6 Volt battery?

[Alexander]

Its time for me to replace the 6 volt battery.

What major retailer, (Pep-Boys, Auto Zone) would you guys suggest? Who offers the best bang for the buck. What should be the minimum capacity rating 600, 800, 1000 CCA?

I know most would recommend the optima battery, but I am not crazy with the way it looks.

Your suggestion and thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Alex

[Young Ed]

Dad and I run Fleet Farm batteries in the collection. I bet we have 10 of them. They are $30 and I believe 650CCA.

[Gwellman]

I also wanted an Optima battery but did not know how to make it look acceptable in my car. I found this place called Quail Services that makes a box especially designed to hold Optima batteries. I have bought two of these and while they are not cheap, they work well and look very good. They make a couple different types, one of them looks like an old-style tar top battery.

Note that there are two sizes of 6 volt red top Optimas, the people at Quail can fill you in on this and give you the right box. The height of the batteries is slightly different...I guess the new ones are all the same but I had an old one also.

I have also had very good luck with Optima batteries, one I have had for 10 years and it still cranks like crazy.

http://quailservices.com/

[Johnny 5]

If you have a stock engine with 7.0:1 compression you shouldn't need a whole lot of amperage to start your engine. They're not as common as they used to be (for cars, that is). Just buy one wherever you can and it'll probably last for years.

[Norm's Coupe]

You can buy 6 volt batteries at farm supply stores, boat stores and some auto parts stores can order them for you. I get mine direct from a Battery builder locally. However, I was in a Batteries Plus store recently for a watch battery. They had 6 volt batteries on display.

[David Mac]

Sears sells a nice looking 6V Vintage battery for $60.

[bob westphal]

Most parts stores sell 6V batteries but they only carry one model. Usually about 500 - 600 cranking amps. I bought mine at Autozone for around $30 with 560 amps. It powers all my accessories just fine.

I haven't seen anything so great about the 6V Optima batteries. The ones that I have seen that are in cars that spend a lot of time sitting don't hold their cranking power. I did an engine rebuild on a '36 Packard 120 that had a 3 year old Optima. The owner had charged the battery prior to my picking up the car. The battery wouldn't crank the engine. I had an old 6V battery that I had used for fishing in the truck. I put it in the Packard and it worked great. I tried several times to use the Optima after charging and testing it without any good results. It would show good on a draw test but for some reason wouldn't crank the engine very well. The owner bought the same battery I have in my P-15 and it still works great even though the straight eight is a lot harder to turn over than a MoPar six.

[Normspeed]

Interstate makes them. Beware of Sears, since they merged with K Mart they no longer honor their Diehards like Sears used to. I had a terrible experience recently with the local Sears about a bad Diehard. As long as they could put it on a charger and get some kind of charge on it, they would not replace it even if it went stone cold dead the next day. K Mart rules say no warranty replacements on batteries unless their test machine issues a printed slip saying batt is bad.

I raised such a fuss that they agreed to give me a fresh battery but with no further warranty. I told them to shove it. No more Sears for me.

[Alexander]

Thank you all for your input.

I was hoping to not spend more than $45. But if Sears makes a "vintage 6 volt" for only $60, that sounds great.

Personaly I would like to buy the orginal tar top battery. But they are over priced and not sold with any significatnt repalcement warrenty.

Buying from my local major retailer gives me the flexabilty to return the battery if it starts to fail prematurly.

$60 for a vintage 6 volt from Sears sounds like a sweet deal. Anyone know the make or model? I could not find any 6 volts on on sears's web site.

Thank you,

Alex

[Alexander]

wow I always thought sears was good. If they wanted to play that game, I would take the battery back home drain the acid and fill it with tap water.

Then lets see what kind of charge it would hold!!

I still would like to give sears a try. anyone with details on the model or make?

Thanks

Alex

[Young Ed]

I'd check for a tractor place before I'd pay 60 for a battery. I can get 2 for that much. Sams club also has 6v batteries for about 30. I've had one in my 46 for 5 years now. However the other ones we bought from there didn't last very long. So try one from there at your own risk

[BobT-47P15]

We have a store here called Battery Warehouse. They handle all kinds of batteries including auto. They carry a 6 volt for 30 or 40 dollars....I can't now recall what I paid for the last one. They last and work just fine. Given the above info about Sears, I don't think I would buy from them. Putting tap water in the battery would probably not do the trick about zapping it. Probably would be more trouble than it's worth.

