Seemed like a waste to spend $159 on a repro AutoLite Maintenance free battery so I picked up one of those fake covers .... Looks pretty good. The only problem is getting a 24F size battery that has a smooth top. Most have the raised caps .....
Thanks ... I just finished installing the late model heads last night ... Still got some tweaking to do but they seem to be running well ...
Stock Late model Mustang 5.0 heads with 1.90/1.64 valves installed and stronger valve springs for my 509/512 lift Cam ...
An inexpensive way to complete the restoration of the engine compartment ... Supposed to look like the original battery that was installed at the factory in the car ... http://www.vintagebattery.com/ford.html
Not that I'm knocking your decision, but if I spent all that money and time making my car look that good, whats another couple of hundred to have the real stuff instead of fake? Its just the way I think.
I had the "fake" on my 1970. Looks really good and most people can't tell the difference. Be sure and remove all outside labels off the battery as well.
I was at Kragen Autoparts today and I was surprised to see Autolite batteries being sold there. They have the flat top. I wish I had gone there instead of Pep Boys to get the battery I just installed. . They had the 24F for $54.99. $5 cheaper than the Pep Boys Prostart.
I know the service manager at New Castle Battery here, an authorized manufacturer for the big-3 repop batteries. I got one for the Stallion. They are very well made with a thicker case than what you'd get at Sears, etc. New Castle has a very good local rep for making long lasting batteries for auto and industrial use. Here's one that you don't know about, but can contact them about. Every time they do a run of repop batteries, they reject a quantity of them because they have some minor cosmetic flaws and the "concours" guys won't buy them. They are functionally perfect. They sell these "seconds" at a greatly reduced price. Mine is a "second" and you cannot really tell why. I only paid a third of the retail because it was a second. Now, there's a catch. They don't run the repop batteries all the time, just when the inventory goes down. They don't always have the seconds available.You might have to wait until the next run of Autolites if they are gone. You can call New Castle Battery Mfg. Co. at 1-800-622-6733. They are located in New Castle, PA, about 70 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. They will ship.
The big deal is batteries go bad, especially soon on cars that don't get driven much. The cap lasts forever. :bananaman Anyway I don't care about the resto stuff anyway but seems like a wise choice to me.
Someone comments "..if I spent all that money and time making my car look that good, whats another couple of hundred to have the real stuff instead of fake?" ~~~~> You have to stop somewhere. If one tried to do a 100% correct restoration, It would cost in the neighborhood of $25,000. for a basic Mavrick. I have been there with a rare 1936 Ford trunk back convertable sedan. What I ended up with was a nice trailer queen, that when driven, cost about $1000.00 for the first mile, and $100 a mile thereafter. Alternatively, you get to look at is a very nice car sitting in the garage, oxidizing at the rate of about $100. a month. I suspect dmhines is trying to make a car that looks real clean, stock and can be driven around without going broke. My applauds
