Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[lowdrag]

Got to thinking the other day that the life span of batteries - in my case anyway - seems to have greatly improved over the years. I haven't bought one for years and years now. The everyday Panzerwagen, for example, still has the original 11 years and 130,000 miles on, and on my Jaguars one is still going strong after eight years and the Red Top dry cell on the D-type (which was on the car when I bought it 9 years back) is still in rude health.

Obviously I disconnect them over the winter months but don't trickle charge, but this seems far beyond what we used to expect from a battery. Have you had similar experiences?

[Mog]

The best battery I have been told is the Yuasa . It is the only battery that Honda will put in its cars. The one in the boot of my beamer is going very well. Don't know the make, have I put a death spell on it ?

[Mog]

Ok ! Ok ! I have just been checking. I bought the beamer 7 years ago, I am the 3 rd. owner from new. It had done 80,000 kms. when I bought it. It has now done about 110,000 kms. I did have a problem with a cracked head. The relay for the fans burnt out. So back to the thread, yes the battery has been going 7 years or more.

[Phil - Nottingham]

I have been told YUASA batteries are the best - I bought one for our Series 3 Land Rover in December last year - I will let you know 10 years from now
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[bob2]

I buy AC Delco ones, find them quite good, had one on my mini for over 8 years and it got rarely used but when cranked started first time without ever charging it, then it died all of a sudden, tried charging it but it just would start the car once and then a couple of days after nothing again, so I went out and bought another one like it, hopefully it will be another 8 years!!

[Mog]

The "rivets" inside between the cells can fail without warning. Once they break or fail they will not carry the power to the next cell. Drive slowly if you have to go over a kerb or any where else that will give them a big jolt. I guy I knew drove his old Merc. down a drive a bit quick and hard. The steering rods fell off and he had to get a tow truck to take it home ! 30 miles or more.

[Castellated nut]

The Motorcraft battery which was in my '97 Ford Escort when I bought it 3 years ago had a '97 date on it, so was probably the original. I changed it last year - 13 years isn't bad going by my reckoning.

What about those Unipart batteries they used to sell guaranteed as long as you kept the car? Did anyone keep their car long enough to really put them to the test?

[Mog]

I did work for a company that made machines to make car and motor cycle batteries . Some were an automatic line and some were a more hands on operation, where labor was cheap. I can scan and send some photos for anybody that is interested. Please pm me.