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What battery should I get for a SBC swap into a 78 280Z?


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I just bought this car with a 350SBC in it but it didnt have a battery...I was wondering if I should just go with the recomended battery for the car or if anyone knew something that I dont on size and cranking amps etc. Thanks.

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Go with an Optima, you won't regret it.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/automotive.html

I'm using a red top and it works great!

 

So...a battery that was a stock 280Z application would work fine...right? I think it will, I just thought I would double check with everyone who has done this.

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What I usually do is go to walmart, get their Everstart(?) Maxx with the highest amps I can find, pay the $60 and have 3 years of peace of mind. Free replacement within the 3 years and after that they'll give you a pro-rated discount on your next battery. And you can collect on the warranty anywhere there is a walmart.

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Man, I'm done with typical lead/acid batteries. I second Bartman's recommendation on the Optima or similar spiral cell battery! I HATE the leaks that come from a typical lead battery. All my Datsuns through the years, without exception, had leaking batteries. Same with any Chevy too :mad: When I put the Optima in my Suburban, problem solved. Money WELL SPENT in my humble opinion. Same goes for the Z. If the batteries from the previous owners would not have leaked, there would not have been a rust issue below the battery tray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Did I mention I like Optima batteries?

 

Davy

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Added benefit of an Optima 34R is reverse post. This makes it a much safer mount in the stock position. IMHO Nissan put the positive battery post way to close to the fender.

 

34R is lighter than stock by a few pounds and has 800cca. You can kill it 100 times and it charges up normally. It costs about $175 though.

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Dave,

 

How is that for fit? Does it fit under the stock battery hold down?

 

It comes with a bottom snap on adapter to make the height same as stock. The length and width are the same. Just make sure the cables are long enough to swap. The stock battery hold down should work. Mine was wasted so I used a generic one.

 

154137958-M.jpg

 

Just got mine from Autobarn.com (free shipping) and Sears carries Optima but selection is very limited.

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Guest Gr8White
Man, I'm done with typical lead/acid batteries. I second Bartman's recommendation on the Optima or similar spiral cell battery! I HATE the leaks that come from a typical lead battery. All my Datsuns through the years, without exception, had leaking batteries. Same with any Chevy too :mad: When I put the Optima in my Suburban, problem solved. Money WELL SPENT in my humble opinion. Same goes for the Z. If the batteries from the previous owners would not have leaked, there would not have been a rust issue below the battery tray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Did I mention I like Optima batteries?

 

Davy

 

Amen to that. Optimas are exceptional batteries and are worth the price tag.

 

You could go to the Wal Mart battery and never have to worry about buying another one, not because they are so good, but because they won't last long enough to ever be out of the 2 year "free replacement" warranty. I got tired of changing the damned things out every year and never knowing when it would strand me. In Texas, your battery takes a real beating and those batteries seemed to be either alive or dead, no in between, meaning no warning to it's inevitable demise.....

 

Did I mention I hate Wal-Mart batteries?

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You guys must have bad juju with batteries.

 

I have bought nothing but die hards for 30+ years and never once had a problem with them. I do replace them every 5 years cause I live in a cold weather state.

 

I might get an optima for the Z simply because I hear they are suppose to be more tolerant of being run infrequently. Other than that it is hard to justify spending that much when I know a battery half the price will do everything I need it to.

 

A $10 plastic tray under the battery will catch any leakage. Not sure though cause from what I can tell I have never had a battery leak.

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I've never had one leak either (but I haven't been driving for 30 years...haha) and the battery from Walmart has a 3 year warranty and I run two, one for about 4 years and the other for two. Never had a problem with them. I don't mean to necessarily be defensive but no one has said how much or how long they last. Aren't those the selling points of these batteries? Surely it's not just because they don't leak and you can put them upside down blah blah...

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Did you check out the link I inserted in my previous post? It will answer all your questions regarding the benefits of an Optima battery.

 

If you're happy with a cheap battery, be my guest and get one; you can use any 12 volt battery you want. If you want quality, then you have to pay for it. You could get by for many years with a cheap battery without any problems, but this is HybridZ and we generally discuss ways to improve our cars. I was at a Z car show the other day and one of the stock Z's was admiring my car. He called me over to show me something on his car...and you guessed it, it was his Optima battery. This guy was close to a purist, but he recognized that having an Optima was a good idea.

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Did you check out the link I inserted in my previous post? It will answer all your questions regarding the benefits of an Optima battery.

 

If you're happy with a cheap battery, be my guest and get one; you can use any 12 volt battery you want. If you want quality, then you have to pay for it. You could get by for many years with a cheap battery without any problems, but this is HybridZ and we generally discuss ways to improve our cars. I was at a Z car show the other day and one of the stock Z's was admiring my car. He called me over to show me something on his car...and you guessed it, it was his Optima battery. This guy was close to a purist, but he recognized that having an Optima was a good idea.

 

So how much did you shave off your quarter mile times when you put in that Optima?

 

Or by "improve" do you mean impressing people at car shows where nothing moves?

 

You do realize there are other brands of batteries besides Everstart and Optima? I think I paid $90 for my last battery. Doesn't seem cheap to me.

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