Learn me best battery for track cars

Optima, red, yellow...i see these smaller batteries, the battery will spend most of it's life a a battery tender, so what will it be?

If money is no object, a pair of 12 cell Ballistic Lithium-Iron batteries might work very nicely. It'd be about 6 pounds total for the batteries and some cable/terminations to get them in the car.

I've had very poor luck with Optimas over the last few years. I'm using Odysseys in everything now. Reasonable power/weight ratio and they'll happily sit for a long time without losing their charge if you have a kill switch on the car. No need for a tender. The PC680 will work for a four cylinder, the V8 gets a PC925.

The new Braille lithium batteries are creepy light - but also expensive. About $500 for a Miata-size one with a charger. They feel like someone forgot to put the battery in the case.

Ill second what Keith said about the Optimas. I had an old one in my Jeep offroader for years, killed it many times, submerged, bounced it around for years until it finally started not holding a charge. I bought another one, was crap from the beginning, traded it it, the second one I got the battery post was loose. Third one started boiling over.....maybe theyve fixed their problems by now.

Get something like the Deka ETX18L. Deka is the battery that Braille uses and marks up massively. I used one on my Honda Civic DD through Chicago winter no problem. Pretty sure I bought from here http://www.etx18l.com/

Note that the Braille lithium is not the same battery as the AGM they used to sell.

I'll second what Keith says about the Odyssey battery- I had one in my Alfa for a long time. It finally died from total under use.

having it sit for a winter un-plugged was fine.

for a year- stretching it.

For a year, and forgot to unplug- yea- it's D-E-A-D dead. So dead that when I tried to fix it, it started to bulge as well as get upwards of 150F. Bad, bad, thing to do.

If I were to get another super light battery, I'd totally get another.

Keith Tanner wrote: Note that the Braille lithium is not the same battery as the AGM they used to sell.

Ah. Reading comprehension strikes again! I skipped right past 'lithium' in your sentence.

The deka agm batteries are still the cheapest lightweight option.

Skip the Optimas. They are no longer any good. Plus they only come in big and heavy.

I'm using a Marathon Miata battery (yes, the answer to the battery question is still Miata). AGM, small, light, inexpensive. The jury is still out on durability 'cause I just bought it.

I'm glad you guys are reading my build thread...

I've had this battery in my daily driver Boxster for three months now. Works like a champ. TWO POUNDS!

If the car sits for three days without starting, it can get finicky and turn over slowly. Also happens if it's below 40 degrees. Otherwise, I can't recommend it enough. For $120 dollars, it's the best bang for the buck you can get.

They also make larger ones with more CCAs.

Oooo.

Do you need a special charger for that?

I had a PC680 in my ZX2SR. It would start the car even at below zero F '

Forklift battery. Break an alternator, continue to race for another 24 hours. What's a couple hundred pounds between friends...

Keith Tanner wrote: Oooo. Do you need a special charger for that?

Nope. It has a built-in cell balancer, so you can charge/maintain it with anything. I have a cheap Black and Decker piece I got at Target that works perfectly.

I doubt there would be any overheating problems, but it might be wise to try to keep it shielded from engine heat as much as possible. I have mine in the front trunk, so it stays plenty cool.

I've been using shorai batteries in several vehicles for years now. Can't say enough good things about them, everything I want in a battery. They're not cheap but worth a look.

Ive had multiple bad experiences with optimas as well, IMHO they're junk.

Zippy 8400 mAh 4s2p LiFePO4.

Capable of coldstarting a Chevy LS1.

2.5 lbs. $80 at HobbyKing.

$185.00 is the good one??? Braille Battery B2015 - No-Weight Racing Battery SKU: BRA-B2015 Part number: B2015 Manufacturer: Braille Battery http://autoplicity.com/manufacturer/98-braille_battery.aspx 1 / 1Braille Battery B2015Picture of Braille Battery C 15 lbs 1067 PCA 6.8" x 3.4" x 6.1" Carbon Racing Battery NOBODY beats our prices! Store Price Summit Racing Equipment $274.99 JEGS High Performance $222.99 In Stock: 25 Available 25 in stock Free shipping

love my odyssey PC680. started a 232 Ci turbo v6 like it was a OEM battery. weighed a ton less.

I had a Braille 11lb dry cell in my CM race car passenger footwell and it did the job just fine of starting a high compression inline six similar to yours. I left a small charging system on the car so there were no issues with it powering injectors, fuel pumps, electric power steering, etc once running either.

The new car has a class weight limit minimum so... a good ol' fashioned 40lb wet battery in the passenger-side trunk makes for useful ballast in the right spot on the scales.

To get the balance you want you might need some heft behind the rear wheel on the pass side since your car has a similar weight distribution and deficit location when everything is gutted to the bones.

so you recomendation is to leave the battery were it is, which battery should i get it has a red top optima in it but it is seven years old.

iceracer wrote: I had a PC680 in my ZX2SR. It would start the car even at below zero F '

I ran a 680 in my old 318ti. Cranked a little slower below zero.. but most batteries do. The only problem I had with it, I didn't know that they do not like excessive heat and the stock battery location on the Ti is above and slightly behind the exhaust manifold.. so yes, I cooked it. They pop nicely