

[6PKRTSE]

Looking to buy a new restoration battery or convert my Dead one using a regular battery. Does anyone know the best place to buy a good one.

If not does anyone know how to gut the old one and put a new battery in it.

Thanks,

Gut the old one. I have done two like this one now. I am on my third year on this one in my red Charger now.

 

[NJRR]

If you buy a new one and want to just sell the old case, I'm interested.

 

[robl72]

Gut the old one. I have done two like this one now. I am on my third year on this one in my red Charger now.

View attachment 514796 View attachment 514797

Was it difficult to gut? How did you do it?

 

[6PKRTSE]

First I took all of the caps off & drained it upside down for probably a couple of weeks in one of my drain pans before I had a chance to get to it. Then I used a cut of wheel & cut the bottom open & with an air saw, side cutters & pliers slowly worked out all of the plastic molded dividers, lead plates, absorbent mat, etc from inside little pieces at a time. This takes time and patients not to break the outer case while breaking the inner guts apart as it is all injected molded together from the factory. I probably had 1-1/2 to 2 hours into the whole process & in the car.

 

[robl72]

First I took all of the caps off & drained it upside down for probably a couple of weeks in one of my drain pans before I had a chance to get to it. Then I used a cut of wheel & cut the bottom open & with an air saw, side cutters & pliers slowly worked out all of the plastic molded dividers, lead plates, absorbent mat, etc from inside little pieces at a time. This takes time and patients not to break the outer case while breaking the inner guts apart as it is all injected molded together from the factory. I probably had 1-1/2 to 2 hours into the whole process & in the car.

Thanks I am going to give it a try. My battery does not have the removable caps. So I assume a can drill a couple holes in the bottom for draining and then get to work. What gauge cable did you use to attach the Odyssey Battery?

 

[6PKRTSE]

Thanks I am going to give it a try. My battery does not have the removable caps. So I assume a can drill a couple holes in the bottom for draining and then get to work. What gauge cable did you use to attach the Odyssey Battery?

Oh yeah, the newer ones are sealed now & do not have the removable caps. I now have one of these newer sealed batteries that are now junk also. I just used two 12" long standard size battery battery cable to connect the two.

 

[vitamin c]

Are you guys doing this for weight reduction? or cost savings? This sounds like a good idea for weight reduction in a pure stock car I'm working on

 

[6PKRTSE]

Are you guys doing this for weight reduction? or cost savings? This sounds like a good idea for weight reduction in a pure stock car I'm working on

I did it because I got tired of paying the big bucks for the look of a stock battery only to have to buy another one every two years or so. Yes, there is also a huge weight savings and a nice cost savings benefit also.

 

[Cliff426]

I also barely got three years use out of mine and that's with even keeping it on a battery tender when not in use.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have never used a battery tender in my life. i never trusted them to be charging & plugged in all of the time. Heard too many horror stories of them burning down house or garages. I even disconnect my car batteries (in the garage) if not driving them every day.

 

[Cliff426]

I have never used a battery tender in my life. i never trusted them to be charging & plugged in all of the time. Heard too many horror stories of them burning down house or garages. I even disconnect my car batteries (in the garage) if not driving them every day.

I have a friend who has about 10 Mopars and claims he does ok by just disconnecting all batteries. Either way haven't had great luck with these repro batteries. Actually if you're not really concerned with "show points, etc" and just want the look, then get a great black battery and buy the topper for it.

 

[bksrr]

How did you connect the Odyssey batter to your old mooar restoration battery terminals???? I haven't taken mine apart yet, so I can't tell what im getting into? Thanks

 

[XS22J8R]

How did you connect the Odyssey batter to your old mooar restoration battery terminals???? I haven't taken mine apart yet, so I can't tell what im getting into? Thanks

There’s a couple pictures in this thread showing the connections. I have a couple dead restoration batteries stashed away I want to try to gut but haven’t got ambitious enough yet…
Restoration Battery, red top

 

[bksrr]

There’s a couple pictures in this thread showing the connections. I have a couple dead restoration batteries stashed away I want to try to gut but haven’t got ambitious enough yet…
Restoration Battery, red top

Thanks my MOPAR Friend....

 

[Pistol Pete]

So who is making a restoration battery these day ? Seems like they come and go.

 

[bksrr]

So who is making a restoration battery these day ? Seems like they come and go.

Well I've got 4 Mopars and have bought a battery for each , plus one for my good friend in Tennessee, from Battery Central Mall. A guy in Virginia . His name is Wayne, hes a nice guy... Fair price BUT I recently had one go bad after 1.5 yrs and he wanted me to send it back to the Mfg who has pitiful reviews online and is slow as sh**. Doesn't respond! Wayne offered no help to me whatsoever. I had to incur shipping costs both ways and "hope" that this "manufacturer", who I don't know.... would help me! Screw it and Wayne. It looks like they are "formally" doing what you did...i can see a white battery inside of the Mopar restoration battery case???Im going to try your way with the 2 bad ones I have.
That said, i did hear that Turbostart was starting to make their battery again... I had one of theirs for 9 yrs!!
Take care and thanks again for your help!
BK

 

[toolmanmike]

Or you can go this route. Battery Topper Kit and cap color chart

 

[Pistol Pete]

I may go that route if need be, thanks.