Bob and List,
OEM batteries are not always bad. The _original_ battery on my 1990
Miata just gave up this year. Yes, that's 14 years in service! It was a
Panasonic AGM (absorbed/absorption glass mat) battery. From what I
gather, these Panasonics regularly last 7 years or more and are, as one
person I talked to put it, "bullet-proof".
I took care of mine, not storing it with the car in winter (here in
Canada) and keeping it charged.
Granted, I could tell it was getting weaker in the last two years, but
it never once let me down.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is an AGM type battery with enough
CCAmps for Healeys. This is too bad because many of them are completely
sealed, which is a great advantage because, like the Miata, our cars
have the battery in the trunk, where an acid spill or fumes can ruin
things. The OEM Miata battery (and the one I just bought from East
Penn/Power Battery) are vented to the outside of the trunk with small
tubes.
For more info on AGM batteries see
http://www.miata.net/garage/battery.html. This is specific for the
Miata, but some applies to our Healeys as well.
John P. New
London, Ontario, Canada
On Sat, 2004-08-21 at 19:45, OFG Racing wrote:
> The OEM stuff is crapola and that's just what the car companies want and pay
>for.
>
> Bob Denton
Check out the new British Cars Forum:
http://www.team.net/the-local/tiki-view_forum.php?forumId=8
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