I'd go with the ProVolt battery that Summit sells. Its 80 dollars had has 1100 cold cranking amps if I remember correctly. And is about 2/3s the size of typical batteries. I can't give a direct link to it on Summits page but you should be able to find it.

From what I've heard the Optima batteries blow on FD applications (as BATMAN further confirmed). They simply can't handle the large electrical load. And as a result, eat alternators and die out a lot. I was going to get one until I heard that, now I am staying away.

ProVolt seems to be the way to go.

 

yeah, i was really disappointed.

The Optima seemed to have a great design and i liked the fact that it was sealed and had a clean look to it.

But for durability, the battery is like a FD....... performs, looks great, but breaks..........

 

I must be lucky with my optima red top. 7 years, 75,000 miles or so.

 

Again, I have to say my deep cycle is working fine. I don't have a lot of miles on it but about 90% of my driving is on the worst city streets in America (Boston, MA). I have koni sport shocks set to med, upgraded rear bushings and eibach pro kit springs. The battery is mounted in the bin.

If it fails I'm switching over to a crank start system.

 

This is off the optima website for the yellow top:
Vibration Resistant
Vibration and jarring, whether from off-road use or major potholes, can kill a traditional battery. The tightly wound construction [of the yellow top] minimizes plate movement and subsequent damage caused by harsh conditions - extending battery life.

So you're saying the person answering the phone at optima said they're not SUPERIOR but INFERIOR to std batteries in this respect.

I don't want you to think I'm doubting you, it just seems strange. Maybe that person didn't know what they were talking about, or were referring to the red tops

I find it hard to believe that both batteries have the same problem given that they are construted differently.

 

Here is a link to their site:

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/

Several places sell them but here is one I remember having good prices.

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?c=odyssey

I have heard simular problems with Optima batteries.

Some people complain that the Hawker batteries die after sitting for a week but I believe they have small electrical drains on their cars and the PC680 don't hold much juice. I have the PC925 and have left it sit for over a month with no problem at all. I bought it 8-99 and have 50K on it. It starts like the day I bought it. I have a bit more info on my site.

 

Can someone elaborate on this?

I seem to remember someone saying there was a reversed post version... can someone confirm this?

Today, my car wouldn't crank. I look at the battery and it leaked all over the place. I had to run baking soda all over the driver-side cooling fan motor. It ate through the paint on a bit of the subframe. Now I gotta rustolem the damn thing.

I don't care if the optima will crap out after a year or two. I don't want any more leakage!

Is (are) the Hawker battery(ies) a drop in for the stock location?

Thanks.

 

The Hawker PC1200 might be pretty close. I really don't think you can beat them. They are designed to last 8 to 12 years. You can cut them in half and they won't leak. Optima batteries aren't dry cells but are sealed much better.

 

I got a tiny hawker i think pc680... i was able to fit it not in my rear bin but inside the encloser between the bin and the floor.... Its awesome, no one will ever find it... however god forbid i have to change it :P

 

The Optima should actually take more vibration abuse than a "normal" plate battery, red or yellow (they are both constructed the same). The difference between the red and the yellow is the chemistry. On deep cycle batteries (yellow) they balance the plates so you don't damage them when you fully drain it. Non-deep cycle batteries are optimized for high current starting applications.
The RX-7 does NOT have a high output/drain electrical system. If you think it does, please explain how it can function on the tiny PC600 battery.
The centre of the case location of the terminals on the Optima can be a problem (fuse box on +ve connection). You can find one of those gold plated battery terminals to use. They allow you to offset the connection. You will have to flatten the bottom of the connection out of the fuse box. The picture I've attached shows how I did this, though not with an Optima.

 

I have an Optima yellow top model 51R and its cranking Amps SUCK! I've had the thing for less than a month and when I first put it in it took probably 5 minutes for it to start the car. It just slowly winded up the engine until it had enough spin to throw the engine on. I sure as hell dont know any other explanation for this. The reason i got the battery was because over the last month I've slowly been putting my FMIC on. I wouldnt think that that would cause the car to not crank properly. Oh and by the way, for the first time today when I tried to crank the car, it never cranked completely. The battery is already dying.

Also, on there website it mentions something about thier batteries having a dark gray or light gray box having different cranking amps or something. Can anybody help me out with this?

 

It still no change my mind about Optima on their weak boney structures.

 

Walmart. $51.00. 3 year free replacement, and I think its pro-rated after that. They even put a duplicate receipt in a little plastic bag on the side of the battery so you always have it with you.

Take the money you save and buy new cables, terminals and some $1.00 felt washers and dielectric grease to keep the terminals from corroding.
Battery cables DO wear out. They corrode internally.
Bad cables can cause all kinds of hell, from poor starting to burned out alternators to toasted starter motors and on and on. They are cheap.

And when it does die, you just KNOW there will be a Walmart around the corner so you won't have any hassle replacing it.

Why would anyone spend $140.00 on a freakin' battery?

 

Costco is cheaper than walmart @ $37.00

and the nice thing about costco is NO receipt needed.

Membership has it's pluses..

 

I've got a "Kirkland Signature" in there right now! I'm just going to keep a close eye on the bastard and make sure it doesn't leak. The last battery ate a good chunk of the top bracket off in the past (previous owner's deal).

I e-mailed Optima and told them their posts were reversed from what the FD requires. Their answer was "Yes! We make a group size 35! Buy that one!"

Edit: FWIW, the Optimas were around $100... and felt like a few lbs. lighter.

 

Cool, but they are not on every corner.

I bought some clay pots at Costco for the wife's flowers and after two years sitting outside they literally fell apart, (Mexican - go figure...) I took them back in boxes in crumbling pieces. They could not find the original price and I did not have a receipt. The manager says he "thought" they sold for around $40.00 each and I agreed. Bingo, $80.00 CASH back in my pocket.
There was never even any hesitation that they were going to make it right.

Unbelievable.

 

I have a blue top optima, its been great so far (about a year--5K). I did the battery relocation to the passenger bin because I was told by Dave at KDR that I should do a relocation when I went to the Greddy front mount. I don't know if it was necessary or not, but I am pleased. Plus I have a kill switch for the electrical system (solved my weekly battery drains and alternator issues) and the switch is right there, no popping the hood.

 

Costco has the best service of any retailer.

Since u pay membership prices and they sell/sold that product, they have records which doesn't require u to produce a receipt.

Theie policies have changed to give u store credit without receipts, just like HomeDepot. But at least they give u some kinda currency in one form or another.

They are so big that they can return abused and broken stuff almost up to a year after the sale without receipt for these 2 reasons:

1. Some of the stuff are gray market and don't have factory warranty......... so Costco is the warranty provider which is better since it's $$$$ back and u can buy a new replacement that is often better.

2. They are such a huge retailer that all the manufacturers bend over backwards and seldom question their returns....

If u have extra $$$$ I suggest that u buy stocks in them......... they are expanding and sell a ton in recession times.

 

Well, finally decided on the "Pro Volt" and Summit no longer carries it! Back to the drawing board.

 

get a red top or if you are trying to conserve weight bust out with a miata battery works just as well

 

http://www.performancedistributors.com/batteries.htm

 

Well,
Decided that if I really wanted to save weight I need to remove my air pump.... that will help offset the difference of the full size battery.
Went with INTERSTATE MTP 35..... rated at 640 cca's, puts out 690 cca's w/ an 85 month warranty. $75.00 at my local Exxon. Works like a charm, if the car sits for four days it no longer fights to start. More weight than I wanted, but 1/2 the cost of a race battery.