Re: Saving Correct Reproduction Battery Case
Hi Bob, I don't mean to be critical and I really appreciated your article in Restorer, but Optima produces a great number and variety of batteries. The optima website does not seem to have a chart of their batteries that shows dimensions and technical specifications. You must input either a specific car by year, make, model, or enter a battery group number. Doing either will not easily produce results that enable one to determine which battery will fit inside an old case. Identifying a battery as being for a "Mazda" has the same or greater problem. I have not researched how many models, production years, variations in battery size there are for Mazda. I also doubt that the Mazda company that builds cars also produces their own batteries. What would have been really helpful is if you would have identified the batteries that fit inside the case by manufacturer and model or part number.
In regard to Joe's question I can only offer my view which is to me it seems that people do get deductions for any part that appears to be different from the original. When I bought fan belts, radiator hoses, seat covers, and carpets to name a few, I bought repros and tried to get those that most closely resembled the originals. Most people, unless they bought their car new, have no idea what the oriignal looked like. We have to rely on the Judging guides and comments on this forum. I guess I also wonder how much difference there could be in some of the mentioned parts compared to originals. A radiator hose is rubber and if it has, for example, a blue stripe and the OEM part number printed in the correct color and font, what is the big difference between the repro hose and the original? It seems that batteries are a part where the technology has greatly changed in that typically on new batteries there are no screw-on caps, so the appearance difference is very obvious. The repros (at least the one I have) produce the correct size case with the correct logos and shape, and correct-appearing caps. At least they are very similar looking verses original tar-top batteries. Are they perfect in every detail? Probably not but they are far, far more authentic looking than a modern maintenancee-free battery. If you have to replace a battery every 3 years or so and you want something that can be judged without a 100% deduction, what other options are there? I needed a new battery. My options were to spend $300 o a new Resto battery which, according to user comments on this TDB has some issues, or buy a modern battery which will get me a 100% deduct, or find a dead resto or original (good luck with that) battery and stuff a small. modern, sealed battery inside it. I was lucky and had a dead resto battery given to me, so now my options are do a little work to hollow out the dead resto battery and spend $115 for an Odyysey battery that will fit inside. Will it be perfect? Probbaly not. Will it take a lesser hit during judging? I hope so. Was there a less expensive option? Not buy much if at all.
Hi Bob, I don't mean to be critical and I really appreciated your article in Restorer, but Optima produces a great number and variety of batteries. The optima website does not seem to have a chart of their batteries that shows dimensions and technical specifications. You must input either a specific car by year, make, model, or enter a battery group number. Doing either will not easily produce results that enable one to determine which battery will fit inside an old case. Identifying a battery as being for a "Mazda" has the same or greater problem. I have not researched how many models, production years, variations in battery size there are for Mazda. I also doubt that the Mazda company that builds cars also produces their own batteries. What would have been really helpful is if you would have identified the batteries that fit inside the case by manufacturer and model or part number.
In regard to Joe's question I can only offer my view which is to me it seems that people do get deductions for any part that appears to be different from the original. When I bought fan belts, radiator hoses, seat covers, and carpets to name a few, I bought repros and tried to get those that most closely resembled the originals. Most people, unless they bought their car new, have no idea what the oriignal looked like. We have to rely on the Judging guides and comments on this forum. I guess I also wonder how much difference there could be in some of the mentioned parts compared to originals. A radiator hose is rubber and if it has, for example, a blue stripe and the OEM part number printed in the correct color and font, what is the big difference between the repro hose and the original? It seems that batteries are a part where the technology has greatly changed in that typically on new batteries there are no screw-on caps, so the appearance difference is very obvious. The repros (at least the one I have) produce the correct size case with the correct logos and shape, and correct-appearing caps. At least they are very similar looking verses original tar-top batteries. Are they perfect in every detail? Probably not but they are far, far more authentic looking than a modern maintenancee-free battery. If you have to replace a battery every 3 years or so and you want something that can be judged without a 100% deduction, what other options are there? I needed a new battery. My options were to spend $300 o a new Resto battery which, according to user comments on this TDB has some issues, or buy a modern battery which will get me a 100% deduct, or find a dead resto or original (good luck with that) battery and stuff a small. modern, sealed battery inside it. I was lucky and had a dead resto battery given to me, so now my options are do a little work to hollow out the dead resto battery and spend $115 for an Odyysey battery that will fit inside. Will it be perfect? Probbaly not. Will it take a lesser hit during judging? I hope so. Was there a less expensive option? Not buy much if at all.
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