Need Battery Suggestions

[Photon440]

We're talking about here in the USA, and for auto batteries. For the vast majority of our cars, Exide and Johnson Controls manufacture the batteries. Die hard, interstate, and all the others are only LABELS. Johnson Controls make Mopar batteries.

I understand the difference between a manufacturer and a label. Going through that list (I didn't make it all the way) shows over 50 US manufacturers, with far more brands. For instance, a Sears Diehard Gold can be made by Johnson Controls or by Delphi (owned by Johnson but with their own factory), while the Advanced Gold series is made by East Penn and the Platinum series is made by EnerSys.

That list, current as of June 2018, doesn't show Mopar under Johnson Controls, but does show it under All Power Battery.

 

[The Rebel]

Anyone know where you can get NOS or modern reproduction of just the battery caps? I'm not a fan of the fake battery toppers.

 

[The Rebel]

Went down to the local dodge dealership yesterday to get a battery. Waited at the counter for a few min's & could see the guy sitting in the back doing nothing. I made some noise to so the guy could hear me. Another guy walk out & asks did anyone know I was here & said you do now.

The guy in the back walks out & asks what do I need. Told the guy I need a battery, so he asks what's the last 4 digits of the vin. Told him it's for a 68 Charger with a 383. They guy starts being a complete asshole saying he needs measurements, spec's... Told him the stock battery was 59 amps. Again tells me he needs measurements. At this point I leave as those are the most stupid questions I ever heard. I've bought batteries for years & never had to go thru that.

Drove over to the local NAPA & got a battery in 5 min's.

725 CCA;24 BCI Group Size

 

[coloradodave]

Or, you could do a little research and have told him you needed a Group 24 battery. Realize for the most part the old cars aren't included in the current software at a dealer. Unless you can locate a "gray hair" at the parts counter you will have problems. Mopars used Group 24 (24 dictates the physical size) or Group 27 (larger) for H/D or H/P applications.
Not saying the guy didn't have a crappy attitude...

 

[The Rebel]

I'm pretty sure I mentioned that but can't remember. I certainly wasn't expecting him to be knowledgeable but there was no effort on his part to even look up some spec's on the parts inventory computer. I had my car out in the lot.

Or, you could do a little research and have told him you needed a Group 24 battery. Realize for the most part the old cars aren't included in the current software at a dealer. Unless you can locate a "gray hair" at the parts counter you will have problems. Mopars used Group 24 (24 dictates the physical size) or Group 27 (larger) for H/D or H/P applications.
Not saying the guy didn't have a crappy attitude...

 

[Photon440]

Your stock battery was 59 amps, and you ended up with 725?

 

[The Rebel]

That was what it came with from the factory in 68. 59AMP For 383, With Yellow Caps A24-B Series

Your stock battery was 59 amps, and you ended up with 725?

 

[67440chrg]

What ever brand you use you can extend the life using a battery tender. Every time my car is setting over a week I plug it in. My last battery lasted me 8 years.

 

[mopar73dge]

I have a Optima inside of the Antique Battery red screw caps Mopar restoration battery, The manufacture told me it will last at least 12 years if you have the correct AGM charger and exercise it every 2.5 months as instructed. Mopar batteries are excellent also.

 

[67 coronet]

careful with interstate batterys. there quality is going down hill fast. they are now supplied by korean manufacturers. not the company it used to be. i run a large repair shop(16 bay). we dropped interstate as a supplier because of a massive increase in warranty batterys in the last couple years.

 

[coloradodave]

Again, looking up specs for your car on a dealer's computer won't COMPUTE, as these days they don't service many parts past 10 years old unless they're still being used in current vehicles.
A sharp parts person would have gone out to the parking lot with you and LOOKED at the available space on your battery tray and recognized whether it would take a Group 24 or a Group 27, approx. 10.5" long or 12.5" long respectively. Your problem was you interrupted his "rest" time... That and he obviously isn't paid on commission. Next time ask for a 'senior' parts person.

 

[69a100]

That was what it came with from the factory in 68. 59AMP For 383, With Yellow Caps A24-B Series

I'm thinkin maybe a 59 amp alternator, but NOT a battery!

 

[The Rebel]

I'm thinkin maybe a 59 amp alternator, but NOT a battery!

That's an excellent point! I got the info off my build sheet.
Code
627 59 AMP/HR Battery

62 Battery: 59AMP For 383, With Yellow Caps A24-B Series

 

[6PKRTSE]

For my musclecars I always gut the repro battery once it fails & hide a lightweight sealed battery inside of them.

 

[Jackpot50]

AGM-type batteries hand vibration much better & Optima's are really good (expensive too). I have had good luck with your basic 3-year warranty, highest CCA part-store batteries myself.

Buy off Amazon best buy around and free shipping.

 

[The Rebel]

You should sell the shells you'd make a killing!

For my musclecars I always gut the repro battery once it fails & hide a lightweight sealed battery inside of them.

View attachment 633660 View attachment 633661 View attachment 633662

 

[6PKRTSE]

LOL. I have done 3 so far & usually seemed to be getting 6 years + out of them so far once modified. I do have one more dead repro battery left that I need to gut for another project someday. My original modified one in my red Charger is now going on about 11-12 years old & on it's second hidden battery. The other two are still on there first hidden batteries.

 

[beanhead]

Your stock battery was 59 amps, and you ended up with 725?

That's an excellent point! I got the info off my build sheet.
Code
627 59 AMP/HR Battery
View attachment 629880
62 Battery: 59AMP For 383, With Yellow Caps A24-B Series
View attachment 629878

That 59 Amps is amp/hrs, not the same as cranking amps..that's a rating for how much current a battery can deliver for a certain amount of time before needing recharging. The parts counter kids pretty much only know the CCA anymore these days... but like Rebel says I've had pretty good luck at Napa, if I tell them I need 'such and such for a 68 satellite' the right part usually comes right up in their system

 

[The Rebel]

The guy at the dealership was about 50 and I would have thought that he had a clue but based on his attitude I obviously interrupted his nap time at 9am....

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Plus they're black in color and have MOPAR labels on them. They look at least somewhat correct for a MOPAR engine bay, and yes they do last.

For some time now I've had very good results with MOPAR batteries and have recommended them to other people, but last Saturday the 4 yr. old MOPAR battery in my '68 Coronet gave up the ghost. I was surprised and disappointed since I've been getting 10 to 11 years from them. And in good faith felt that I should let people know that this particular battery didn't measure up to the ones I've purchased in the past.
Plus this morning when I called a couple of the dealerships I deal with they said the price on the Group 27 battery has gone up since I bought the last one. The best they could do including tax was around $140.00. Considerably higher than the last one a purchased.
So at this point I'm rethinking MOPAR batteries (FWIW).