Ok, so what's everyone's go to cheap-ish battery and related parts for challenge cars?
-Battery
-Cutoff Switch(es)
-Battery Cable
Ok, so what's everyone's go to cheap-ish battery and related parts for challenge cars?
-Battery
-Cutoff Switch(es)
-Battery Cable
For the battery, find the local distributor that sells to the shops in your area and buy from them. Our local distributor, Royal Battery, sells me batteries for $5-$10 more than the junkyard charges. I just picked up a brand new battery for my Civic for $54 including tax.
Used batteries, batteries unlimited sells refurbished, and Rural King.
Battery cables you can use welding cable, jumper cables ect.
For a cutoff switch you can grab one out of some heavy equipment, but you can pick them up used super cheap.
Is 4 gauge good enough for battery/starter wires?
In reply to AWSX1686 :
How far is it going.
4 gauge is big enough for a Neon with a Fit Battery mounted under the front bumper.
In reply to Professor_Brap :
Likely, trunk to rear cut-off, to driver's cut-off, to starter and fusebox, so less than 20 feet I'd say for sure, maybe more like 15...
In reply to AWSX1686 :
For the cost of the switch, cable, and normal battery you can get a lithium ion battery that weighs 2 lbs and keep it in the factory location.
My local you pull it sells battery cables by the cable not foot. I can get a BMW or Mercedes rear battery mounted cable for $10 or less.
Stampie said:In reply to AWSX1686 :
For the cost of the switch, cable, and normal battery you can get a lithium ion battery that weighs 2 lbs and keep it in the factory location.
True... but I'm too far gone for that.
walmart lawn battery U1R $20 with warranty about 10lbs and I havent found a car it wont start but its still a small battery so dont leave your lights/radio on.
Usually i can score a couple free batteries a year on garbage nights, but that usually means pulling them from a beat up scooter or wheelchair. Advance Auto always has a mower battery sale for $19 in the spring.
For switch i buy summit racing’s $20 metal bodied one, because even though acceptable for the challenge the $7 harbor freight plastic body keyed switch isn’t nhra legal and I don’t think they are safe after having one come apart after light use.
Advance also has bulk 2 gauge cable for .99/ft.
For challenge budget purposes it makes more sense to do like Stampie says and put a light battery in stock location because no cable or switch is needed at that point. This is my plan for next year.
AWSX1686 said:True... but I'm too far gone for that.
Story of my life...
Patrick said:Usually i can score a couple free batteries a year on garbage nights, but that usually means pulling them from a beat up scooter or wheelchair. Advance Auto always has a mower battery sale for $19 in the spring.
For switch i buy summit racing’s $20 metal bodied one, because even though acceptable for the challenge the $7 harbor freight plastic body keyed switch isn’t nhra legal and I don’t think they are safe after having one come apart after light use.
Advance also has bulk 2 gauge cable for .99/ft.
For challenge budget purposes it makes more sense to do like Stampie says and put a light battery in stock location because no cable or switch is needed at that point. This is my plan for next year.
First thanks for the input.
I'll have to keep an eye out for trash batteries.
As far as plastic cutoff switch goes, I currently have this style from Dorman, which does look basically the same as the HR one. Guess I'll look into a metal bodied one. (Current keyed one if for the cockpit switch, back of car will definitely be metal.)
I will definitely check out the bulk cable from Advance, I like the sound of 2 gauge a lot better than 4.
Stock battery location is the "easy" answer, but this car is not specifically a challenge car, though I plan to bring it this year. As far as other event go, I'm pretty sure they are going to want a cutoff switch.
echoechoecho said:walmart lawn battery U1R $20 with warranty about 10lbs and I havent found a car it wont start but its still a small battery so dont leave your lights/radio on.
I'll have to check that out too. When I bought my miata it had a lawn mower battery in it, and it worked fine. The e28's engine is a bit bigger though. Might just work.
The Walmart battery has 230 ah , is that enough to start most good running cars ?
Just seems real low......
In reply to californiamilleghia :
I'm pretty sure that's the size we used on the Q45. Good enough for 6-10 starts back to back. Actually probably could have gone smaller.
The battery in Smoky the Magnificent was completely dead (0 volts) and had sat in the car for 2 years when I bought it. I trickle charged it and it took. It sat for several weeks in this cold weather and then started the Mazda. It is on the trickle charger again because it was low.
I used 1.5 to 2 amp trickle charging to bring it back to a usable state. It isn't full capacity (amp hours) but it is usable.
The fast chargers don't seem to be as good at putting a usable charge in a questionable battery. (they test bad)
Has anybody else had these type of results to verify my experiences?
Bent-Valve said:The battery in Smoky the Magnificent was completely dead (0 volts) and had sat in the car for 2 years when I bought it. I trickle charged it and it took. It sat for several weeks in this cold weather and then started the Mazda. It is on the trickle charger again because it was low.
I used 1.5 to 2 amp trickle charging to bring it back to a usable state. It isn't full capacity (amp hours) but it is usable.
The fast chargers don't seem to be as good at putting a usable charge in a questionable battery. (they test bad)
Has anybody else had these type of results to verify my experiences?
Yes i just did that to a dead AGM battery from a power wheelchair. It’s holding voltage after being on 2 amp old school dumb charger for a few days. It’s likely going to end up in a challenge car.
I was going to use a $20 set of 2gauge 20’ jumper cables from rural king for my battery relocation.
I'll second the $20 lawn mower batteries. It's what we use in the Lemons cars. I've never had one not start.
Since you're local check out http://www.ss-electric-motors.com/ in Chambersburg. I spent $45 or $50 on a blemished or recon 54R battery for my Honda that has been working great.
A smidge over 6 pounds, 250 cca, a nice name brand, and only $46 shipped on Amazon. Had I not just bought a cheapo knockoff of the Odyssey pc680 for $34.99 this would be the battery I would get.
If weight of the battery isn't a primary concern, take an old dead lead acid battery into a parts retailer and ask if you can trade it for an AGM that they've had turned in as a core. The core values to them is the same, so they don't care as long as you carry it to the back for them. My BG fleet is all full of AGMs from doing this.
Really dead batteries charge better when run in circuit off a good battery that is charging. I was really surprised that we brought back a dead one that way recently.
Bent-Valve said:The battery in Smoky the Magnificent was completely dead (0 volts) and had sat in the car for 2 years when I bought it. I trickle charged it and it took. It sat for several weeks in this cold weather and then started the Mazda. It is on the trickle charger again because it was low.
I used 1.5 to 2 amp trickle charging to bring it back to a usable state. It isn't full capacity (amp hours) but it is usable.
The fast chargers don't seem to be as good at putting a usable charge in a questionable battery. (they test bad)
Has anybody else had these type of results to verify my experiences?
Don’t forget the old trick with lead acid batteries of flushing out the lead sulfate.
Take the caps off. Tip the battery upside down into a glass bowl. Let it acid settle while you fill the battery back up with fresh water. Gently slosh the water around in the battery and dump it out. I dump it into a paper bag to catch all the lead sulfate. Do it until nothing but water comes out.
Now take a turkey baster and gently suck up the acid from the glass bowl, being careful not to suck any of the lead sulfate. I’ve done that often enough that it’s about a 10 minute job now and I can get 2-3 sometimes more years from a dead battery.
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