New battery recommendation

Talk about E-Types here

Topic author
NWplasterers
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:52 am
Great Britain

#1 New battery recommendation

Post by NWplasterers » Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:45 pm

Hi all !!
I think it's time for a new battery for my '66 series 1. I've never been one for budget solutions but neither am I an expert on all things batteries !!
So... is there a stand out recommendation for a new battery or is it,within reason,much of a muchness ? As usual,your thoughts would be very much appreciated !!

Hurry up warm weather,
Best regards

Neil.
1966 S1 2+2,68 mk 2,97 xk8.

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


cactusman
Posts: 2332
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:09 pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Great Britain

#2 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by cactusman » Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:04 pm

Depends if you want it to look original or not. If not important then Bosch, Varta, etc will be fine. If the car is idle for long periods worth connecting a battery conditioner to cycle it a bit and keep it topped up. Original looking batteries are £££. :bigrin:
Julian the E-type man
1962 FHC
1966 MGB....fab little car too

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


Topic author
NWplasterers
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:52 am
Great Britain

#3 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by NWplasterers » Sun Mar 10, 2019 8:35 pm

Hi Julian,and thank you !
Car is always on a conditioner and yes,at the moment sits for 2,3,4 weeks at a time idle.
Previous owner fitted some kind of 'marine ' battery which,I feel,is now at the end of its life,and ugly !! Although I'm very much all for originality,I can overlook aesthetics in favour of quality with regards to the battery. So very much function over form for me,in this case.

Best regards

Neil.
1966 S1 2+2,68 mk 2,97 xk8.

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


SESH
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:12 am
Location: Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Contact:
Great Britain

#4 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by SESH » Sun Mar 10, 2019 8:51 pm

These guys do good classic batteries.....
https://www.lincon.co.uk/classic_car_batteries.html

Mike
1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 OTS Signal Red
1968 Proteus Jaguar C Type Ecurie Ecosse Flag Blue
1963 Triumph TR4 Signal Red
2020 Mustang Bullitt Highland Green

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

Herzeg
Posts: 402
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 5:33 pm
Location: London
Great Britain

#5 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by Herzeg » Sun Mar 10, 2019 9:15 pm

Hi

I've just replaced my Halfords battery with a new one. I let the old one drain too often but now have a trickle charger. I take the view that I'd rather have a working battery that has a three year guarantee and can be swapped out at any local Halfords if it goes wrong. My car is not a show winner, it's a driver so definitely function over form. Mine is a HB072, cost £90 and starts up a treat.

John
1969 S2 OTS

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


cactusman
Posts: 2332
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:09 pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Great Britain

#6 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by cactusman » Mon Mar 11, 2019 6:04 am

I get mine from here...they are local to me in Watford.

https://www.denkapower.com

All they sell are batteries and if you take in the old one they weigh it and give you money back for it :bigrin: :bigrin: I

Much better than that well known high at shop and cheaper too...
Julian the E-type man
1962 FHC
1966 MGB....fab little car too

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

politeperson
Posts: 1290
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:26 pm
Location: Boston UK
Great Britain

#7 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by politeperson » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:45 am

Looks aside, many of the racers and collectors I know are using Optima batteries.

They use absorbed glass matting, seem to last for ages and produce loads of amps.

Very suitable for a car that spends much time doing nothing that has a large engine.

The Optima battery charger is amazing too.

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/r ... ng-battery
Its true, but Enzo never said it
Too many E types
XK120 SUs

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

malcolm
Posts: 2391
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:44 am
Location: Fleet
Great Britain

#8 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by malcolm » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:28 am

I have a Banner Power Bull battery, been in my car for 14 years and still going strong. I've used them on other vehicles and they always seem great. Not too big, fit in E type battery tray (well, my one anyway) and looks good (I think!)
Malcolm
I only fit in a 2+2, so got one!
1969 Series 2 2+2
2009 Jaguar XF-S
2015 F Type V6 S

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

Nickleback
Posts: 520
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:49 pm
Location: West Sussex
Great Britain

#9 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by Nickleback » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:06 am

James,
Which one do you use, the Red, Yellow or Blue top version ?
Do they come with free sunglasses ! :mrgreen:
Mike,
1970 S2 FHC 2R28165

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

politeperson
Posts: 1290
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:26 pm
Location: Boston UK
Great Britain

#10 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by politeperson » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:25 am

Red Top.

