[FC] FC battery

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

>Small  correction -  Johnson Control's Optima brand batteries use 
>adsorptive  glass mat (AGM) technology not gel technology.  They are 
>excellent  batteries and stand up to heat and vibration better than 
>flooded batteries  due to their construction.
>

A couple of comments -- When Johnson Controls bought the Optima brand 
from it's original manufacturer (I believe it was Hawker Energy), they 
unfortunately discontinued the yellow top Honda batteries (the 51 & 51R) 
-- they would be a perfect choice for a Corvair, if they were still in 
the marketplace -- they also replaced the Optima's original  "pure lead' 
construction with a switch to recycled lead.  I've had both new and old 
Optimas and they have both worked quite well in service -- they do have 
special charging requirements of which one needs to be aware.

Since JC has a local plant, I generally use a 51R by JC in whatever 
brand is offering the best value (sale price) the day I am buying -- not 
the cheapest, the best value, the most 0º cold cranking amps per 
dollar.  Since shipping costs are locally lower for the JC batteries, 
they are generally on sale somewhere locally.

Another choice would be the Odyssey Battery -- 
http://www.odysseybattery.com/ -- their PC925 is a good fit for FC's and 
earlies when turned on it's side, and since these batteries can be 
operated in any position, this is a normal installation.  This battery 
might not have huge CCA numbers, but it works fine in several hot rod 
applications with which I am familiar, easily starting high performance 
engines after lengthy periods of setting without charging.

Since these Odyssey batteries are a bit dear retail, you need to find 
your regional distributor and see if he is offering a discount to car 
club members -- ours does, and that puts them in about the same price 
range as an Optima.

Bill Strickland