Need New Battery for 1968 GTX

[PEIwoman]

Hello Everyone,

It is time for the ol' girl to fire up now that the snow has melted. My GTX currently has butt-ugly battery that is super weak that has been on a charger over the Winter.
I hate it (it has side posts along with the top terminals). I didn't buy it...came on the car.

The price for the neato Group 27 Original Equipment Deluxe Battery (#2444557 Early) for Plymouth is SUPER expensive.
http://www.restorationbattery.com/g27me.html

Is there a good quality, slightly attractive top post (Mopar-looking) battery that I could invest in for the GTX that is lower cost that the $300+ that it costs to get a sealed Group 27 Mopar Battery with the red tops on it?

Batteries you like? Nice and powerful that will turn this baby over every time?

I drive her twice each month at a minimum until I take the battery out for Winter storage.

Thank you for your input and advice,

 

[67 coronet]

get a good quality battery,like interstate,and build a cover if you dont like how it looks.a simple black plastic cover will work.should be some fairly cheep battery boxes you could cut one out of.

 

[PEIwoman]

get a good quality battery,like interstate,and build a cover if you dont like how it looks.a simple black plastic cover will work.should be some fairly cheep battery boxes you could cut one out of.

Like an RV or Marine type vented battery box? Plastic?

 

[67 coronet]

ya.some factory cars use them.just get something that is a snug fit and allows the posts to stick out the top.once in place you can hardly tell its there.i have used the standard cases turned them upside down and drilled holes for the posts to stick through.they dont need a bottom so just leave that open.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

You can get a group 27 MOPAR battery from your local Dodge dealer for around $125. Not correct red cap battery, but at least it is a Mopar product.

 

[MikeyT]

I personally really like optima's, but I know of late some people have had issues.

Mike

 

[RustyRatRod]

If it's not gonna be 100% original, just buy an interstate and sling in it.

 

[tallhair]

Do they make the fake group 27 covers anymore?

also check this out http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,28459.0.html

or move the battery to the trunk and put the fake cover in the engine compartment.

 

[wannadrag]

If it's not gonna be 100% original, just buy an interstate and sling in it.

Yup or as said get the fake top to make it look old.Think i saw the tops in the year one catalog.

 

[RRDOUG]

Summit is selling the red tops now.I think they are 239.00.Get a battery tender for it.It is recomended for warrenty purposes.

 

[q-ship]

I really shouldn't post as I not only don't care about originality, but I hate the look of OEM appearance batteries, and hate the corrosion that the old caps cause due to leakage/venting, but I can share the results of a comprehensive test on car batteries that was published about a year ago.

The Wal Mart brand (I forget the manufacturers name) was tops in most every test (as were the other brands manufactured by the same company). I was somewhat surprised by that as I though (hoped/wanted) the U.S. built batteries to be best, but Mexico won the battery wars.

The extreme exception was the Odyssey battery due to the fact that they are manufactured to standards so high that no other manufacturer comes close, however they are staggeringly expensive, but if you want the best, and cost is no object.....

Glass mat batteries (Optima and others) are not really a good choice for a car. They were developed for environments where electrolyte/acid spillage was a problem (airplanes, off road/military vehicles), but were supplanted by gel batteries in everything but recreational off road.

They can be a bit lighter than lead/acid, but if you jump a dead G/M battery like you would a regular battery, you can destroy the G/M unit. Same with charging one. Plus they don't do anything better than the old L/A units except that they don't suffer from freezing failures as much as L/A. And yet they cost more!

I hope any of that helps.

 

[PEIwoman]

I really shouldn't post as I not only don't care about originality, but I hate the look of OEM appearance batteries, and hate the corrosion that the old caps cause due to leakage/venting, but I can share the results of a comprehensive test on car batteries that was published about a year ago.

The Wal Mart brand (I forget the manufacturers name) was tops in most every test (as were the other brands manufactured by the same company). I was somewhat surprised by that as I though (hoped/wanted) the U.S. built batteries to be best, but Mexico won the battery wars.
...

I hope any of that helps.

Do you happen to have the part number from the Wal-Mart tests that would be the correct battery for my 440?

If I go with a battery box (inverted with holes cut for the posts on top) the measurements can be close to 12'X7" footprint

- - - Updated - - -

Yup or as said get the fake top to make it look old.Think i saw the tops in the year one catalog.

Year One has already taken most of what was left over from my paychecks!

I'm kinda mad at 'em.... they charged me for a part they didn't ship for six weeks.

they are soooo pricey.

Not sure the fake tops are Group 27 tops... All I can find is Group 24 fake tops.

- - - Updated - - -

Do they make the fake group 27 covers anymore?

also check this out http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,28459.0.html

or move the battery to the trunk and put the fake cover in the engine compartment.

I DID check out that link.... looks really good.

But... I'm scared to try it....

- - - Updated - - -

If it's not gonna be 100% original, just buy an interstate and sling in it.

Do you happen to have the Interstate Part # that fits my 1968 440 (Group 27 70 amp) ??

Thanks

 

[68383GTS]

I buy nothing but Interstate and the last forever....

 

[eric383]

If you don't like the battery color just clean it good hit it with some plastic paint prep and some satin black paint. Duplicolor, Krylon, etc. It looks much better. I know, I have a thing about weird colored batteries in classic cars.

 

[67 coronet]

interstate part # is mtp27

 

[PEIwoman]

Update:

I bought the Interstate Battery MTP-27. $104
Also picked up a Group 27 Black battery box, but it was too big for the tray in the engine compartment, so I returned it.
eric383, you're right, I do not like the white battery color in the car.
So I bought some Rustoleum High Heat black paint. I thought about painting with 'plastic paint' but was worried about the high temps there in the engine compartment during July.
Haven't started to paint the battery body yet (the top is is nice plain flat black).
I am NOT a painter, and am worried the paint will not stick to the plastic exterior of the battery.
Will roughing up the surface be enough, or is there a better paint that I should use for this application?
Thank you for any input,

 

[67 coronet]

not sure if painting it will have any effect on the warrenty but use a plastic paint.it will bond with the platstic and not flake off.plasti coat makes a nice plastic bonding paint.since the top is black you could just make a surround out of plastic pannels to go around the battery as well.

 

[PEIwoman]

not sure if painting it will have any effect on the warrenty but use a plastic paint.it will bond with the platstic and not flake off.plasti coat makes a nice plastic bonding paint.since the top is black you could just make a surround out of plastic pannels to go around the battery as well.

Can the plasti coat take the heat of a 440 engine compartment in July?

Plasti Kote

 

[67 coronet]

much better then a high temp paint on the battery would.plastic paint bonds to the plastic,almost like staining the plastic.

 

[MarPar]

much better then a high temp paint on the battery would.plastic paint bonds to the plastic,almost like staining the plastic.

x2