Racecar batterys,OPTIMA

[oldhead]

Any good for the street?track car?Any good at all?Looking to buy a RED top 1000 AH. thats the big one?Any lighter then a regultor battery? Oldhead

[dirtracr5]

Not lighter but one of the best batterys IMO. have run mine on circle tracks with no alternator for 6 years before replacement.

[Confused]

Been using the Optima for years in a dirt Modified. No problems. I use the yellow top. It's a deep cycle and the red is not.

[66Vette]

I recently switched to an Optima yellow top in the Miata/Honda size for my car. Smaller and lighter and seems to have enough juice to power a 10.5:1 compression 374CI SBC with electric fans.

I contemplated going to an full-on mini battery, but I drive my car to and from events and didn't want to get stranded.

[BOOT]

Had two friends barley use em and they went bad before they got any good use. idk if it's cause they barley drove their summer hotrods, but cheap walmart/autostore batteries have lasted longer for them.

[dave brode]

The Local Advance sold them, they told me that they had all sorts of problems after they moved the factory to mexico. Maybe the issues have been fixed?

Dave

[Alaskaracer]

I've been running a yellow top in my dragster for three years.....run cooling fan and water pump after every round until engine is below 120*, small alternator, only recharge at the end of the day, more for peace of mind.....ran a two day event with no problems and no charger......

[Mattax]

Generally not lighter for the same size. But, if you're not stuck with the same size case, then sometimes you can find a smaller, lighter battery with the output you need. Advantage of the Optima (and other AGM) batteries is that the liquid isn't going to spill out. Also it can be put in the trunk without a vent.

So far my experience with the Red top (automotive) has been fine for a mild build street car. I picked the smallest size that exceeded OEM CCA requiments and was close to the A-h requirements. I've had it a few years. Starts after sitting for weeks, even in the winter and restarts in the worst summer heat (so far).

DECKA is locally made and another option if you just need a good strong battery. They make some AGM batteries (Intimidator line) and several grade of regular batteries (Ultimate, Gold, ?). The better ratings usually weigh more for the same case size. I assume that's 'cause there's more or larger lead plates inside.

[jason snyder]

I use a exide orbital , basically a redtop , that is like 40 bucks cheaper .....it is the strongest battery i have used so far ! i found it on amazon for a hell of a good deal ! it came direct from exide .

[JoePorting]

I like my Red top. Went with a Yellow top for awhile, but didn't like it because it didn't have the same output as the Red top.

[Orr89rocz]

My optima yellow sucks. It drains charge way to fast. I used it for half year then let it sit a year then started using it again 3 months ago. I had to charge it back to 100% before using it. My alternator doesnt charge well at idle so i need to look into pulley swap but just a few idle sessions for maybe 20-25 min total, it bleeds down to 60's % and have to recharge again. And thats fans off and no lights on. Very disappointed. Dont know how it would last without an alternator

[DaveMcLain]

I build some engines for a local Mustang restoration shop and they sell Optima batteries. According to them the real problem with Optima batteries is in how they are charged. They have a special battery charger made just for the special needs of those batteries. They said that the ones where are returned as "bad" are hardly ever bad they just will not charge properly and they are returned. If one is placed on the Optima charger for a few hours they will be good again. I think what happens is that if they are run down too far a normal battery charger or alternator will not charge them fully again until they are hooked to the special charger....

My monster truck customer has been using them for years without trouble and he uses a regular battery charger, who knows....

[Orr89rocz]

Never heard that one before. Any links to this special charger? Mine is pretty good, it has different settings for deep cycle and other batteries and different charge rates

[77cruiser]

I've got 2 dead Red tops that won't take a charge. Yes I've read that before about the special charger. I've tried jumping from a good battery with a charger connected but still won't take a charge. BTW I read about the jumping with a fully charged battery someplace on the internet so it must be true.

[oldhead]

THANK YOU GUYS; Bought my BOSCH battery 5 years ago,I put a big load on it.I drive to the drags then I use it to pump up the slicks,use the 12 volt impact to change slicks,heat the nitrous bottle heater,in line waiting to run ,I keep pulling up starting each time,maybe start 20 times a night....After 5 years still works....going to buy another now....I don't wait for it to fail.....THANKS AGAIN.Oldhead,