Best Battery choice(s)?


Stef

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 5, 2009
1,082
Southern California
Need to replace a battery. What is the go to and/or
good/better/best replacement choices these days. Thanks!!
 

DWR46

GT owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 20, 2008
119
This will drive people crazy, but the most reliable choice is a standard Group 78DT (dual terminal). Available at any major auto supply or discount store. I just replaced my last one after nine years and it was still in good shape. i just felt guilty. Fits right in with no modifications.
 

Howard

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 26, 2007
1,135
Florida/North Jersey
Make sure the replacement is an Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) type and that your charger supports AGM.

Howard
 

TO AWSUM

Ford GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 4, 2007
1,506
Niceville FL
This will drive people crazy, but the most reliable choice is a standard Group 78DT (dual terminal). Available at any major auto supply or discount store. I just replaced my last one after nine years and it was still in good shape. i just felt guilty. Fits right in with no modifications.

Yup, this is exactly what I did. One thing to be careful of is that the battery is not too high and hits the metal brace above the battery. There is only about a 1 inch clearance above the terminals. What I did to avoid this is I bought a battery with the terminals reversed (Deko AGM) so they are no longer under the metal brace. Reversing the terminals also makes it much easier to install the battery without accidently grounding it on the brace. The cables are not affected for this change. The battery has been in use for 4 years now with no problems and it's not excessively expensive.
 

partssmann

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 1, 2013
755
Scottsdale, Arizona
Do you have a part number on that Deko AGM you installed?
 

TO AWSUM

Ford GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 4, 2007
1,506
Niceville FL
I used Deka AGM part number 9A35/85.
 

CJ428

Farm GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 21, 2008
1,473
NJ
optima 8025-160 looks like the original
 

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twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
optima 8025-160 looks like the original

Wow, it's on sale at Amazon.com for 160 with prime (free) shipping. How does it compare operationally and price to the Ford OEM?
 

CJ428

Farm GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 21, 2008
1,473
NJ
Rich said it is the same. seems good to me so far been in the car for a year or so.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,267
Kalama, Free part of WA State
I'm still on the original battery. 12 years and like the Energizer Bunny.
 

junior

GT Owner
Mar 9, 2007
1,151
So Cal
The factory battery is an Optima Red Top battery that is FGT re-badged. Johnson Controls bought Optima and moved the plant to Mexico. Yup, junk at best now, ask me how I know. Sears Die Had that was a perfect replacement (Model P-3 Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT) discontinued now if I'm not mistaken.
 

CJ428

Farm GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 21, 2008
1,473
NJ
5 years is the limit for a battery now a days for me. I had a optima last eleven years in a truck I bought new in 93.
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
So everyone will laugh. OEM battery still for me.... Still starts the car. Already have Speedhuts so that rational to keep changing batteries is out the window. Maybe this winter Ill splurge.
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 13, 2006
5,769
Scottsdale, Arizona
The factory battery is an Optima Red Top battery that is FGT re-badged. Johnson Controls bought Optima and moved the plant to Mexico. Yup, junk at best now, ask me how I know. Sears Die Had that was a perfect replacement (Model P-3 Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT) discontinued now if I'm not mistaken.

Gentlemen,

Let me second the post above. The original Ford GT Optima battery was excellent. The Optima batteries now built in Mexico are worthless. I had used Optima batteries in all of my cars, trucks, and boat and loved them. THEN.....new owners moved production to Mexico and every single Optima I bought failed in less than two years. It didn't take long for the warranty replacements to fail as well. My local Batteries Plus store told me the only reason they still carried Optima was to provide warranty replacement batteries but they discouraged customers from buying new ones because of high failure rates. I'll never buy another Optima.

Chip
 

Brombear

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 16, 2013
1,396
Frankfurt Area, Germany
Heard the same story here in Germany as well. So sad when the bean counters are allowed to drive a company on their own. :willy

Maybe it is time to buy into those lighter race type batteries. Does anyone have experiences to share ? Weight savings are substancial, still not sure if it is good to loose weight in front of the front axle.
 
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Stef

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 5, 2009
1,082
Southern California
Thanks you all, I appreciate it!!
 

PL510*Jeff

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 3, 2005
4,876
Renton, Washington
I bought my replacement from Ford dealer. Even came with the GT stickers.
 

dpdive

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 23, 2009
93
Buffalo, NY
I put in a Braille lithium ion. At 11 pounds vs around 35 to 38 for a lead acid and doesn't go dead from sitting, whats not to like? Other than the $.
 

Stef

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 5, 2009
1,082
Southern California
I bought my replacement from Ford dealer. Even came with the GT stickers.

Never even thought about what should be the obvious best/first choice, when I even buy my replacement windshield wipers for my other Fords from my local dealer, of coarse:facepalm:
Going to give it a try for sure, thank you sir :bow
 

MTV8

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 24, 2010
1,017
Houston Texas
I put in a Braille lithium ion. At 11 pounds vs around 35 to 38 for a lead acid and doesn't go dead from sitting, whats not to like? Other than the $.

That seems like the way to go. Which model are you using?