Tracking down an Optima...

[AaRoN]

I'm happy but it was such a hassle tracking one down. I went to 3 different auto stores, a battery store and called Auto Zone. They either didn't have one or told me that an Optima wouldn't fit in my body style Mustang. They all said it'd be too tall. And, they said that all Optimas are the same size. Well after settling for an Autocraft platinum, one of the guys at Advance Auto noticed that the redtop looked smaller. I knew an Optima would fit because I have friends with Optimas in their Mustangs. So I returned the Autocraft and got the Optima redtop. I did have to buy an adapter to go into the battery box. Oh and the battery store I went to had an Optima knock-off (forgot what it was called) but it was $40 more than the actual Optima. Anyway, here it is:

 

[reivaxtorres]

yeah, ive had my redtop in my car for years, 0 issues with fitment. the adapter plate for the bottom came with my battery tho, i didnt have to purchase anything.


when i bought mine, it was the older style ones, the ones with the terminals only on the top, it didnt ahve the side ones

 

[ga94gt]

I just bought one about 2 months ago. Cant complain so far. The only thing I did was cut out some of the edge of the battery tray to get it to fit.

 

[AaRoN]

I did however figure out why my other battery went bad so quick. It turns out, that because of the UDP on there, that my alternator is only putting out 78.1 amps instead of 130. I'm changing the UDP for a stock pulley today.

 

[reivaxtorres]

ive had my UDP since before i had the optima, and like i said i havent had any issues thus far.

 

[sk8inrj1]

Can you guys post up pictures of the adapter that goes in the battery box

 

[reivaxtorres]

i can tomorrow when i work on the car..... but for me they werent really adapters, just little things you clip on the sides of the battery so the factory tie down can work

 

[AaRoN]

ive had my UDP since before i had the optima, and like i said i havent had any issues thus far.

Yeah, I didn't have any problems when I first got them either. Maybe I have another problem :dunno: After driving, sometimes my car is hard to start or won't at all. Like the battery is drained.

 

[AaRoN]

Can you guys post up pictures of the adapter that goes in the battery box

I just picked up another hold down kit (2 metal plates, I used the biggest one) from Advance Auto. It cost $2. I used the new hold down plate underneath the stock plastic one.

This is the bracket I picked up (the set came with 2 but this one is the biggest):

This is with the stock plastic one combined with the new one:

 

[reivaxtorres]

here are the pics of my car. 1st one is kinda hard to make out, but it shows the entire size of it. the 2nd pic shows the shape of it and how it clips onto the battery

 

[AaRoN]

I'm fairly positive that my starting problem wasn't the udp. I think my starter is going out.

 

[eliyarbrough]

I bought my Red Top @ Sam's!! $140. My mechanic used some sort of nut + a pretty good size washer! I lost my old battery holder! My old battery was just sitting in there. Nothing holding it down. With the way I drive, it was fine too!!

 

[reivaxtorres]

I bought my Red Top @ Sam's!! $140. My mechanic used some sort of nut + a pretty good size washer! I lost my old battery holder! My old battery was just sitting in there. Nothing holding it down. With the way I drive, it was fine too!!

lol, yeah, that was me for awhile. i didnt have the tie down because it broke, i bought a generic one from autozone, and lets just say that with the way i was driving....the battery ended up on its side more often than not, and i found it upside down once. lol

 

[AaRoN]

It was my starter not the UDP.