Optima Battery

[Greg]

I have a BJ8 in need of a new battery. In an effort to get a sealed battery, due to it's location in the car, led me to Optima. A search of the Optima website shows no battery match for a BJ8 yet Moss catalogs one. Anyone out there have any experience with Optima and can you recommend size and model?

 

[Dave Russell]

Hi Greg,

I have Optima batteries in a truck, an RV, & a car. I really believe that it is the most trouble free, reliable battery available. They are usually a smaller size than your regular battery but seem to have more cranking capacity.

They only come in a few sizes/shapes but they have adapters & spacers to make them fit in almost any car. The Red top works well for general purpose & the Yellow top is good for deep cycle operation.

I would think that a trip to your local AutoZone store should turn up the info that you need.
D

 

[ThomP]

Dave

I'm surprised at your endosement of the Optima battery.

I have looked at their warranty and what ever else is on their web site and I can't, in my own mind, justify the price they are charging. The fact that the warranty is soo short put me off. (34 mos replacement 72 mos pro-rata)

Is the product really better than the manufacturers backing (warranty and promotion)? I can get a 72 month battery from multiple sources for $45.00. Is it really the worth twice as much?

All of you Optima owners plese tell me why?

Thanks
Thom

 

[Dave Russell]

Thom,

Golly, I don't know what to say. The 36 month full replacement warranty looks to be as good or better than the 18 month that most batteries have. To be honest, I never pay much attention to the warranty prorate period.

I like the Optima because of the noticeably greater cranking power, reliability, the absolutely no leak, gas, or corrosion. The terminals never even have to be cleaned.

I have a three year old Optima in my RV which sits for several months at a time with security system & other electronics loading the battery. It cranks over very fast when I do go to start it in sub freezing temperatures. Can't say the same for other batteries that I have tried. I like Optima well enough to put them in all of my vehicles.

I don't know if it is worth twice as much to other folks but $10 per year extra is well worth it to me.
D

 

[Pete Haburt]

One of the guys in our club uses them in his Healey and Jeep . The Jeep is used off roading, and the Optima won't spill anything when on steep slopes or in the event of rollover.
We had to put his red top Optima battery in another Healey on the way back from Conclave this year due to alternator failure in Maryland. We checked in Scranton,PA and the battery was down 1 volt. He drove all the way to Cleveland, OH on the Optima battery with no charging system.
I agree they are expensive though.
Pete H.

 

[Jim Weatherford]

First let me say; I'm a D.C. Power Engineer and I've worked with almost every generation of sealed batteries in the last 20 years. The size and scope of my operation is vastly different being that my systems are 14.8v 40,500 amp systems (yes the amperage numbers are correct). The average cost of $200,000. is just the batteries in one of my plants, not counting the rectafication and converter systems/equipemnt and the UPS Systems.

DC power is funny stuff but some of the laws of physics just don't change in this reality. Anyone who has ever grounded a screwdriver or wrench to just a 12v car battery already knows that.

In the begining GHB and Johnson were the first to make sealed gel cell type batteries and at the start they were simply awful. When they got hot they exploded, puked acid gel everywhere and worse. I've spent many hours cleaning the room and equipment up after an incident.

Today many years later they are solid and relyable, seldom leak and I haven't heard of an explosion or fire in many years.

Now to the "Optima" sealed gel cell battery... Awsum comes to mind for a descripter, and for $109. they are one of the best buys on the market today. That is in my never to be humble opinion, of course.

The real benifit is that they are smaller and able to be placed in any orentation, up, down, or sideways it just doesn't matter and it has the reserve cranking amps needed for some of the older electrical systems.

We have used them for 8 years in various race cars and never had a battery failure due to rough treatment, vibration, heat and generally harch environments in the desert or road course.

Today the added expence (pennys a day) for an Optima battery is the best dollars spent on your car's, trucks and RVs. Then again it your equipment and you do as you feel is best.

[ 11-23-2003: Message edited by: Jim Weatherford ]</p>

 

[Johnny]

I do also believe the Optima battery is a good replacement. However, I don't use them. I don't care for the way they look mounted in the car. If I raced the car it would be different. Only one person I know of had a bad Optima battery. He had a slow drain and eventually the car wouldn't start. The battery was replaced with no questions asked.

