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AGM Battery?

Mark T-TB

Mark T-TB

Car Crazy from birth
Has anyone used an AGM battery that fits well in the stock location? Everything I'm seeing says I need a size 75.

After seeing what a mess the battery tray in #545 was, I'm on the lookout for a nice AGM battery to keep everything clean & dry there.

I've had an Optima in the Tiger for many years, have been very pleased. However, I tried that route for the GN and the "correct size" did not fit. I ended up with a DieHard Gold AGM... it may have been a different size - I had to make a few revisions to make it work (don't worry, no "original parts" were harmed :D). Sears indicated no Gold AGM in size 75. I asked at Advance, they don't have their "Platinum AGM" battery in the size 75 either. It looks like the size 78 is much more common.
Anyone know if a 78 will fit (or other size)?
Thanks.
 
Mark i got the ac delco gold lately, it is group 75 and fits perfect. Wiith a full replacement for 42 months not prorate. It is a excellent battery!
 
This is liquid acid but I believe ac Delco has the other type! It don't look my battery tray ever had any leakage so I am using this type still!
 
Yeah. who knows what evils transpired in the 1st 23 years and 55k miles that our car endured prior to its current cushy/pampered life with us? Jim Dunn spent quite a bit of time de-rusting and painting the battery tray, so I promised to put in an agm... will keep investigating. maybe someone else will chime in.
Thanks
 
I think the OP complaint is the corrosion of the liz acid batteries. I have DieHard AGM, but they stopped making them in the 75 series. All Ta's use the 75 series, so I have Optima Yellow tops in my others. Haven't had much luck with Optima Red Tops the last few years….first choice was the Die Hard, current DieHard in the GN is hitting 13 years old but wasn't an AGM!
Just replaced the Die Hard in the '79 and it was 11 years old, wasn't an AGM either.
 
Just checked my folder... the Optima [red top] in my Tiger (still worked fine the other day) was purchased in March of 1998 :eeks:
... but I thought that I heard somewhere that "they don't make 'em like they used to"(?)
Rob - I put a DieHard gold AGM in the GN, but can't remember the size. The 1st one only lasted 1 year, but was replaced at $n/c. The current (2nd one) seems good.
Thanks everyone for the input. I'll be sure to "report back" with further findings.
 
The Red Tops from long ago were great, the Red Tops of newer vintage, say after 2007 or so I haven't had much luck with, barely get out of the warranty, 3-5 yrs. The Die Hard AGM I have is the Platinum series, one in the '99 is 4 yrs and the biggest marine one they have in a pontoon boat but only a year old…haven't had one long enough to know but the liz Die Hard Golds sure lasted long enough! Besides 7 cars, we have 2 boats and 2 jet skies, so I go through some batteries.
 
had diehards fail in the #1 of 4 callaway 96 gs supernatural vette ... in 6 months ... have to take the back 1/2 of driver fender off
 
2QUIK6 said:
The Red Tops from long ago were great, the Red Tops of newer vintage, say after 2007 or so I haven't had much luck with, barely get out of the warranty, 3-5 yrs. The Die Hard AGM I have is the Platinum series, one in the '99 is 4 yrs and the biggest marine one they have in a pontoon boat but only a year old…haven't had one long enough to know but the liz Die Hard Golds sure lasted long enough! Besides 7 cars, we have 2 boats and 2 jet skies, so I go through some batteries.
Click to expand...

Iv'e noticed that too with the red tops but i thought it was because i don't drive the tta enough, i have a yellow top in my p/u and i can leave the radio on for 8 hrs and it will still start but 1 hr with the red top and its dead.
You also need to check the mfr. date, don't want to buy a batt. that's been sitting on the shelf for 3yrs like i did once.
 
robert lee said:
Iv'e noticed that too with the red tops but i thought it was because i don't drive the tta enough, i have a yellow top in my p/u and i can leave the radio on for 8 hrs and it will still start but 1 hr with the red top and its dead.
You also need to check the mfr. date, don't want to buy a batt. that's been sitting on the shelf for 3yrs like i did once.
Click to expand...
Sometime 7 or so years ago, Optima moved the manufacturing to Mexico and changed the process some is what I heard on the reds, I assume the yellow and blue are made in the same location though as the red.
 
I would really like something "USA-made"... the size 75 certainly does not seem popular:disgust:
... Still searchin'
 
I guess that I missed any bad production quality issues with Optimas.

I have Optima red tops that are 7 years old in my two Trans Ams. Installed an Optima yellow top last year in my Corvette.

I also have battery knife switches in all of my cars that I open if I anticipate not using them for over a month. Switches help make the batteries last longer and it's a good safety feature to have for old cars - might save a car from burning down.

If you're not the original owner of your TTA, you might not know everything about your car's wiring. When I bought mine (4th owner), I saw that the wiring for a heated oxygen sensor was passing through a hole in the sheet metal - with NO grommet. The wiring was chaffed... That was a close one.
 

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Mark T-TB said:
I would really like something "USA-made"... the size 75 certainly does not seem popular:disgust:
... Still searchin'
Click to expand...
Good luck finding one. I just put a yellow top I've had since last summer sitting in my truck of the GN just in case the 13 yr old Die Hard failed me, into the GN…Die Hard finally dies…and I noticed right on top of it was a sticker indicating "Made in Mexico"….So we'll see, it's hard to find a 75 series period anymore.
 
Just checked the DieHard Gold AGM in my GN, group 78 (installed with home-made "adaptors" as noted)... it was replaced 05-2013, label says "Made in USA". Hmmm.
It appears to be about 1" longer than the current Group 75 in the TTA, the height and width dimensions are slightly smaller(?)...
 
Hopefully I can now "close the book" on my quest.
I bought an AC Delco group 78 USA-made AGM battery, it is just about 1" longer than the old group 75 battery. Price was very attractive from Amazon.
I had to make a "spacer" so that the battery sits at the top of the "well" due to the extra length, but I doubt that anyone will ever notice.
5NOQN2Il.jpg


i should soon be able to change the oil and start cruising.
Thanks again for all of the input.
Mark
 
Mark T-TB said:
Hopefully I can now "close the book" on my quest.
I bought an AC Delco group 78 USA-made AGM battery, it is just about 1" longer than the old group 75 battery. Price was very attractive from Amazon.
I had to make a "spacer" so that the battery sits at the top of the "well" due to the extra length, but I doubt that anyone will ever notice.
5NOQN2Il.jpg


i should soon be able to change the oil and start cruising.
Thanks again for all of the input.
Mark
Click to expand...

Are the sides of the AGM battery grey/white ? Just wondering as the original batteries back in the day had white sides and I've not seen anything but black these past 15 years ...

Oh what would look good is the correct factory original decals ontop of that battery ;) .... I still got some ...
 
Jan - the sides/main case are a light gray. Here is the link from Amazon with a "photo".
Amazon.com: ACDelco 78AGM Professional Automotive AGM BCI Group 78 Battery: Automotive



This project [for once] had good timing, as the battery in our 96 Regal died within a few days of the AGM arrival... so I took the WalMart battery that came in the TTA and put it in the Regal. The Regal has the na 3800 series II engine, yet uses a group 78 battery (well, it is using a group 75 now).
 
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