billabong08

I am wondering what kind of battery you guys are running in your cars?

I currently have a old 8 year old battery in my 1966 Dodge Dart that I badly need to replace.

Also what kind of battery chargers are you all using?

I saw that Advance Auto has Optima Redtops for $189.99 but you can use promo code "VISA" and that will knock off $50. So the Optima Redtop will be knocked down to $139.99.
Wont be bad because I can just pick it up locally so I wont have to worry about shipping. Also if I need it shipped they ship for free because of how much the purchase is.
But I am curious about Optima batteries. Only reason I say that is because I have never ran them before. I hear that the older Optima's were awesome but the newer ones are not so much.

Well thanks for the help!

billabong08

I forgot to mention that the car sits for long periods of time.
That is why I am kinda leaning toward a AGM/Gel Cell battery.
I dont want to have to jump start the vehicle after sitting for a while.
Thanks everyone!

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i have a red top..........no pro so far

Grim Crow

i have a yellow top, but really only because we will probably relocate it in the future and dry cells make it easy and safe. Red top was only about 20 bucks cheaper so i splurged for the yellow. Oh and I bought it at O'reilly's for $200

Ghostintheshell

Interstate megatron II?
Green top.
Nice battery.

dragonrage

None. Mine's in my trunk

I have a Deka Intimidator 9A31PH. I HIGHLY recommend Deka Intimidator for both car audio and stock cars. Other than that, I ONLY recommend AGM batteries. I HIGHLY recommend avoiding flooded cel ('traditional') and gel cell (e.g. Optima) batteries.

Deka batteries are very heavy duty. They have sponge plates like most batteries (true deep-cycle batteries have solid plates) but they are some of the densest out there (again, without going to a true deep-cycle - and most marine batteries are not true deep-cycle, by the way)

If you want something local, I recommend Diehard Platinum from Sears.


For a charger, I recommend Ctek, unless you're looking for a big charger that can actually start the car. For that, I don't know, but it doesn't get better than Ctek if you don't need that.

tsench

iTrader: (15)

red top for me been 4 yrs already

TruBloodTransAm

iTrader: (24)

Optima Yellow Top!

DOUBLEDMODS

iTrader: (3)

I had a Yellow Top I got from Advance in my 1999 Corvette
bought it 2 years ago.
After the first year I had to have it replaced
I got a new one in Feb of this year. It lasted me 2 months and car was always dead-even with a CTEK
So i took it back and they gave me an Advance Gold
Never had a problem since.

So my advice is
buy and Advance Gold and then buy a ctek 3300(59.99 shipped currently from us) and still have less money into this than getting a Optima and your battery will be maintained and ready to go when you are.

I am a Mopar guy too.
Here is the latest edition to our Mopar mix
2011 Durango R/T

dragonrage

Optima sucks. Stop answering that. They are the Bose of batteries. Think of gel cel batteries as an experiment which more or less failed, and the real answer to the problem turned out to be AGM.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Optima Yellow top, I've had it probably 5 yrs and never had any problem with it.
I guess I've been lucky?

Hey, dragonrage

Do you know what model of Deka Intimidator would be the best fit in the factory location?

dragonrage

I don't... what group number is the stock battery and/or what are the dimensions of the battery and/or what are the dimensions of the battery tray?

It's been over 2 years since I've sold my Camaro, so I don't remember that sort of stuff offhand.

I use their biggest battery, the 9A31PH, in my G8. But a 4th-gen F-body will definitely not fit that under the hood.

Perhaps this would fit? http://www.remybattery.com/Products/...8__9A78DT.aspx

As I said before, for something local, I recommend Diehard Platinum. They are AGM and made by Odyssey which is a well-liked brand in the car audio scene (and will work fine if you're not into car audio). I'd still take Deka Intimidator over it, though.

bmnicolosi

iTrader: (2)

Car has Optima red top
Truck had Optima yellow top for 5 years, went to replace it and no more side post yellow top at Autozone so put a red top in there

Wing Zer0

iTrader: (3)

This, although mine were red tops. I had gone through 4 of these 2 in my 97 Ws6 and 2 now through my current ride. And I sure as hell am not going to 5 after I get a new battery shortly here.lol

Danny2tek

iTrader: (1)

Red Top here

ncfastls1

iTrader: (1)

I had a optima red top for 2 years and it went bad on me. Like some others have said, the older optimas were really good but when they switched manufacturing to mexico the quality went downhill. I bought a carquest advanced generation battery (got a sweet deal since I work there) and it has performed very well. Never hesitates on start up.

thehulk2203

red top had the same battery for four year 3 different cars never failed!

Grim Crow

optimas are agm, aren't they?

dragonrage

No. They are gel. The 3 types are flooded, gel and AGM.

Grim Crow

then why does optima advertise as agm:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optim...wtop/index.php