Its true, but Enzo never said it
Too many E types
XK120 SUs

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

malcolm
Posts: 2391
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:44 am
Location: Fleet
Great Britain

#11 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by malcolm » Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:29 am

Really good video James, I'd never heard of "Spiral" type batteries. Explains the basics well. I'd like to see a comparison of the amp hours, cranking amps etc size for size with standard batteries though.
Did see on the link you provided that even the smallest red top battery is 7inches by 10inches. That's too big for my tray. The banner power bull I use with the same amp hours, 44, is 2 inches shorter. So size may be a problem for some?
Malcolm
I only fit in a 2+2, so got one!
1969 Series 2 2+2
2009 Jaguar XF-S
2015 F Type V6 S

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

Monkeyfinger
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 9:53 pm
Great Britain

#12 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by Monkeyfinger » Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:51 pm

I have an Optima. Excellent performance for churning and starting the big lump on a car that is not on the road. I haven't quite worked out how to secure it in the car, but it does just fit in the space available.
Richard
- 1969 Series 2 OTS, family owned 40+ years

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


64etype
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:07 pm
Location: Texas, USA
United States of America

#13 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by 64etype » Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:09 pm

Monkeyfinger wrote:
Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:51 pm
I have an Optima. Excellent performance for churning and starting the big lump on a car that is not on the road. I haven't quite worked out how to secure it in the car, but it does just fit in the space available.
Some of us have used the tray type shown in the link below. I had to relieve the perimeter of the tray very slightly in a couple of spots with a grinder and it dropped right into the opening. To affix the tray to car drill holes in the bottom in appropriate locations (there are voids between the cells if you look at the bottom). The battery obviously drops into the machined aluminum tray and is locked in by the brackets at the bottom flange of the battery. There are other manufacturers using the same design. I don't know if the external dimensions are the same as the Wieland kit. There are also different part numbers depending on the Optima model number. I believe my battery is a 34, but can't recall for sure and the car is not accessible at the moment.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/34-78-BHD-Bill ... Swa-dWkwXx


Image
Eric

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


cactusman
Posts: 2332
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:09 pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Great Britain

#14 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by cactusman » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:20 pm

Neat fit. Only thing I would observe is it does not seem to be strapped in or secured by a clamp etc....in the UK (technically at least) an unsecured battery would fail an mot....if of course you submitted your car for one and I know we no longer have to..... :bigrin:
Julian the E-type man
1962 FHC
1966 MGB....fab little car too

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

mgcjag
Moderator
Posts: 8071
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:15 pm
Location: Ludlow Shropshire
Great Britain

#15 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by mgcjag » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:32 pm

Hi Julian...have another read of the post above...and look at the link.....battery is clamed and held at the bottom..Steve
Steve
69 S2 2+2 (just sold) ..Realm C type replica, 1960 xk150fhc

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


cactusman
Posts: 2332
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:09 pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Great Britain

#16 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by cactusman » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:39 pm

Missed that bit :sad:
Julian the E-type man
1962 FHC
1966 MGB....fab little car too

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

Monkeyfinger
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 9:53 pm
Great Britain

#17 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by Monkeyfinger » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:06 pm

That's a smart solution and somewhat better than the central strap I was planning to work on.
Richard
- 1969 Series 2 OTS, family owned 40+ years

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


Topic author
NWplasterers
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:52 am
Great Britain

#18 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by NWplasterers » Wed Mar 13, 2019 5:05 pm

Hi all !!
Brilliant response,thank you so much.
Spoilt for choice !!
The Optima looks a little like what's on there already but I'll give it some thought and shop around once I've decided !
Best regards as always !

Neil.
1966 S1 2+2,68 mk 2,97 xk8.

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


neal herridge
Posts: 171
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 4:20 pm
Location: devon
Great Britain

#19 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by neal herridge » Wed Mar 13, 2019 5:41 pm

Hi Neil.
I use a Yuasa battery part number YBX3214 it fits very well . I have fitted a few & they last very well.
I get mine from BBL batteries good price too.
I have not had much luck with the old type of batteries I find the cases are prone to splitting .
Hope this helps Neal.

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


Malc
Posts: 179
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:51 pm
Location: Kent

#20 Re: New battery recommendation

Post by Malc » Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:17 pm

Just picked up this post as I am looking for a new battery. Loads of advice I see! I am not worried about period look, just want a battery that is black so I can put a Lucas sticker on it! A number of suggestions have been made from Yuasa YBX3214 (which seems to have the terminals the wrong way round from the picture I get on the Battery Shop website), Halfords HB072 (ditto re the terminals and too big to fit my tray) and a Banner Power Bull P4409. My question is, when looking for a battery, apart from making sure it fits the tray, has the terminals the right way round and is black, can someone advise me as to the cranking start up amps and the AH values? My assumption is that I should be looking for a battery that has a start up value of around 540/550 amps and an AH value of at least 60 amps. Is that correct? My current (knackered) one is an Oldham battery with 570 and 60 respectively. Once I know these requirements I can then narrow down the field - oh and one that is not too expensive!

Any advice appreciated.

Malc
Malc

Series 1 2+2, 1968 Blue exterior, grey interior

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic