R59 Delco battery topper??? - Page 2

Chevy454 · #11 08-18-2006, 09:54 PM

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I wondered about cutting my repro apart when it finally fails and trying to stuff a smaller battery inside it. Probably not worth the effort though so we'll continue to 'brainstorm' the issue.

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Great minds think alike...I was trying to think ahead on our Y-Vega project and am wanting the look of the old side post but would rather run a decent battery inside the repro case...but I couldn't hardly justify buying a repro, just to gut it! If'n you ever do try it with your battery, lemme know the ins/outs...also, if anyone has a repro side post case that they'd like to get rid of, I'd like to try it out...

68l30 · #12 08-19-2006, 12:20 AM

I believe there was an article written in Shaw's Musclecar Power about doing this to a Mopar battery....Dave D..wrote it about his Challanger secrets...

Finding a dead R-59 should be easy.....

Steve

**copo69** · #13 08-19-2006, 07:17 AM

I got a couple of toppers off ebay for twenty something apiece. I got tired of paying for the repros but what really did it was the last one had started leaking but really didn't do any damage...got lucky. Anyway I always thought the toppers were kind of lame but when I put it in the Camaro you really had to look to see it was a topper. I used a $39.00 NAPA battery made by Exide and it fit really well. It had a fabric carry strap which I folded and placed under the topper....makes it easy to get out of a 69 Camaro which is kind of a tight fit. I put some velcro to hold it in place. Beats the hell out of paying for the repop but the leaking is what did it for me. I understand the sealed version of the R59 is OK but isn't it over 200 bucks? Should the car go someplace with hardcore judging then I have a good selection of dead R59's to choose from to pop in place for judging. I also put one in the Biscayne but it doesn't look as good as the battery is out in the open more and the topper is more visible. Caps look a little cheesey, especially the Delco Eye.....think I'll cut up an original to fit and maybe use the repro's caps.

ORIGLS6 · #14 08-19-2006, 07:45 AM

I was looking at batteries for someone a few weeks ago. Gotta agree; Exide looked to be the best fit for the toppers. Fairly smooth top, and a Black Case. That's probably the direction I'll take for my Nova.
What are the inside dimensions of the R59 topper?

**mssl72** · #15 08-19-2006, 11:14 AM

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One thing I would do though; have the Topper in hand before you buy the battery to go under it. That way you can be certain the battery fits under the Topper, not too small; not too big. Just a thought.

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I agree with you 100%. I luckily had my topper with me when I was picking up a battery. The guy ordered the most heavy duty AC/DELCO battery for me. It turned out to be a dual connection battery with both top and side terminals on it. I went to drop the topper on it and the top posts were too far apart! So we found another battery there to get the demensions of the posts, went through the book and found a nice 7 year battery. The topper fit like a glove and fools everybody. Buy one. Another thing I would recommend is to put a little blob of some silicone glue on the underside of the caps to hold them in place after you put them on. I know some guys that have lost caps after a while. Mine are still firmly in place.

Pacecarjeff · #16 08-19-2006, 11:51 PM

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I was looking at batteries for someone a few weeks ago. Gotta agree; Exide looked to be the best fit for the toppers. Fairly smooth top, and a Black Case. That's probably the direction I'll take for my Nova.
What are the inside dimensions of the R59 topper?

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Exide was the one I got at Sams Club $39.00 - perfect fit.
I cut the straps off, and peeled all the lables.
You have to look very close.

I too, thought the toppers were "cheesy" a few years back, but I got very tired of replacing my r-59 repros almost every year. Used to be able to get them from New Castle for $99, those days are gone. I still have 1 that is seeming to last forever, but when it fails I will use the topper.

**WILMASBOYL78** · #17 08-21-2006, 05:41 AM

I have been using the Delco professional top post model 36H6YR.....fits like an R59 and the topper goes on well. Also took a "real" sidepost from the day and "gutted" it. Planning on using a small hi-po style battery inside and connecting the terminals and then fabricate a bottom. As for the repro sealed or acid style...you can keep them! Only thing I would ever use is an acid style without the acid..just for looks. Those things are just time bombs waiting to go off!

wilma

**mssl72** · #18 08-21-2006, 11:32 AM

I'm using an AC/Delco Professional Series battery as well, model 24-7YR. I also have one of those battery mats from Eastwood under the battery, even though the battery is sealed. It helps to protect the battery tray by giving a little cushion.

mrrec · #19 08-21-2006, 05:35 PM

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I wondered about cutting my repro apart when it finally fails and trying to stuff a smaller battery inside it.

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I just did this with one of the many failed repro R59s I have. I bought an Odyssey battery from Summit at about $120.00(they're OK to install on their side). You have to cut the bottom and the top out of the old battery to get the mess out (I neutralized the acid with baking soda - be careful it gasses a lot!), made brass strip (about .040 x 1") long enough and with the proper bends to connect batt to batt. I drilled and tapped the bottom (inside) of the posts. I sheared an aluminum plate and screwed it to the underside of the battery for the new bottom. I used insulating foam-in-a-can to hold the battery in the battery. Epoxy the top back on and you're set. It takes a couple of hours, so if you value your time at all, you aren't saving any real $$.

Incidentally, look in the cap holes of your "new" sealed R59 from Antique Auto Battery - this is what they're doing except starting with a new case, obviously.

Dave

**Mr70** · #20 08-22-2006, 06:04 AM

I was talking w/Tom @ Restoration Battery,and he said the same thing.Once New Castle went tits up,Antique just bought up the remaining R-59 cases and installed a maintence free cell inside.
This summer I picked up two beautiful dead R-59 Delcos at a swap,with the intention of trying this out this winter during a Bye week.
I was one of the scant few who gave Tom Shaw a no interest loan to sit on for 18 mos.,with only that one earlier referenced issue to show for it.
The Dave D. article in it is very informative with pics and procedures,so I figure it might have been worth it if it will keep me from buying a $270 R-59 Maintence free batt.
I was going to try it with a Dyna-Batt inside.