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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
Would be nice to have a OEM looking (well as close you can get this days) battery for our cars.
I beleive they all came wiht the black top / white sides Delco Freedom batteries from the factory, see photo attached.
My thinking was to use a flat top battery (just got a new one ordered) and use a reproduction sticker on it ... however not sure if anyone reproduced them already?
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
Good question...would be nice to see these labels reproduced, they're a nice touch of originality. Delco batteries are generally junk, but I wouldn't mind dressing up my non-Delco batteries so they at least look correct.
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
It's only a matter of time before reproductions and "battery toppers" come out for the Delco Freedom batteries. The Corvette guys will probably be the ones that make it a reality. Reproductions of the old 1970's Delco R59 and R89 batteries have been available for a while now.
Occasionally I'll find a car at an old junkyard that still has a Delco Freedom battery in it. I thought about cutting the top off with a hacksaw and making my own "battery topper."
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
I contacted Peter Klutt from Legendary Motorcars in Canada a few years back and asked if he had any interest in reproducing these. He has the license or patent or whatever it is to manufacture battery toppers in the US. The 60s muscle cars that have a factory looking battery topper came from Peter's inventory. He said that there isn't much demand for Delco battery replicas because there aren't enough people trying to restore the 80s GM cars. Unfortunately, he did say that there does seem to be more interest in the late 70s and early 80s Mustang market, that they will probably reproduce those first.
This is, again, a slap in the face of third gen owners because of our own lack of restoring these cars and how cheap many of us are.
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
My first thought would be to call Jim Osborn Reproductions. He has a lot of decals for older stuff. I used him a bunch in the restorations of my 79 and 80 Z28 and the 75 Formula that I did. he is great to deal with and listens to us hobbyist. Their was some strong interest in the early delco batteries a while back but I did'nt worry about it after I just peeled off the labels of the battery I had and cleaned it up. It just disappeared from the engine compartment cause there was nothing drawing attention to it. Hopefully someone will come up with something. Another place to call would be Coker Tire. I know they are into everything.
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
Originally Posted by Damon23
My first thought would be to call Jim Osborn Reproductions. He has a lot of decals for older stuff. I used him a bunch in the restorations of my 79 and 80 Z28 and the 75 Formula that I did. he is great to deal with and listens to us hobbyist. Their was some strong interest in the early delco batteries a while back but I did'nt worry about it after I just peeled off the labels of the battery I had and cleaned it up. It just disappeared from the engine compartment cause there was nothing drawing attention to it. Hopefully someone will come up with something. Another place to call would be Coker Tire. I know they are into everything.
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
Originally Posted by scottmoyer
I contacted Peter Klutt from Legendary Motorcars in Canada a few years back and asked if he had any interest in reproducing these. He has the license or patent or whatever it is to manufacture battery toppers in the US. The 60s muscle cars that have a factory looking battery topper came from Peter's inventory. He said that there isn't much demand for Delco battery replicas because there aren't enough people trying to restore the 80s GM cars. Unfortunately, he did say that there does seem to be more interest in the late 70s and early 80s Mustang market, that they will probably reproduce those first.
This is, again, a slap in the face of third gen owners because of our own lack of restoring these cars and how cheap many of us are.
Sad but definitely true. I've found myself stunned at key parts that are no longer available that I had to score used from Henry D -- Fuel tank vent valve (no biggie, it just makes the car smell like it's leaking gas!), HVAC control valve (causes a vacuum leak and your ducts to not work), and the EGR solenoid (will cause your EGR to not work and you to fail emissions). I'd hardly expect an OEM battery to be available yet. I'll settle for the items that will make the car not blow up and run properly! Hopefully this changes over time.
Re: Anyone seen reproduction Delco Freedom Battery stickers/labels?
Perfect for a flattop battery like the ones you can buy @ Napa, Sears (I think) etc ... I pulled the stickers on the one I bought (same manufacturer as the Napa and Sears ones) and looks great.
Those are excellent, very nice! I don't know if the battery I just put in my car is a flat top or not, it's a Delco but I'd have to check. Most likely though you'll be out of them by the time I get out to the car to look at it.
The original batteries had black tops and white body and I never seen one like that since the 90's so the above is second best ... but they do not have the "eye" like the Delco's have however the Delco's these days are not flat tops like they used to be ...
There's not going to be a demand until people know what their cars came with. The battery you posted and the sticker you had created based on that battery are incorrect for the 1987 model. There were many different looks to the Delco Freedom batteries during the 82-92 run.
Because of this, I contacted Remy today and spoke with one of their marketing reps to see if they can provide images of each year's battery. I'm waiting on their response, but they mentioned that they haven't been in that industry for about 15 years, so they would need to look into the archives.
There's not going to be a demand until people know what their cars came with. The battery you posted and the sticker you had created based on that battery are incorrect for the 1987 model. There were many different looks to the Delco Freedom batteries during the 82-92 run.
