Reproduction battery - is it worth it?

[bull]

After 8 1/2 years of service (which is excellent performance by the way) the AGM reproduction red cap battery I bought for my 68 finally croaked. They're hard to find now but I did locate and order one through Battery Central Mall for $369.   That's about $100 more than it cost 8 1/2 years ago but the kicker is there's a backorder with about a 10 week delay. I like the original style batteries and thank God they last so long for that price but I wonder if I'm too concerned with originality. Especially when I can get a regular AGM right now for probably $200 +/-. I don't really do car shows anymore so there's little motivation for me in that dept. Thinking about canceling the order because I don't want to go the rest of summer without driving the Charger. What would you do?

[Kern Dog]

I don't know if it is worth the money BUT I do know that everything has leaped in price since January 6th. Guess why? There were multiple executive orders signed into place that had the immediate effect of heavily taxing every productive citizen in the country. Inflation is a real problem again.

[Nacho-RT74]

Wow Bull! That's what I call a resurrection! How it's going?


About the AGM repro batt. They have been backordered since... ever, at least from turbostart. And it sems battery central just makes some small batches quite often, and not every modle.

[bull]

Wow Bull! That's what I call a resurrection! How it's going?


About the AGM repro batt. They have been backordered since... ever, at least from turbostart. And it sems battery central just makes some small batches quite often, and not every modle.

Hey Nacho! I'm doing well. How are you? Did you ever manage to escape Venezuela?

I've heard there's someone who guts these batteries and installs small batteries inside them. Do you know anything about that?

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm actually in Spain since 2018, but things are not going good. My Charger still in Vzla.

Yes and also there are outer Mopar Reproduction batt shells to get smaller batteries in them already available in the market. I have not opinion about them. Several threads around about those.

If you ask me, I don't like the idea to have dual connections to get the batt. That's the posibility to get two spots sulfated and loosen conections ( specially talking about the starter motor efficiency to get max juice from the batt ) Just about personal prefferences.

[bull]

I'm sorry to hear that things aren't going well. Can't say I'm surprised though considering how things have gone in Venezuela the past few years.

That style with the small, hidden batteries inside are not what I want. If I'm going to spend $369 I would like to have a real battery. But I wouldn't mind paying much less than that for a temporary fix. The thing that bothers me most though is the 10 week backorder.

[Dans 68]

Curtis,

Go with what you want. I understand about cutting back on car shows thus a Wally world battery would work just fine. I'm toying with putting a smaller AMG battery in a Mopar case but I have other projects I need to do first. Do whatever YOU are comfortable doing.  And drive the Charger!

Dan

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm sorry to hear that things aren't going well. Can't say I'm surprised though considering how things have gone in Venezuela the past few years.

Yeap, things there in Vzla are going way worst that anybody could imagine. But here in Spain I'm having hard time to get a decent job. This is depressing.

About the battery, I'd like to get one AGM repro battery just like the one you have ( group 27 red cap ), BUT, they become unobtainable for me economically talking and I have known the last batches got quality issues and lot of returns. Maybe that's the reason why stopped to produce... at least from TurboStar.

Are the $369 batteries just a cover with smaller batteries inside? No way! If I was to spend that money would be for the real deal, not a masked solution.

[b5blue]

Keep the fancy dead one for show and just get a good battery. Ten weeks and 800.00 are a bit much.

[bull]

Nacho - there are two manufacturers from what I can tell. There's Turbostart which produces actual, full-size AGM batteries built to look like our classic batteries and then there's Jim's Battery Mfg. which makes the shell with a small AGM battery inside. They're both about the same price and both are back ordered. Battery Central Mall sells both and an employee there is where I got this information.

[bull]

Keep the fancy dead one for show and just get a good battery. Ten weeks and 800.00 are a bit much.

I agree. I'm not going 9-10 weeks without driving my Charger. I'll at least figure out a temporary solution before October.

[bull]

Curtis,

Go with what you want. I understand about cutting back on car shows thus a Wally world battery would work just fine. I'm toying with putting a smaller AMG battery in a Mopar case but I have other projects I need to do first. Do whatever YOU are comfortable doing.  And drive the Charger!

Dan

[ht4spd307]

i got one with the bottom cut out so i use it as a dummy so the casing sits over the top of a more modern battery

[ALBSURE1091]

I used this kit on a modern battery. I think it looks very good. They have Red Yellow and Green cap.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Battery-S24MG-green-1966-74-Glue-Caps-kit/312326380356

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I've heard there's someone who guts these batteries and installs small batteries inside them. Do you know anything about that?

That would be me!   My repro battery was one of the older acid filled ones though. Not sure how the Sealed AGM would come apart...