Best batteries, Road n Track’s opinion Options

[horizontally-opposed]

Just to stir the pot:

Odyssey PC680: 15lbs, 170CCA, $179
Antigravity ATZ10 RE-START: 2.6lbs, 360CCA, $199

Been looking at Anti-Gravity, and reached out to them. Seems like best fit for a 914 street car is an H5.

H5/ GROUP 47
Models Available in 24Ah, 30Ah, 40Ah but Cranking Performance better than a 90Ah Lead Battery

H5-24-RS ("RACE ONLY" says website; rep said could be okay for a street car)
24 Amp Hours
1000 Cranking Amps
8.5 lbs

H5-30-RS (rep recommended this one to be safe)
30 Amp Hours
1200 Cranking Amps
11.7 lbs

https://antigravitybatteries.com/products/s...otive/ag-h5-rs/

Not cheap, at $649-$749, but there are some nice features and it ends up as a delta of $470-$570 over a PC680. Have seen raves about good service life from Odyssey batteries, but also several comments re: problems/short service life with recommendations to skip straight to an Anti-Gravity so you only have to do it once. Have yet to see a negative review of Anti-Gravity, other than price.

So it looks like the "best" battery—if best is lightest and most advanced within the realm of reason—for a 914 is a Odyssey PC680 or an Anti-Gravity H5-30-RS. It is very cool that we have these options. Short of a 1/4 tank of gas, it's difficult to duplicate this kind of weight savings for this kind of cost—without loss of functionality.

[ClayPerrine]

I have the exact same model of Optima battery in everything we own. That way we can transfer batteries between vehicles. And everything but my truck sits on a battery tender on a regular basis. With Covid, they just don't get driven like they used to.

Clay

[horizontally-opposed]

Interesting to see the comments re: Optimas going dead without being on a tender.

I've been running them since 1992~, and have only had 2-3 Optima batteries in all that time. Early on, I had to have a kill switch due to a draw (turned out to be the horn relay, which was "on" all the time). Since then (2003-2004?), I've never had an issue.

And I've never kept them on tenders. Car sometimes sat for months. Started right up every time. My only motivation in looking at an Odyssey or an Anti-Gravity is a desire to claim back some of the 120~ lbs added by the six conversion, and these batteries look to be good for about a 1/4 of it, and up high too.

[Superhawk996]

I'm very confused by their quote from Consumer Reports (and why we should listen to CR about car technology is beyond me).

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Yet another example of a magazine that has struggled to stay relevant in print and that has shifted it's on-line presence toward marketing. They have long claimed to be objective but steadfastly refused transparency with respect to their "objective" rating system.

[bbrock]

Interesting to see the comments re: Optimas going dead without being on a tender.

I've been running them since 1992~, and have only had 2-3 Optima batteries in all that time. Early on, I had to have a kill switch due to a draw (turned out to be the horn relay, which was "on" all the time). Since then (2003-2004?), I've never had an issue.

And I've never kept them on tenders. Car sometimes sat for months. Started right up every time. My only motivation in looking at an Odyssey or an Anti-Gravity is a desire to claim back some of the 120~ lbs added by the six conversion, and these batteries look to be good for about a 1/4 of it, and up high too.

I should clarify about my Optima going dead. I had a yellow top in my snow plow that would sit for months not on a tender and through many brutal -20 to -30 winters. When I did run it, it had the extra draw of a snow plow to contend with. It always fired up and was amazing. It finally died this year after an incredible 12 years of service. Amazing battery! When I traded in the core, I told the FLAPS guy it belonged in a museum rather than recycled. At the same time I had a red top in a truck parked next to the snow plow under the same conditions. I let that one sit nearly a year without starting and the battery went flat. Couldn't bring it back even following Optima's instructions.

[double-a]

i've been happy with my optima red top, which has been reliably cranking the starter since restoration was complete in 2005. i keep it trickle-charged in the winter, and it has never given me a problem. 15 years is a long time though...

[Mark Henry]

My optima red top was a 2002, it lasted 10 years.
This will be the 4th year on my 680.

[pete000]

I like Optima because they make one that fits the 914 really well with the poles in the right places. You just need to keep them up, but if you let them go down the Optima specific charger can bring them back.

[Front yard mechanic]

I buy red top at my local battery recycling center 50.00 they last forever almost

[Morph914]

I’m about to purchase a battery, so this was helpful. But after looking at the Odyssey’s online, they are smaller than standard. Will I be able to mount these with the stock equipment, or will I have to modify something to make it work?
The PC 680 gives measurements of 7.15” x 3” x 6.65” and 13.45 lbs, the PC 925 gives measurements of 6.44”x 6.75” x 4.88 and 26lbs.
I’m leaning towards the PC 925 if it can be mounted without modifications.
Does anyone have a picture of a pc 925 mounted in their car?

Cheers,
John

[PlaysWithCars]

I’m about to purchase a battery, so this was helpful. But after looking at the Odyssey’s online, they are smaller than standard. Will I be able to mount these with the stock equipment, or will I have to modify something to make it work?
The PC 680 gives measurements of 7.15” x 3” x 6.65” and 13.45 lbs, the PC 925 gives measurements of 6.44”x 6.75” x 4.88 and 26lbs.
I’m leaning towards the PC 925 if it can be mounted without modifications.
Does anyone have a picture of a pc 925 mounted in their car?

Cheers,
John

You don't have to modify the car, but you do need to build an adapter to mount the PC680 in the battery tray.

