I've seached, a few times, and couldn't find any threads directly related to these types of batteries. Sorry if it's been covered before, hopefully being a noob will cut me some slack??? Hahaha Anyhow, I need a new Battery for my '53 Plymouth I picked up this weekend. Whilst searching craigslist I cam across an ad for a brand new, in the box, "6 Volt-12 Volt Sarting Battery". Says he bought two from Antique Auto Battery in Ohio and only used one. Anyone use these?? What are the pros and cons? Here's a pic I grabbed from AAB's site, the guy has the same set up locally for about $130. If I don't go this route, I was considering the Optima 6V Battery but am worried about the same, hard-starting problems. Thanks!
'Saw these way back on whisky cars with modified engines that were hard to turn over. Haven't seen 'em in many years. Those units let you use 12 Volts on the starter while everything else was still 6 V. They charged half the battery at a time and alternated from one half to the other each time the car was started. This may/may not be what you are looking at. I have no personal experience with 'em. A lot of folks convert to 12 Volts (As I have) and, it works well. However, in my experience, 6 Volts will do the job if everything is as it should be. I grew up with 6 Volt cars when that was all we had. Over the years, I have put many thousands of trouble-free miles on 6 Volt cars (mostly Flatheads. Presently, I'm running a stock '41 Chevy with 6 Volts and no problems. (Yeah, I just bought a 350 to go in it.) If you are having trouble starting your Plymouth, likely the starter or something else isn't up to par. BTW, one common problem with 6 Volt systems us the use of battery cables that are far too small. Try some BIG cables on your battery. Good luck whichever course you take. '41 Chev
Thanks fellas! Think I'll go the 8V route for now. The car is in dire need of a battery so I think that'll do the trick. Thanks again!
I think an 8 volt battery and the 12/6 are just crutches. I say fix it right with out band aides. Yeah it can be a PITA but cleaning all the terminals is the right fix IMHO. I'm guessing you don't use it to get to work on time in 0 degree weather.
Mike, Do some research in the archives about the 8 volt battery. A lot of people seem to think they are more trouble than they are worth. Have you cleaned all of your connections and had the starter checked out? That is usually all that is required on a Ford but I am not sure about the Plymouth. Charlie Stephens
I'd go the 6v and rebuild the starter if need route. I've only had bad experiences with guys switching to 8v. If everything is still in good order you should only need a 6v, anything more is just a bandaid. The main reason to switch to 12v is the parts availability.
If Optima 6V batteries are like they were 20 years ago, then I say gopher it! I had one that lasted 12+ years and would crank any of my old engines. 900CCA is pretty good. I would check for reviews from recent Optima purchasers.
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