I re-did the whole cooling system (hoses, radiator, water pump, Thermostat, belt, etc) myself pretty cheap. All parts have a lifetime warranty for as long as I own the car.

About to tackle the alternator/battery etc. Looking to put a 140 amp alternator in (as opposed to a 105 amp stock) and a new battery. I do plan to put a killer stereo in when I get to that.



I've heard good and bad about Optima batteries. Word is they used to be the best until they were bought out. Any good or bad experiences with Optima batteries recently? Yellow Top or Red Top? Is it worth the extra cash?

 

 

I've had my red top for over ten years now and it is still working fine.

 

Oh, blue tops are for marine use. Yellow tops are deep cycle.

 

I was going to buy one and after the reviews, I changed my mind. Maybe the people who bought this product years ago bought a good reliable product but I am not to sure about now.

 

j.u.n.k..... I have 5 dead ones, never again... warranty non existent POS batteries.

 

Whats a good battery these days?

 

i have had mine for 4 years. even drained it to zero volts once.( 2 years ago ) still works good. interstate batterys seem to be pretty good, have one in the wifes car.

 

It seems to be a hit & miss and the old ones seem to last, the new ones are kaput in no time. All it takes is some heavy discharging from a non starting engine and then a recharge to kill it

 

I need to get a battery for this thing and I have no idea what to get. I was just going to get a real good one and jump up to a 140amp Alternator since I'm also about to start working on the stereo. I hear the same thing, the old Optima Batteries Rock and the new ones Suck. I still have no idea what battery to get?

 

I had a yellow top in mine for just over 12 years and the only reason I replaced it was due to my overtightening the positive terminal and it breaking off inside the battery. The current red top has been in just over 4 years now and has been drained and recharged 3 times and still gets the job done.

 

I have had pretty bad luck with them. I actually prefer Advance Auto's gold series the best(and have lasted me the longest). With the red top especially, they don't like to be discharged!

 

Best batteries out there. Have them in many vehicles with no problems or dead batteries for many years. no worries about acid eating your car away.

 

I've used Optima since the mid '90s in my vehciles. My first one lasted for about 8 years, with HEAVY abuse. Shorted a bunch of times, deeply discharged far too many times, moved between several vehicles, the only reason I actually ended up replacing that one was because it had a dead cell, and the truck it was in, didn't like to start to easily, it was getting to be winter and if I didn't catch the start on the first attempt at cranking the engine over, I'd have to connect a battery charger/booster.

I have the small GM style in my Datsun, I had my larger Red Top in it for a long while then sold the car that the smaller version was in, so I swapped in the lighter one. The larger one should be going in my Dakota, just haven't got around to swapping it yet. The small GM style Red Top I have it at least 6 years old, the other battery is going on 10 now.

There seems to be an issue with the Optima batteries that are sold through discount stores, like big box stores and those club discount stores. I have yet to see any issues with the Optimas sold through Automotive Specialty retailers and repair shops.

That being said, I do have some Deka AGM batteries I am going to test out in my car(s) soon. Lighter, smaller, requires 2 of them, but that way I can put the batteries where I want them.

 

Great info Six, It is interesting though as I've always bought mine through Sam's Club. They sell lots of them so would not think the manufacturer would risk that huge sales by substituting cheaper internals. I wish people would tell us what they had problems with as you did and not just re-tell what they heard or read. That would give everyone a way to judge for themselves if that is a battery they want. As I said, I like the spill proof qualities especially in a expensive collector car. If someone has history with that not being the case, I'd like to hear it as that may change my mind about them.

 

if your gunna do stereo yellow top is the way to go yeah they're pricey but are waaaay worth it. I run a red top in my 96 olds with twin 12's and two amps one running my subs and the other running my 6x9's. Plus i have underglow kit and a small 9 in dvd player in the back and have never had a starting issue. I have another red top at home i plan on putting into my 86 iroc when i get ready to drive it. You cant go wrong with optima.

 

Thanks. Just got a Optima Red Top from Summit Racing and stuck it in today with a Powermaster 140 amp Alternator. I'm having a Double Din faceplate fabricated now. Time to start looking at stereos. Thanks for all the advice.

 

Ill never get one again thats for sure. Ill go with something else this time as the warranty on them is junk.

 

6SIX6 - 3 years full replacement warranty is not bad. There was some big class action lawsuit against regular Battery companies and the verdict resulted in sh*ttier warranties. Regular batteries have a "pro-rated" warranty. Meaning if the battery dies at 3yrs, they give you like $25 toward your next battery NOT a free $100 battery. The Optima battery, with the rebate being offered now and the warranty actually makes them more competitive.