[horizontally-opposed]

I’m about to purchase a battery, so this was helpful. But after looking at the Odyssey’s online, they are smaller than standard. Will I be able to mount these with the stock equipment, or will I have to modify something to make it work?
The PC 680 gives measurements of 7.15” x 3” x 6.65” and 13.45 lbs, the PC 925 gives measurements of 6.44”x 6.75” x 4.88 and 26lbs.
I’m leaning towards the PC 925 if it can be mounted without modifications.
Does anyone have a picture of a pc 925 mounted in their car?

Cheers,
John

You can fab something up, or buy ready made mounts for $135 without provision for a cut-off or $145 with provision for the cut-off.

If you want ready made: https://www.rennline.com/Battery-Mount-Kits/products/169/

Some might know of other leads, but adding one of these mounts closes the gap to an Anti-Gravity H5 a bit more—which doesn't need an adapter. Not sure which way I'll go.

[Morph914]

I’m about to purchase a battery, so this was helpful. But after looking at the Odyssey’s online, they are smaller than standard. Will I be able to mount these with the stock equipment, or will I have to modify something to make it work?
The PC 680 gives measurements of 7.15” x 3” x 6.65” and 13.45 lbs, the PC 925 gives measurements of 6.44”x 6.75” x 4.88 and 26lbs.
I’m leaning towards the PC 925 if it can be mounted without modifications.
Does anyone have a picture of a pc 925 mounted in their car?

Cheers,
John

You can fab something up, or buy ready made mounts for $135 without provision for a cut-off or $145 with provision for the cut-off.

If you want ready made: https://www.rennline.com/Battery-Mount-Kits/products/169/

Some might know of other leads, but adding one of these mounts closes the gap to an Anti-Gravity H5 a bit more—which doesn't need an adapter. Not sure which way I'll go.

Yeah, not really interested in fabbing something or spending more $ on a ready made mount, so the hunt continues.
Thank you for the info though.

Cheers,
John

[akp2002]

It is sad.

R&T, C/D, Autoweek…these were the absolute standard-bearers as I grew up, giving me hours and hours of reading pleasure and no small amount of information I found fascinating.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Can't even count how many hours I spent in the library reading those publications in my teens.

I have to say the Hagerty magazine is really great now!

[jvmarino]

I have used standard batteries in all my vintage cars over the years. The AGM idea sounds nice, but I am too "frugal" (nice word for "cheap") to buy one.

Last Spring when the 914 was having problems turning over, I had thought it was only a few years old. Pulled it out to swap for a new one and saw the date code on it was from 2005. I was pretty impressed with it lasting that long. The car is not driven more than 1,000 miles a year, and is always on a tender when parked. I have even installed battery disconnect switches on the ground terminal of all my vintage cars. After reading a story about a guy having a wiring short on his vintage car cause a garage fire (that almost took the house with it), it seemed like a good idea to install the disconnects on all the cars.

I don't even worry much about the brand battery I buy since they are all made by the same few companies. I usually get them at Advance Auto, Pep Boys, Walmart, etc.

Jim

[raynekat]

I tried an Anti-gravity battery in my car.
Started my six cylinder engine with no problems.

The real problems only start when you try to run enough electrics on your car at the same time.
I had the wipers, headlights, fog lights, defrost blower going all at the same time.
You could really see the voltage drop at the stoplight.
Didn't like that.
Many just don't have enough amp-hrs to serve as good "daily driver" batteries.

Now if this is just your Sunday runner or auto-x/track car, then they (lithium batteries) will work just fine.
That's my limited experience in a nutshell on these.

Plus they just don't drop in.
You'll need to be creative to get them mounted in your battery tray.
I modified the mounting bracket that was an option for the battery.

[horizontally-opposed]

I tried an Anti-gravity battery in my car.
Started my six cylinder engine with no problems.

The real problems only start when you try to run enough electrics on your car at the same time.
I had the wipers, headlights, fog lights, defrost blower going all at the same time.
You could really see the voltage drop at the stoplight.
Didn't like that.
Many just don't have enough amp-hrs to serve as good "daily driver" batteries.

Now if this is just your Sunday runner or auto-x/track car, then they (lithium batteries) will work just fine.
That's my limited experience in a nutshell on these.

Plus they just don't drop in.
You'll need to be creative to get them mounted in your battery tray.
I modified the mounting bracket that was an option for the battery.

^ Good input, as always. Thank you for sharing this.

So…which Anti-Gravity did you have? H5 case w/ 24ah? 30ah? 40ah? Or something else maybe? May need to rethink AG…

[Rufus]

It is sad.

R&T, C/D, Autoweek…these were the absolute standard-bearers as I grew up, giving me hours and hours of reading pleasure and no small amount of information I found fascinating.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Can't even count how many hours I spent in the library reading those publications in my teens.

After almost continuously subscribing to R&T since the beginning of 1967, I let it lapse in late 2019. Fittingly, the last issue I received, November 2019, had a <monster truck> on the cover! OMG! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) I never even took it from its wrapper ...

[raynekat]

^ Good input, as always. Thank you for sharing this.

So…which Anti-Gravity did you have? H5 case w/ 24ah? 30ah? 40ah? Or something else maybe? May need to rethink AG…

I had the RS-30 which I don't think they make or carry any more.
It was 30 amp-hr.
Only weighed 12 lbs which felt like a feather compared to the AGM that replaced it (more like 35 lbs).

[StarBear]

May just be me growing into a grumpy old man. That R&T site completely summarizes why I no longer pay attention to Road and Track and many othef buff magazines.

Advertising & marketing masquerading as jounalism courtesy of Hearst Automotive Group (now owners of BaT).

Nevermind that Hearst will get an affiliate commission on click though purchases via the SHOP NOW button.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)