Battery options

[Daryl]

I googled and confirmed the ‘95 Cobra takes a Group 58 size battery in the stock location. But what options are there? More CCA like the Optima Red Top 800 CCA? AGM? MotorCraft King Cobra battery? Or ???

Basically, I want a battery on steroids that fires the motor right up, not the typical wash-wah-wah-wah THEN the motor turns over.

Thoughts, comments, recommendations and past experiences appreciated!
Thx

 

[ttocs]

optima when it came out made an amazing battery. Yes it was more expensive but the shop I worked at that sold them we were surprised if we got one back a year that was bad. Then they sold out, made some changes and suddenly it wasn't strange to get one back every other month. Yes they will still replace it but there are a lot of batteries out there for less that will not go bad and that they would also replace if it did. Optima has been running off of that rep they made the first few years since.

AGM has it advantages but to get the max out of it it also uses a slightly different charging cycle that most systems use. I have 2 in my car but I have a HO alt(225 amps) and an voltage regulator that has an agm charging program built in. If you don't do that it can benefit from being on a charger that is made to charge agm batteries specifically.

 

[Daryl]

I heard same about the decline of Optima Batteries. Still good, but not AS GOOD as they once were. I’ll pass on the AGM style. Any rec’s on the more traditional brands?

 

[07GtS197]

Both group size 58 and 59 fit in our cars. Choose one with a higher cca rating and get it. There are only three battery manufacturers out there. Most are made by Johnson controls but have a different sticker on them. I usually go with a Walmart special because it’s the same manufacturer as parts stores batteries but cheaper.

 

[ttocs]

I would not go for the cheapest myself, but as I said above don't get the most expensive either. Try to maximize the cca's and warranty compared to the price and as he said don't worry about the brand so much. It is not going to gain you power or performance, but it does buy you reliability.

 

[Terrorist 5.0]

Realistically, you probably aren’t driving your car in winter, are you?

I’m going to go against the grain here and say just get one that fits and has decent CCA. You don’t need a lot, especially if you don’t drive it in winter.

When I still had my 95 5.0, I had the challenge of being told that cars can’t run with lawnmower batteries. I took it upon myself to prove the guys who said that wrong, with video proof . The battery in question only had 400 CCA (it was fairly powerful for a lawnmower), but cranked the motor easily and for quite a while without showing any fatigue. I would have kept it, but the battery was too small I suppose, and the voltage regulator freaked out.

Just goes to show it can be done though. People with small, cheap, older cars (think Geo Metro, early Dodge Neon, Mazda Miata, etc) can daily drive with a lawnmower battery with no consequences.

Plus weight reduction if you are into that lol

 

[Daryl]

I actually do drive in winter even though our vicious winters in CA sometimes get as low as the absolutely unlivable 40’s and 50’s!!! Brrrrrr… LOL

 

[Daryl]

Both group size 58 and 59 fit in our cars. Choose one with a higher cca rating and get it. There are only three battery manufacturers out there. Most are made by Johnson controls but have a different sticker on them. I usually go with a Walmart special because it’s the same manufacturer as parts stores batteries but cheaper.

Great info, thx!!

 

[ttocs]

I also have to say that this is one of the times I would not try to save some money and get it online. Not because of knock-offs but because if/when(they are known to go bad from time to time early, my dad just got his replaced under warranty) it is not something you will want to pay return shipping to get replaced and it is something your local autozone moron can help better. It is not often they are actually of any use after the "year, make and model?" question they ask to put in their confusor, use them when you can. Hell they will even do the heavy lifting and do the replacement for you, take your own fender cover though......

 

[96blak54]

Just battery relocate to the trunk and step away from a specific battery size. You can use whatever and any size battery you want in the trunk. Plus you get a weight transfer off the car front and place it over the rear while in the trunk.

 

[badass98svt]

I started a thread on here last year about batteries. There may be some more help on there for you too.
For what its worth i went with a standard group 58 battery.

