Recommend a small, lightweight battery!

Building a closed cab A pickup w/383 SBC, lights & horn.
I don't want to mount it under the floor....suggestions please!

 

Odyssey

 

Powermaster also has some very light batteries. Compare everything, not just weight. Oops..forgot. Powermaster split. Look up XS Power Batteries. If you need a contact, PM me.

 

Odyssey PC680 fits the small part but for it's size it is not light. Can mount it anyway except upside down. They use them in the V8 Supercars out here. They're definitely not cheap here, don't know what pricing is in the States.

 

when I built my 46 Ford P/U, I used a Mazda Miata battery. Small enuff to fit under the dash and have access thru the glovebox. Had 650 cranking amps and ran my SBC and accessories with no problem.

 

DO NOT... (I repeat DOOOO NOOOOOOTTTT) spend the bucks on one of those hi dollar Optima batteries!!!! I have spent the big coin on three different ones and if you let it get down to flat for any reason (leave the lights on by accident, forget to trickle charge over the winter... whatever) every single one i owned stayed flat and could not be brought back to life.

Go to autozone, grab the book and start hunting the smallest with the most cranking amps in regular black case batteries. How about two Harley Davidson batteries run in tandem? I know a guy who did that on a rat rod to keep them hidden. Looked cool and could start a small block chevy any old time.

Just a thought.

 

Check out Performance Distributors. They sell a small battery for about $155. I know it's not cheap but it is very small and I have used them in two of my hotrods and they work .
One lasted 8 years.

 

Braille has one that is 6 pounds. I used them in my Civic for autocross events.

 

Braile. Excellent small battery.

 

This is my recommendation too............

Ray

 

Dyna-Batt, 13lb's, 7"L X 6 3/4" H X 3" W.
Have a couple "A" running them behind the dash on firewall.
Odyssey PC680 may be the same?
Use a Battery Tender for storage .....................

 

On of the small race batteries mentioned is probably what you need. The trade-off is; those batteries aren't as rugged or durable as most "regular" batteries.

 

the miata battery is the size of a lawn and garden battery case you were wondering, they are really pricey though... a 51 size battery is pretty small and they have some good cranking power too....

 

Speedway has a Braille that is 7x3.5x6 at 15# not cheap though

 

I've been running an Odyssey PC680 under the seat of my 29 RPU for 6 years now with NO problems.
DO NOT put a lead acid "normal" type battery under you dash. If they over charge or you get in a wreck the acid could severely harm you or your passenger. Serious shit when it happens.

 

Hawker Energy makes the Dyna-Batt battery. You can buy it from Hawker without the fancy labels for just a little over 1/2 the cost of the Dyna-Batt.

 

Here is vote number 5 for the Odyssey PC680. Had one in my 23 and it was flawless.........could sit for months and still crank the 350 engine with no problems. Only measures 7 x 7 x3 inches and tucks anywhere.

Don

 

I have had good luck with the Odyssey, I have had a couple of them over the years and never had a problem,

 

I'm impressed by the Odyssey PC680 and it's reputation. I've found a guy who pulled his PC680 out of his roadster after 17 years!!! He needed a battery for his lawn tractor and bought a new 680 for his car. I'm going with the Odyssey PC680!

Thanks everyone for your imput!

 

17 years? Have they been making them that long?

 

this is good info to have! i have installed a couple of those dynabatts in customer cars and had no problems, they are relatively small and worked good.

 

I paid $68.00 for mine thru Interstate Battery w/lifetime replacement.

 

If it starts real easy, I used a lawn tractor battery to start my 32 with 354 hemi.

 

Quote from a guy I talked to yesterday:
As far as a cranking battery, my PC680 is 17 years old, and the (3) different engines in the T were all 10.25 to 1 CP. I just pulled the battery today to use in a tractor for the yard that always seems to have a dead battery. I think I'll get a new one for the T and leave the 17 year old battery in the tractor.

 

I use one with my 401. Also 10.25 :1 compression and it turns it no trouble.

 

nothing is wrong with the optima batteries i have multiple friends that use them you just have to recharge them in a wierd way if they go flat you have to have another good battery laying around that you hook to a charger then you hook that battery to the optima to charge it. there is stuff on the web about how to do this and these things usually last a long time unless your stupidly hard on them. also has anyone tried the hotrod batteries? the ones they always advertise in rod and custom? theyre about 11 pounds and the dimentions are small but theyre rated in horsepower? just wondered cause i thought about this battery for converting my buick to 12volts

 

What he said ^

 

I went with a Braille battery, I love it!

 

For the folks looking at the oddessy batteries (I know its late in your sitiuation)

Call your local solar panel company, they are usually Odessy dealers as they use them in their systems and will give you a much better price then the auto shops.

 

I like this one, cold cranking amps are much higher than some of the other ones:

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=32