battery

[Mr70]

R79W & R89W "Elephant Skin" top.

[Mr70]

The R79W & R89W side casing "Elephant Skin" design.
Note..R89W used 3/8 positive & negative side terminals now.

[Mr70]

Other side of R89W.

[Mr70]

One more.

[3macs1]

Rick you are the BomB. I would not want to see your stuff if you were born 10 years earlier.So good to know we have such resources on this site to help out. Nothing like having the original items so we can see the pictures.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Can you shed some light on the date coding of batteries? ie; how were the various batteries dated, and did the syntax include the model of the car it was going into?

[Mr70]

R89W with warranty card & caps.

[JRSully]

What Battery would be correct for a May 70 L78 Nova.? Thanks much

[WILMASBOYL78]

12 D Cells wired together....

wilma

[Mr70]

Marlin
From what I have been able to find out,the R79W & R89W batteries had the HIGHEST ratings at that time period of 455 cold cranking amps at 0 degrees,with an 80 cranking Ahr @3750 wattage.
At the time,these were the first & only batteries to use a straight plastic casing back then,and not wrapped in rubber.
The Delco R79 series battery saw a VERY brief useage window of just over a year,before they were quickly replaced with the Delco R89 series.

I've yet to find any syntax on a battery calling out the specific model of vehicle it was intended for,and really doubt it would have it.These were shipped in bulk and used by many plants and vehicles.I do have many Delco catalogs & brochures that recommend a battery series to be used in certain vehicles.

Date coding these was quite unique as it can be found on the battery top itself & cardboard box side,but both in completely different formats.
I wasn't sure what was what at first until I found a "Roseatta stone" of sorts for Delco batteries.
On the battery tops will appear something like this:
30 P 7 T
Decodes as:
30=day of month
P=Year..1969
7=Month of year assembled..July
T=Plant assembled at code..i.e Muncie

The 3 digit card board box dates,expiration dates or "dry codes" as they are known by,are still being researched.These are found on the very bottom of each box,stamped in ink.
I've talked to many who have an opinion,but so far nobodys dry dates don't make sense for the next one found,and they are always difficult to see if at all as they rub off rather quickly while on the shelf.

JRSully
The 1970 L-78 Nova would have had used the Delco R-59 top post as standard equipment,and the R-79W side post would have been the extra option under RPO T-60.