Old NOS Battery question

[ferdball]

I guess I could just call napa but I like all yalls opinions better.

Found a few old (10-15 yrs) NOS 6v MoPar batteries with no acid ever installed.

Are they still good since no acid has been in them or are they shot?

[greg g]

far as I know lead don't spoil. I remember when shipping batteries dry was a marketing deal for a couple of compaines. The deal was if you bought your battery dry, watched it being filled and given its initial charge, you knew it was fresh and the warranty date was the fill date.

Put some acid in one and give it an over night slow charge and it should be fine. I doubt you will get very far with a warranty claim, but whaddya got to loose.

Since 6V went away in 56, my guess is they are probably older than 15 years

If they are period MOPAR labled ones, I bet you could get a chunk of change for them from the factory perfect resto crowd, especially if the acid was MOPAR also.

[3dodgedoobie]

Well dry batteries that's never had acid in them are good for several decades. The only issues is the old type with the tar around cells they get dry rotted and start to crack. But with little new heat they back to good standing. If they are the plastic case top you are good. We sold dry 6v batteries up til mid summer and our company stopped shipping dry on alot of them.

[Don Coatney]

, especially if the acid was MOPAR also.

As Kirk said I think you had too much LDS in the 60's:D

[ferdball]

Haahaahh, Gotta love Acid Jokes, (seriously though stay away from the brown battery acid!)

Dumb follow up question, how do you tell the difference between 6v and 12v?

Is there a standard rule of size or marking etc?

I know my NAPA 6v that I have had a year or so has no marking on it that says 6v. ???

[Dave72dt]

Each cell is 2 v so you count the cells. 3 cells = 6V, 4 cells = 8v and 6 would equate to 12v. There's labels that will tell you the group size and cold crank amps as well as the volts. There may also be a small one on the side with a letter and number. That's the date code for the battery. Letter is the month, number is year. Wet charged batteries are supposed to be cycled out of service after so many days so check the date codes for the freshest.

[3dodgedoobie]

Another way to tell 6v and 12v apart 6v will have 3 caps and post are opposite corners. 12v have 6caps and post are same side of battery in line with each other.

[ferdball]

Thanks! I knew there was something simple to it!

Now just wit for my next post:

NOS 6V or 12v MoPar Batteries for sale!

Crazy the things I find sometimes.

[HanksB3B]

I'd like to see some pictures.

Hank

[ferdball]

I only unboxed one, most of them probably look like this one. I've got about 8-9 and they all say "Dry Storage" and are nice! There is one that will look older than the one pictured and will dig it out later. I've also got more junk in the trunk I'll attach more pics. (Probably mostly car stuff but neat none the less)

Wonder what kind of "Chunk of Change" I could get for each battery? Some say "Everstart" and also have a mopar logo on them.

fun-fun

Edited December 25, 2011 by ferdball

[HanksB3B]

It also looks like the truck is in too good of a condition to cram it all into such a nice bed.

Hank

[ferdball]

Whaddya Mean? Tha'ts my work truck!

[greg g]

Hmm 6V with plastic cases???? Any other info like cold cranking amps? I'd say mid 60's.

The Pentastar logo was introduced in 63 or 64. this was well past the end of 6V use in cars and trucks. So you got a conundrum on your hands there. Whay was Chrysler labling 6V bats with the Penta star in the mid 60's when the last vehicle using 6V was 7 years old or older.

Wonder if they were for industrial applications like fork lifts or compressors or such?

[ferdball]

We'll my guess (and a limited knowledge guess at best) is that they still made parts, batteries, accessories for the older cars. Just like today they still make stuff for my 97 truck...??? just a thought. I've come across a lot of replacement parts for my 48 that is in the new pentastar packaging.

Here's the part number on one of the batteries "2098013" (see image) And this is from a 1974 price list/part/accessories list. so 20 years after they made 6v batteries they were still servicing their older cars...

my two bits anyhoo.

Mopar_Accy_Price_List 13.pdf

Edited December 26, 2011 by ferdball

[TodFitch]

The Pentastar logo was introduced in 63 or 64.

If I recall correctly, the '63 Plymouth wagon my family had when I was young had the pentastar on the front passenger fender.

[HanksB3B]

Whaddya Mean? Tha'ts my work truck!

Me on the other hand out of respect for the long hard years my truck put in as an overworked Roofing Truck have put her out to pasture so to speak.

Hank

[VintageMoParts]

Here's another pic of a Commercial Line Battery

[michael.warshaw]

when you trickcharge a 6volt battery do you put positive to positive or do you put neg on positve, since the cars are positive ground?

[Don Coatney]

when you trickcharge a 6volt battery do you put positive to positive or do you put neg on positve, since the cars are positive ground?

What is a trickcharge?

[ggdad1951]

when you trickcharge a 6volt battery do you put positive to positive or do you put neg on positve, since the cars are positive ground?

tricklecharge or full bore charge you always put the + to the + and the - to the -

[michael.warshaw]

thanks

[ferdball]

ok. so I took this 20+ year old dry 6v battery and spend $30 on new acid. Filled it, charged it overnight on trickle and NOTHING..... it can barely run the radio... Forget about even starting it.

Double checked the connections, threw it on HIGH charge for a while and same issue.

Looks like maybe a NOS 20 year old dry battery is not a good idea... maybe they do go bad.??

Any other things I could try?

[ggdad1951]

anything can go bad with time. I like the NOS as well, but a battery is to important to do that with IMO.

[ferdball]

ok my bad.... I though it was weird that it had some juice and was intermittent...... I was standing there in a daze staring at the battery and noticed that the terminals were all hazed over..............................I grabbed the wire brush and shined them up and put it back in and WOW! buddy it churns over like no other battery I've seen!

Woot! a $100 battery for $20.... got to love that when it happens!

1 for 1 we'll see what happens on the next one...

[pflaming]

Pick n pull in Fresno sells the batteries taken out of purchased cars for $20. You go with their employee and he tests the batteries of choice. You select the one you want. I'll never buy a new battery again as long as they continue this practice. If you need a warranty, buy two and put the second one in the trunk.