[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

We stopped using Optimas at the shop about 10 years ago when their quality tanked. In my GTO's, I've used Walmart Everstarts....the one in my '67 went 16 years with no maintenance, and the one in my '65 went 15 years. They were $29 batteries at the time. Now they are $120. Group 24. I recently bought 2 RayOVac group 24's from Batteries Plus, at $54 each. One went into my '83 Toyota, the other went into my '65 GTO. Both have over 550 CCA capacity, and both work just fine. Like tires, the prices of batteries seems to have quadrupled in the past 10 years or so.

Thanks for the input. I ended up getting a Napa battery for my 66 Fairlane but had to go with another Optima red top for the 68 Lemans. Even though it was less than a year old, O'Reilly's wouldn't refund me. They would only exchange it for a new one. Hopefully this one will last longer.

[Heybuck]

Interesting about the Optima red tops.

I bought my first Optima red top just on 17 years ago, ran it in my daily driver for some years and when selling the car, I took it out and put it in my '66 Grand Prix. When it hit about 12 years and I was going on a long trip I decided that maybe it was dangerous to trust it so I bought a new Optima. The second one failed after only 4 yearsbut the first one will still swing an engine in the garage with plenty of gusto. Its always connected to a 1600mA maintenance charger.

I also fitted an Optima red top into my wife's 1988 Acura Legend and that battery was still in the car when we sold it. I guess it was about 9 years old when we sold the car about 5 years ago.

Optima's are just too much money nowadays to risk one failing after only 4 years.