Re: [Chrysler300] Fw: Imp. Related Battery Question

[Gary Barker <gbarker@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the Battery info. John, My 55 just starts, It has never not 
started but every time I do start it,  it makes me think its not going 
too.   I still have the original cables. Even though they look good I 
think I will install new ones too.
As to disconnecting your batteries when you store them let me tell you 
what happened to my next door neighbors garage.
He has a restoration business working out of his home.  He only does 
Model T's and A's and as a favor 40s or 50's F--d's.
His garage is about 350 ft. from my bedroom window.   ( Don't forget I'm 
the retired local Fire Chief.).   There was a loud explosion that sat me 
up straight in bed and my hole bedroom was lit up orange.  When I got up 
called 911 and ran out the back door. His garage was totally involved.  
inside was all his equipment plus five cars, of which only one was his 
and that ended up being the culprit.  It was a completely restored Model 
A sedan with a 4 cyl. chevy engine. ( My Idea) He just got it running 
that day. He used my property to drive around on so he could test things 
out without going on the highway.  When he was done he parked it back in 
the garage.  That night he lost everything.  We ended up tracing it down 
to a special   (USED) ign. switch a friend gave him.    I took movies of 
the whole fire, cleaning up the mess, searching for parts and tools in 
the ashes.    That week I went out and bought a battery shut off for all 
my stored cars and any old one I drive.   Guess what?  my neighbor is 
going to buy some battery shutoffs too  ""WHEN" he gets a car to work 
on.  and a shop to do it.
    It only happens to the other guy----    Gary Barker

Johnl wrote:

>Hi Henry,
>
>I have owned my C300 for 15 years now and for several of those years struggled with hard starts and other things related to a 6 volt system.  For a long time I used a 6/12 battery and the car would always start, but the battery looked bad with all of the extra wiring due to the switch on top of it.
>
>Finally one day I listened to my friend Ken Brody who said the 6 volt system will work fine if everything is correct.  I let him have the car, something I'd never done with anyone up to that point.  First he set the distributor up on a machine.  Next was rebuilding the starter which turned out to be kind of a nightmare and we ended up with a used one from a junk yard that still cranks her over to this day.
>
>Currently that car has a 6 volt battery in it that is probably pushing six or seven years.  Recently I invested in having Y n Z located in Redlands, California build new correct battery cables and that was probably the most significant change.  I'm not overstating when I tell you the car starts like a 12 volt system.  This car also has the 49 year old original front loom in it.
>
>Upon finishing our '55 Imperial Newport late last year I chose to do all of the items stated above plus use an Optima 6 volt battery.  This is housed in a stock appearing battery case provided by Packard's International Club.  The Club store is located in Santa Ana, California on French Street I think.  Cost for this case was around $75.00 and I discovered that once installed the post were at the wrong ends.  I should also tell you there are two cases they offer.  I chose the one that looks more like a stock tar top battery.  It is the more expensive of the two by about $20 I think.  No big deal as I just had the length of the new cables made to length to accommodate.  This car has a new Y n Z front loom and it works no better or worse than the C300.
>
>Last the thing I always do with all of our vintage cars is to disconnect the battery when they are stored, even if it is overnight.  I have six cars in one garage and that could be as much as 120 gallons of fuel.  The last thing I need is a fire that would light up the Western Hemisphere.  One other thing is everything, radio, etc is always turned off before the cars are shut down or started.  These things are what I attribute the battery long life and also dependable starts.
>
>John Lazenby
>Southern California, just minutes from Disneyland
>1955 Imperial Newport
>1955 C300
>1956 300B
>1957 300C Coupe
>1960 300F Coupe
>1963  Volkswagen Beetle
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Henry Hopkins" <hhrp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 7:48 AM
>Subject: [Chrysler300] Fw: Imp. Related Battery Question
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Using a correct period battery for a 56   Having poor luck with them as first two were duds and the third is now poorly performing.  No help from manufacturer on shipping damage, etc., etc.  So considering an Optima battery inside a correct case.  I have heard that is done or is possible.  Any experience with that out there?  Where does one get an empty case?  Would I have to make one up myself emptying out one of the bad ones? Sounds messy to me.
>
>Maybe there is advice and/or experience to relate???
>
>Thanks, Henry Hopkins, Richmond, CA
>
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