As title, Im looking for a lightweight car battery. I dont want to run to the expense of a Varley or similar, but I read recently about a cheaper battery that used lead coated aluminium plates (as opposed to solid lead) in order to save money: as a result theyre substantially lighter. Has anyone come across these?

 

Read an article in last months Car Mechanic mag, which covered just about every battery technology from the first generation of lead/acid, but dont recall any mention of the battery you describe.

 

Its pissing me off that I cant remember where I read it. It was anecdotal though; rather than an article, so it may have been incorrect.

 

Have a look on WSSC Forum .(westfield).
I am sure they go for lightweight batteries on the kit cars.

 

Vaguely interesting battery info...well, kinda......

This was the PH thread that I had read...

 

How much are you wanting to pay ?

I've got one of these Odyssey PC680
cost me £75 brand new

 

I was hoping for lightness on the cheap: hence the coated ally plate route, rather than biting the bullet and buying a Varley...

 

Still: thats only 7 kilogrammes!

*goes away to think*

 

After a quick think Ive realised that its a bike battery...

 

It is a bike battery but lot's of people on here have fitted them with no problems

I looked into it quite in depth and lot's of other forums recommend the PC680 aswell.

It's good enough for me anyway

 

Its a shame that a battery that sells for $70 in Anerica is being sold for £90 here.

 

Bit heavy don't you think

Pricey, but I have one of these in mine

Braille Carbon Fiber Lightweight Battery [BR-B14115C]

 

Braille are re-branded Deka batteries at three times the price though: and thats in America.

 

This Odyssey has raised some suspicions with me. So I just looked at a PC680 and noted the adverts are VERY naughty by not listing its SAE CCA and Ah output ratings (basically; the official standardised figures):

It actually is 220amps CCA and 16 Ah; thats not really that much better or any lighter than a big bike battery IMO: I happens to have a Varta catalogue on my desk and a quick look finds:

YB16-B (Varta no: 519 012 019 3100) for a Honda VF1000 is about 5kg, 190CCA , 19Ah and 176x101x156mm (LxWxH).

And a Y50-N18L-A or Y50N-18L-A2 (Varta no: 520 012 020 3100) for a Yamaha Virago or Honda Goldwing is supposed to be also 5kg (odd, as its bigger ) 200CCA , 20Ah and 207x92x164mm (LxWxH)

Both normal lead acid batteries that I just checked on google and are under £50. The big issue is the bolt-on terminals

I suppose the Odyssey is more durable, but with a light low compression engine like a scoob, it doesn't need that much so long as the starter/cabling/earthing points are in good shape and the car is kept garaged. Would advise to keep it on a optimate/accumate/Ctech when not in use though.

 

This will be fitted onto a 2,500cc relatively high compression four cylinder engine... The Odessy battery is a bike battery: its advantage seems to be that its a gel type...

 

Deka batteries don't do a comparable CCA 360A model, but RaceTech do and its the same UK price.