Because of this, I contacted Remy today and spoke with one of their marketing reps to see if they can provide images of each year's battery. I'm waiting on their response, but they mentioned that they haven't been in that industry for about 15 years, so they would need to look into the archives.
Here are the images I have from an 81, 85 and 87
I'm fully aware of that and the same sticker have different details with regards to CCA, lifespan etc as well depending on car model they ended up in ... as well as the over the counter replacements from the same year could be slightly different as well ... oh and some that the factory used came from the Canada plant so again a slightly different decal.
the Red/White/Blue battery is one they need to repo.
They were used from late '73 to 82ish?
the Corvette guys don't want them because the Vettes of those years were kind of blah.
except for the '78 25th anniversary, they really don't care about their battery.
Camaro folks are different.
if I had a 1976 Camaro, I'd really want that patriotic theme underneath the hood.
The Red-White Sticker on the Blue Battery (81), looks almost identical to the Black with the White & Yellow stickers (85) the only difference is the colors and the decals. I wonder if they just changed suppliers.
With the way tech is going I can see car batteries becoming so small that you could find an original delco freedom, gut it, and use it as a shell for your entire new battery, while maintaining the look of a fully wired and stock factory battery.
The Red-White Sticker on the Blue Battery (81), looks almost identical to the Black with the White & Yellow stickers (85) the only difference is the colors and the decals. I wonder if they just changed suppliers.
Hope you don't mind me bringing up an old topic to answer that.
The Freedom Battery came out in 1975 during the excitement about the nation's bi-centential 1776-1976, so many things were Red, White & Blue, including some Special Edition cars, like Chevrolets "Spirit of America" edition cars. I think Buick had something too iirc.
By 1982-3 the patriotic displays had faded and it was during the design process of the c4 Corvette, Chevrolet/GM requested that Delco-Remy the Mfg change the colors, because the battery location was being moved from in cabin compartment in c3 (unseen) to underhood a on the C4 Corvette and very visible, right at the clamshell hood opening, Chevrolet wanted the battery to compliment the Silver and black engine, not to stand out. The Battery should be and i think is Black with Silver that just looks white in the pic.
Basically the same battery just different color tops and labels.
Aside from the $25 reproductions on ebay, has anyone seen any sources for Delco battery decals lately?
Also wondering if anyone has come up with any kind of definitive guide to which labels were used on which cars. For all the low mileage cars out there, it's surprising how difficult it is to find clear pictures of this kind of thing.
Aside from the $25 reproductions on ebay, has anyone seen any sources for Delco battery decals lately?
Also wondering if anyone has come up with any kind of definitive guide to which labels were used on which cars. For all the low mileage cars out there, it's surprising how difficult it is to find clear pictures of this kind of thing.
I still have my original battery for my '89. It's in the attic. If anyone needs them, I can go up there and take some pics.
The battery pic in Jans 1st post was from a 92 GTA I parted yrs ago.
I also sent him a scan of the original battery from my 89 formula 350.
He redid both of those decals.
Here is the modified original 92 battery in my 89 formula. Handy place to install the MSD ;-)
Factory battery cables are hooked up and the car can be jumped from there as well.
They were used from late '73 to 82ish?
the Corvette guys don't want them because the Vettes of those years were kind of blah.
except for the '78 25th anniversary, they really don't care about their battery.
You know, some members here have C3 Corvettes, too, and "blah" is apparently your opinion. I personally have an '81. Much of the reason there is limited interest (although there is still interest) is because the battery on those cars is in the rear of the interior compartment, behind the driver's seat, in a closed compartment; not in the engine bay.
Last edited by Stuart S; Jul 13, 2016 at 09:30 PM.
Here is the 92 battery in my 89 formula. Handy place to install the MSD ;-)
Factory battery cables are hooked up and the car can be jumped from there as well.
The label in my previous post is correct for 1990 and 1991. I'm sure of those years at least.
TTOP350 -
I could never sell this - mainly because it was people like you that provided the photos that made it possible for me to do this. That, and I'm sure that there are some legal issues with selling something that has Delco's old logo on it without permission. I agree... you should have at least been credited somehow.
The label in my previous post is correct for 1990 and 1991. I'm sure of those years at least.
Excellent! Now just to figure out how to get one printed and stuck on the battery...
Props for giving credit where due, too often work that's posted online gets plagiarized without so much as a source credit.
BTW, Walmart's batteries are flat tops now, like the ones in this thread. They aren't exactly the same case are the real deal, but close enough for our purposes I suppose.
All I did was paint the body of the battery white.
Used a hacksaw to cut the handle lugs off, then sanded the plastic down flat. Used 3M surface cleaner to prep for paint, masked the cap off, and then Krylon Fusion gloss white for the sides.
Last edited by skylark3300v6; Jul 15, 2016 at 10:01 PM.
