Andy,
A deep-cycle battery is a very poor choice for any automotive
application. Deep-cycle batteries, by design, have much thicker lead-per-oxide
coatings on the plates and even small shocks (a bump) can make the (chemical)
coating break off the plates and drop into the bottom of the battery case,
often
short-circuiting the individual battery cells.
Deep-cycle batteries are specifically designed for (example) Marine
use, where there is never a solid shock to the "vehicle" or an impact like a
chuckhole: they are perfect for an electric outboard engine on a dink. Sorry,
but lead-acid batteries really have not changed much since the days of
Germany's
WW1 submarines. Technology has progressed.
Look at the SCCA magazine or Grassroots Motorsports and buy an
appropriate battery for your application. A standard car battery (Die-Hard)
works
for me and if you can afford it there are a variety of lightweight gel-cell
racing batteries advertised there.
Best regards and Happy New Year!
Jim Leach Pacific Tiger Club Seattle
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