 

[Dave Russell]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Johnny:
I don't care for the way they look mounted in the car.
<hr></blockquote>

One of my later model Toyotas has a nice black plastic box/cover around the battery. It measures 10 1/2 x 7 x 7 high. The top & bottom are open.
D

 

[stevebn2bj7]

I just mounted an Optima in my BJ7 project. The size is the red top 34/78. It was not the same size as the original tray but I modified it to accept the Optima and added a neat billet clamp made specifically for the Optima and it holds it very tight. There are many different styles of these holders available on Ebay. It is expensive but does have a very cool look.

Steve

 

[MattP]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Johnny:
I do also believe the Optima battery is a good replacement. However, I don't use them. I don't care for the way they look mounted in the car. If I raced the car it would be different. Only one person I know of had a bad Optima battery. He had a slow drain and eventually the car wouldn't start. The battery was replaced with no questions asked.

<hr></blockquote>


The look does bring out a point. I know the Optimas are smaller, but would they fit in a cleaned out Lucas or other case more "original" looking.

How difficult would it be to drain a battery, dispose of the innards and use the case as a battery holder for the optima? A really industrious person could even wire the terminals up so the look could be complete.

I am no battery technician, and know that the councours might not really like the thing, but it might be passable.

MattP

 

[fordhealey]

another vote for optima. have one in my 289 BT7.
a standard battery didn't want to crank it when
the engine was hot. the optima spins it over .
no sweat...worth the extra money to me!!
gregg

 

[Patton]

TO dig a VERY old thread out of the ground, the 6 year old Interstate battery in the Healey has decided to die (I left the charger on it for 3 weeks w/o remembering it was on) and now I need a battery.

I have seen a couple of the optimas in the $100 range, but which one do I need? I also saw that there is at least one competitor (Exide Orbital).

Any updated reccomendations?

Patton

 

[Patton]

As I'm looking around I think that the one that Moss sells for the Healey @ $190

https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29979

May be the Red Top Optima Model Number 34/78 found on this page.
https://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/

Can anyone confirm this? If so, it can be bought for $104 here...

https://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=8004-003

They also seem to be very cheap on eBay, but I would think I would have to treat it like there wasn't a warranty.

https://motors.search-desc.ebay.com/optima-34-78

Thanks
Patton

 

[Keoke]

THOM: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif With Dave. The optima battery is a winner. They have one model that I cannot find which is enclosed in a conventional case. There are better ones[ 80 AHR & 1000 CCA] ,but they weigh 65# and cost $200 and up.The Optima's price is right .FWIW---Keoke

 

[BrandonBJ8]

Well, to again dig up an EXTREMELY old thread, I am looking at getting an Optima battery. Only issue is finding the proper one. Can anyone confirm that the 34/78 mentioned two posts above by Patton is proper/a good fit for the BJ8? (Can't seem to find one with an AH greater than 55) Also, any recommendations on cheaper places to purchase?

Thanks!
-Brandon

 

[healeynut]

I had heard a while back that some Walmarts carry the Optima pretty cheap... but you probably have to find a Walmart that is well run and well stocked.

The other option is to go with the Excide Orbital battery, which is basically the same thing. I have this in my BJ8 and BN1... the battery is incredible, best money I ever spent on a battery.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

 

[Keoke]

Well, to again dig up an EXTREMELY old thread, I am looking at getting an Optima battery. Only issue is finding the proper one. Can anyone confirm that the 34/78 mentioned two posts above by Patton is proper/a good fit for the BJ8? (Can't seem to find one with an AH greater than 55) Also, any recommendations on cheaper places to purchase?

Thanks!
-Brandon

Nope on cheep. However, any 34/78 group size in the *red top* should do you OK. However, if you want more CCA go to E-Bay check Item # 7982894081. These are very hard to come by locally. With the Optima 50 AH is OK!--Fwiw---Keoke

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

Go Here: 1ST Optima Battery Sales. $140.00 including shipping.--Keoke

 

[BrandonBJ8]

The other option is to go with the Excide Orbital battery, which is basically the same thing. I have this in my BJ8 and BN1... the battery is incredible, best money I ever spent on a battery.

Healynut, which model Exide do you have in your BJ8? Where did you purchase it? Thanks!

 

[Money_Pit]

BrandonBJ8

I just special ordered the Optima 34/78 from a local Battery shop. Much to my admiration the owner of the shop did not push his generic brand battery (which is very similar) on me! One of my pet peeves is I hate when I make my mind up on something and someone try's to change it. After installing I didn't have enough juice to turn my car over as a cell or cells were dead. That's when the Battery shop owner pushed his generic brand on me and I gladly bought it! Same kind of warranty and less money. From what the Battery shop owner states he's been down that same road before with Optima.

DT

 

[Keoke]

I smell a RAT!---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif