Bye Bye Optima

[andybflo]

What model Citroen?

A '67 2CV.

From last summer, I think, in my driveway... (Shot in Glasurit, in January 2018.)

Looking for a clean DS, too...

And to keep things Square focused, my '86 the day it got unloaded, same location in my driveway.. Summer of 2020 (hence the friend who dragged it from NC to NY wearing a mask.)

 

[Doppleganger]

A '67 2CV.

From last summer, I think, in my driveway... (Shot in Glasurit, in January 2018.)

Looking for a clean DS, too...

And to keep things Square focused, my '86 the day it got unloaded, same location in my driveway.. Summer of 2020 (hence the friend who dragged it from NC to NY wearing a mask.)

A friend of mine had 2 - he brought them back from army stints in Germany. An XM and a CX25GTI. Both 87's. His biggest memory was being on the Autobahn going 140mph and having a Maserati flash him to get over. lol

Pretty sure I know where there's another older CV - near Cleveland.

 

[Grit dog]

WFarm -- That's a beautiful engine compartment you have there! Probably 1 in 50 that still looks stock like that.

I've never understood the Optima craze. I've been using batteries from Sam's Club and Costco since the 1990s. I'd estimate the average lifespan has been around 6-8 years in the Texas heat. And, believe it or not, one of the Sam's batteries lasted around 10 years. I think it was a Champion.

When I bought an 82 C10 years ago, this 12-month Budget Battery had already been in the truck for around 3 years. Have to say I was embarrassed to open the hood around other people, and I thought it would be one of the first things I'd need to replace. Well, 4 years later it finally died, but it never left me stranded. It just wouldn't hold a charge for more than a day or so. I replaced it with a 800CCA Interstate battery from Costco, which I expect to last at 6-8 years. Turns out I installed another 800CCA Interstate in my 69 C10 just last year. Man, that sucker will spin the engine over rapido, especially with my truck's new permanent magnet mini-starter.

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I’m with you 100% on the Optima thing. I understand the advantages of AGM batteries. Just repeated bad luck with them.
Funny you mentioned the Budget Battery.
When we bought the 86 GMC, 3 years ago now it had a Reconditioned battery. Guy I bought it from owned it over a year and it was in it when he bought it.
Drove the truck for about 6mo after purchasing and then about 18mo out of commission while restoring it. Randomly starting it briefly never long enough to charge, moving it around during resto. I did top it off with a charger a couple times when the truck cranked slow. Then been running the truck again for the last 8 months or so.
So it’s at least 4-5 years old. And still works fine. I did replace it only be use I had a new bigger battery with no home laying around and needed a different battery style to add the wiring for an aux fuse panel, amps etc.
It’s lived almost 300% longer than most of the Optimas I had!

 

[MikeB]

I’m with you 100% on the Optima thing. I understand the advantages of AGM batteries. Just repeated bad luck with them.
Funny you mentioned the Budget Battery. (A similar battery has) lived almost 300% longer than most of the Optimas I had!

Goodbye Optima cult, hello Cheap Battery cult! Although the only thing cheap about my Interstate batteries is the Costco price.

 

[GMC trucker]

I bought an Optima Yellow top in 2013 for my 83 GMC and another Yellow top in 2015 for my 87 R20. Both still work perfectly, even with the 83 being parked for 85% of the year. I also bought an Optima Blue top deep cycle for my trailer winch in 2020. With that I keep a trickle charge on it with, yep an Optima brand charger. I read in these forums about the problems with them after the company changed hands and fully expected to have problems. I guess I crossed my fingers just right. So far, so good.