What are the measurements of a stock battery on a 69 RT SE?

[Lord Warlock]

I am going to have to go buy a battery for the charger this weekend, want to fire it up and the old battery was toast, knew I shouldn't have left it hooked up as it slowly drained into nothingness and un-rechargeable.  Anyway, I plan on going to the discount auto parts store, and buying a new battery, doesn't have to look stock, but would prefer to get one the right dimensions, as the battery tray is quite large and small batteries move around.  Has a new battery tray but not the vertical support bar, have to get one of those one day.   

[Plumcrazy]

Just ask for a group #34.   It's very close to the old group #24

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

As I remember the stock battery was a group 24 and they should still be available. The optional battery is a group 27 and I know they are still available as I bought a new one last year. I ordered my Charger with the group 27 and have always used the larger battery. I would find that support bar sooner than later, I would think the weight of the battery will eventually crack the new battery tray at the fender mounting bolts with out the bracing.

[Lord Warlock]

Guess I'll ask for the group 24,27 or 34 and take the most powerful one I can find.  It doesn't power much but it needs grunt to move the 440 around.  

The only real damage ever self inflicted by the car was under the battery tray on the inner fender toward the shock tower.  I cut it out and filled it with fiberglass a long time ago, there is a ledge there still though planning on bolting the tray down to the inner fender, as well as adding a support bar eventually.  It has new supports under the tray as well, but the kit didn't provide the diagonal bar that bolts to one end.  Never really been this close to driving it, there was always something else holding it back.  Guess I can be thankful for small steps toward the end of the build.  

[A383Wing]

group 24 & 34 are not for the car...the tray is designed for a group 27 size....and stay away from discount stores and Walmart...get a good battery and it will last longer

[Lord Warlock]

I appreciate the input, it helped me pick out the correct size,  I kind of took it overboard though, I removed the battery tray and took it with me just to make sure, and the group 27 fit the tray the best...out of the car, bolted back in the battery acts like its sitting uneven on the tray, it could be the bolt I put in that attaches it to the fender ledge, it didn't have a bolt there before but it stabilizes the tray from moving until I can get the support bar and install it.  

I got it from Orielly's, one of their fast start series, not what I'd consider to be the most powerful battery considering the size with only 710cca seem to remember other batteries I've had well over 800cca.  Anyway, lugged the monster battery to the backyard and installed it in the car, hooked up the terminals and turned it over, was ecstatic hearing it turn over, It means all I have to troubleshoot now is plug wires, fuel delivery, spark etc.  Should be pretty easy to get it running again soon.  All of those parts were working before I started cleaning up the engine bay.  Once Its running I can verify the vacuum system for the headlights and brakes.  Have a leak in the front brake line somewhere, think its a loose nut on the distribution block, was hoping to get it on a lift to look at it better.   Also have to verify the engine harness is working somehow, tried out the horn to see if electricity was getting to the horns, and am getting clicks at the front of car so think its just connections being wrong.

Most likely reason for it not to run is no gas in the fuel line, it has a new tank and lines, something to work out soon. 

[A383Wing]

if battery is sitting an a bolt, best to remove that bolt and find the correct one to go in there...if left alone, bolt will wear a hole in bottom of brand new battery

[Lord Warlock]

it sits on top of the other two bolts that attach to the supports to the frame rail/fender there is a raised floor around each of the bolt heads including the new one, I'm pretty sure at least on this charger the battery will never wear through the bottom of the battery, has to have movement, vibration and rubbing to do that...and has to be driven to experience that...car has not been driven more than a half mile in almost 30 years.   That is about to change! The last time I remember driving the charger on the street was a slow speed cruise around the neighborhood I used to live in before the current house, and I've been in this house for over 23 years now.  Since moving here, it has only driven from front yard to back yard and back a couple times *correction* I remember having it towed to a shop once in this house and I drove it home from the shop (without tags) fairly slow since wasn't sure the tranny would work.  One easy remedy will be to install a battery hold down properly and it won't even wiggle.  Can cushion under the battery with some padding of sorts, but will worry about that when I see wear.