[Normspeed]

In my rant about Sears, I didn't clarify: What I said about K Mart's policy changes on diehards was straight from the Sears Service Manager's mouth. I was shocked.

[Guest xpebrian]

i know napa sells six volt battories so dose car quest have had good luck with the one i have bouht frome carquest a year ago holds charge starts 230 lhead six grate dont remember what i paid for it

[Norm's Coupe]

Have to ask you guys who gave prices of $30 and $45 for the 6 volt battery, when was the last time you bought one?

I get my batteries direct from Remy. The first one or two I bought was in the 90's and paid about $30 for one and around 40 for the second one. Went back last year to pick up a new battery and the same battery is now up to about $55 or $60. However, I could buy a rebuilt battery from them for about half the cost, but only has a 1 year warranty on it.

I've never checked Fleet Farm for a 6 volt battery so don't know their prices. However, their 12 volt batteries are not that much cheaper than any place else.

The real shock I got was when I found that 6 volt battery on display at the Batteries Plus store. It was only $60 too. So...I think the real price is somewhere between $50 and $60 today for a 6 volt battery, regardless of where you shop.

[Guest xpebrian]

hello there was wandering if any body has put in or considerd puting in a battory disconect switch in a 1950 dodge 1 ton truck and had any ideas as where to install the switch and what type of switch to install

[Young Ed]

Norm I just saw 6v batteries in the Fleet Farm ad a couple weeks ago for 28 on sale. The regular price is still 29.99.

[Guest 50Plymouth]

...... So...I think the real price is somewhere between $50 and $60 today for a 6 volt battery' date=' regardless of where you shop.[/quote']

I second that. All the farm stores around here (and auto chains) are $50-60. Wally World doesn't seem to stock auto-grade 6v where I've asked.

edit: guess I'm shopping in the wrong places! I'll have to keep an eye for ads and sales I guess.

[Niel Hoback]

This weeks Tractor Supply store ad shows a Goup 1 six volt battery for $29.99 with trade.

[Normspeed]

You can get a switch that installs at the battery post for just a few bucks. Or, parts stores sell a fancier one that mounts on the firewall. That version has a model with a special key wrench so you can turn off the battery for vehicle security. You can also get good ones from marine suppliers like West Marine.

Do an online search for battery disconnect.

hello there was wandering if any body has put in or considerd puting in a battory disconect switch in a 1950 dodge 1 ton truck and had any ideas as where to install the switch and what type of switch to install

[David Maxwell]

...the Optima is great!! I can let my car sit for a couple of months, walk out to the garage on a FREEZING cold morning and in less than a minute, my engine is fired up running steady. Has not failed to start once under any conditions (boiling hot days, freezing temps, re-starts after long run etc.) in the last 3100 miles since I installed it. To make it look original, I purchased the Quail dummy case (see pic).

[Norm's Coupe]

...the Optima is great!! I can let my car sit for a couple of months, walk out to the garage on a FREEZING cold morning and in less than a minute, my engine is fired up running steady. Has not failed to start once under any conditions (boiling hot days, freezing temps, re-starts after long run etc.) in the last 3100 miles since I installed it. To make it look original, I purchased the Quail dummy case (see pic).

David,

Don't mean to burst the bubble on the Optima, I'm sure it works great for you. However, your "Freezing" is nothing compared to our freezing weather here in Wisconsin. My P15 will start up all winter just like you mentioned after sitting for a month or more too. I've even started it when the temperature is around zero outside with no problems. I've always used the old lead acid batteries though. The key is to have a good running engine like we both do. Then any good battery will start the car.

[vitamindart]

i just bough one from batteries plus (local chain in wisconsin) i think it was $50 has the old screw on vents

[1948Skip]

Sam's club sells 6 volt batteries. I bought one for $32.95

Skip

[BobT-47P15]

This is the first type that is right at the battery.

Then there are these.... I use one about like the middle one....non locking....on firewall.....turn off under dash.

Mine is located on the firewall.....needs two more battery cables to hook it into the system. Those are the new 00 gauge cables......only cost about $35 for a battery store to make all 4.

And, Norm, you may well be right about cost. I haven't bought a new 6V battery for 3 or 4 years I guess. Probably higher now.