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Re: Lucas tar top battery warning

To: vafred@erols.com, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Lucas tar top battery warning
From: TRIPHSTEVE@aol.com
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 22:09:22 -0400 (EDT)
Fred and list:

Fred writes:

... how can you blame the battery company in Ohio,... they have nothing to do
with the spilled acid....over 1 million TR's were sold with Lucas batteries
in them, they did OK?

Not so. The Ohio batteries are actually not Lucas batteries, but aftermarket
tar top batteries manufactured primarily show purposes. Their screw on caps
are vented with small holes and spewed acid on the second day after
installation. Moreover, acid leaked from the bottom of the battery as well.
Very poor construction. So, I blame the battery company for lack of quality
control. 

I have since talked with an industry representative who advised they stopped
selling the knock-off Lucas batteries because of so many claims like mine. I
am glad; however, your experience was better than mine or the distributer
with whom I spoke.

I had several, probably 4-5, people at VTR tell me similar stories, including
Jeff Seiglen, who won Best of Show. He also took his tar top battery out and
left it for dead before further damage was done to his car. I do not make the
criticism of the battery company without some thought or investigation. When
4-5 concours cars are damaged quickly after restoration and one of the major
suppliers refuses to carry the product because of repeated warranty claims,
that's enough for me to consider it proper to warn others.



Steve Thornton
Bowling Green, KY
"Home of the Corvette"
Triumphs:
1954 TR2
1962 TR3B
1968 TR 250
1971 TR6
Jaguars:
1963 MkII RHD
1969 XKE FHC

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