Optima was solid for the most part but now I want something
Cheaper .

The car sometimes sits in garage for 3 weeks at a time .

I have the trickle charger .

But I want to avoid a high dollar batt because I just accept the fact that these cars

That sit a lot

Need more frequent batt replacement then something

New/ modern / not boxer . That's driven daily .

So what is recommended ?

















My father never drank ,smoked gambled or chased women and I wasn't going to either
"Ty Cobb "

I'd go for another Optima Red Top. Mine's been running (altho in my dd for over 10 years, rated @ 750 cca but never tests less than 920cca. Put a negative quick disconnect on anything you don't drive alot- seconds to turn off and saves batteries!

I did recently get the quick disconnect on the negitive post aka( big red key )
But the battery had already deteriorated past the point of no return .

I've not had luck with optima batteries. My first started draining even when it was not hooked up. My current Optima goes dead in a few weeks if I leave it hooked up. on the flip side my friend's optima has been good for year and years.

$89 at Walmart. 3 years and no failure. Texas heat. Daily driver. I'm happy.

I'm told these optima batts need and optima charge using trickle setting.
Problem is that these chargers are north of $150.
Expensive to show off those red tops.

$89 at Walmart. 3 years and no failure. Texas heat. Daily driver. I'm happy.


Sounds good to me ,but my Walmart has zero customer support in the automotive dept

So I would need to know exactly what battery I need .

I replaced my old battery with an Interstate battery. I was going to look at Optima but my brother (works at an auto shop) says that Optima has gone through a lot of poor quality issues in the last 5+ years. I've heard they have gotten a little better of late but I don't believe the Optima is much better than a regular battery anymore. I'll go for a pricey dry cell battery next time.

The main advantage of the Optima battery: No battery acid.
I had the Exide version of the Optima in my 914-6 for 10 years.
It went dead. I instinctively replaced it with the Optima.
It went dead. I opened the shroud to replace the alternator.
I found out that the mechanic that replaced the alternator in
the 3.2 did not seat the connections properly.
Who knows? I might still be using the original Exide battery if
not for the alternator glitch.

I found a guy selling all remanufactured
Batteries 50 bucks with 1 month guarante

But the batteries have no labels or specs
On them , as in amps ,group nothing.

Costco battery (re-branded Interstate).
Longest warranty, low price.
Batteries have a lifespan of about 4 years. Anything more than that is just luck. This has nothing to do with the manufacturer, it's just physics and chemistry as there's a limit to the amount of times you can decompose and recompose the lead plates before they brake down or the residue shorts them at the bottom.
I believe the key here is the warranty period you get. Any battery will fail so it's better if you're cover for the longest period of time.

The optima in my bug is 12 years old, the one thing I've always done is run it...once the summer is over it goes into my winter car.

I was thinking this next... http://www.odysseybatteries.com/applications/auto.htm

I bought two optimas 12 years ago. One died in about 5 years. The other still powers my daily driver.

http://m.harborfreight.com/15-Watt-Solar-B...rger-68692.html


Anybody have one of these , is it a joke or could it actually keep the battery
In good condition .

Price is right .