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MGA Miata Battery in MGA

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RickTM

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Sorry if this has already been covered. I want a single 12v battery for my MGA and would rather not modify the original trays. I have heard that the Mazda Miata battery will fit. Will any Miata replacement fit? Any choices better that others? price/ quality?
 
I sold my Miata, so I cannot be sure, but I am ALMOST POSITIVE that the Miata battery is too small for the MGA. Easy way to find out, contact any Miata dealership or vendor for WestCo batteries, and ask them the dimensions of the Miata gel battery.

Good luck.
 
Mazda stopped selling the AGM batteries that earlier Miatas originally came with and now they offer only a regular flooded lead acid battery for replacements, which are nowhere near as good or as compact. Therefore, I doubt if the Mazda dealer can tell you anything. However, Westco makes an AGM battery that most Miata owners in the know use. It is very compact and I have one in my BGT. I'm sure the Westco site has the dimensions.
 
I have a '92 Miata. The original battery lasted about 10 years, driving 8 months per year. The replacement Westco went about 6 years and cost around $110 including shipping. Car now sports the smallest Wallymart battery available. The true Miata batterys are very small (from memory approx 4 1/2" wide by 8" long by 7 1/2 tall, don't know the CCA rating but may be marginal for an A. If you need actual size I can measure the original tray. Bob
 
The MGA tray holds a 6 1/2 X 6 1/2 in battery. Nothing I have heard of here in the US in a 12v will fit. I understand there is a battery in the EU (the VARTA BLUE B35 175mm X 175mm X 190mm (height)) that will work. I think I might have my uncle in Holland buy me one and send it to me dry if that is possible.
 
You might try checking out a lawn tractor battery and then using TWO of them (but in parrallel instead of the series arrangement in the MGA). They are only about $25 each and would have a combined capacity of close to 500 CCA. I just looked and a lawn tractor battery size is 7-3/4"L x 5-3/16"W x 7-5/16"H.

I have ONE lawn tractor battery in my race car (Sprite) and it works fine, but probably doesn't have a lot of reserve.

I converted my MGB to a Group 26R battery (from two 6 volt batteries). Works fine but I'm not sure if it has the same size tray as an MGA. The 26R battery is 8-3/16"L X 7"W X 9"H

By the way, I bought my '00 Miata new and it still has the original AGM battery. Still works great! Has never been garaged and is driven all Winter.
grin.gif
 
The older Honda Civics up to 2001, had smaller batteries.
I'm not sure of the size, but they should be plentiful.
Just a thought.

Dave :driving:
 
The westco battery for the Miata fits. Its 5 x 7.5 which I believe is smaller than the original MGA battery.
 
Apart from their size, one of the very nice things about the AGM batteries (i.e. Westco and Odyssey) is that they have very low self-discharge rates, which is an excellent property to have in a seldom driven classic. If you have a regular lead acid battery in a car that isn't driven a lot, it is critical to have a battery maintainer/float charger on it all the time so as to avert premature battery death.
 
I have learned that the Miata size, 7.5x5x7, will fit in the MGA tray. The Odessey and the WestCo are both AGM batteries and are made in the Miata size. Odessey actually has a smaller size than the Miata with a whopping 750CCA. Problem is no dealers in Louisville area and pretty expensive. O Reilly Auto lists a Miata AGM battery for $97.Not sure of manufacturer. I am going to check this out. Nice looking herd Scott.
 
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