I'd avoid Motorcraft batteries like the plague

 

[Musturd]

Realistically, you probably aren’t driving your car in winter, are you?

I’m going to go against the grain here and say just get one that fits and has decent CCA. You don’t need a lot, especially if you don’t drive it in winter.

When I still had my 95 5.0, I had the challenge of being told that cars can’t run with lawnmower batteries. I took it upon myself to prove the guys who said that wrong, with video proof . The battery in question only had 400 CCA (it was fairly powerful for a lawnmower), but cranked the motor easily and for quite a while without showing any fatigue. I would have kept it, but the battery was too small I suppose, and the voltage regulator freaked out.

Just goes to show it can be done though. People with small, cheap, older cars (think Geo Metro, early Dodge Neon, Mazda Miata, etc) can daily drive with a lawnmower battery with no consequences.

Plus weight reduction if you are into that lol

Realistically, you probably aren’t driving your car in winter, are you?

I’m going to go against the grain here and say just get one that fits and has decent CCA. You don’t need a lot, especially if you don’t drive it in winter.

When I still had my 95 5.0, I had the challenge of being told that cars can’t run with lawnmower batteries. I took it upon myself to prove the guys who said that wrong, with video proof . The battery in question only had 400 CCA (it was fairly powerful for a lawnmower), but cranked the motor easily and for quite a while without showing any fatigue. I would have kept it, but the battery was too small I suppose, and the voltage regulator freaked out.

Just goes to show it can be done though. People with small, cheap, older cars (think Geo Metro, early Dodge Neon, Mazda Miata, etc) can daily drive with a lawnmower battery with no consequences.

Plus weight reduction if you are into that lol

Comparing a tiny 4 banger shit box to a car with a heads cam intake 347 is wild. .

 

[Terrorist 5.0]

Comparing a tiny 4 banger shit box to a car with a heads cam intake 347 is wild. .

I’m not comparing, I can definitely see how the 347 would require more power to start, but I am just saying it can be done. I have done it.

 

[Musturd]

S

I’m not comparing, I can definitely see how the 347 would require more power to start, but I am just saying it can be done. I have done it.

Yea with a old wore out engine with 7:1 compression and 260k kms

 

[Terrorist 5.0]

S

Yea with a old wore out engine with 7:1 compression and 260k kms

The specs show it is enough though, at least from what I remember. I don’t see the issue, even with a high comp motor, it has the power to turn it over.

 

[Daryl]

I started a thread on here last year about batteries. There may be some more help on there for you too.
For what its worth i went with a standard group 58 battery.

I'd avoid Motorcraft batteries like the plague

Oh great! That’s what’s in there now. Wanted to go Ford as much as possible. Good intentions; so-so result :-(

 

[duh09]

The specs show it is enough though, at least from what I remember. I don’t see the issue, even with a high comp motor, it has the power to turn it over.

No, the specs do NOT show that a lawnmower battery has enough amps. Just because you did it a few times does not mean it's worth doing. Stock spec is 540CCA, higher amp lawnmower batteries go up to around 350CCA, with the standard floating around 250CCA.

You even said yourself that you ran into issues with running a lawnmower battery, so I'm not sure why you're out here posting stupid shit.








Realistically, it's a battery. There's no reason to overthink it. Like it's been said, there's not many manufacturers of batteries at this point, they're just getting slapped with different stickers. There is a difference internally between some of the levels, but find one with the appropriate CCA at a place that will stand behind it's warranty and roll on with life. WalMart is going to generally be the cheaper option, but they usually roll with a 1 and done approach to their battery warranties so if you snag one and it's defective or hasn't been properly rotated in their inventory, you'll use that 2-3 year warranty up in a week.

 

[Daryl]

Ok, thanks everyone! That gives me plenty to chew on while I think it over and decide.

Now, on to the next matter. New thread “Lights Don’t Work”

And the hits just keep coming! LOL

 

[ttocs]

fuses, both the dash and under the hood.

 

[Daryl]

fuses, both the dash and under the hood.

Yes sir