Spiral
cell batteries
Optima
Spiral cell batteries have been around for many years now. Many people
have only good things to say about their performance! A short explanation
about how they're constructed may help you to understand why they work so well
for vintage car applications:
Traditional
batteries use lead plates suspended in acid. However, the plates are not pure
lead, but an alloy of lead, antimony, and other metals. It is these other
metals that allow sulphation (irreversible coating of the plates) to occur.
When a battery sits idle, sulphation occurs at a greatly increased rate. As
the plates develop more of this coating, the battery is less able to accept a
full charge and finally dies.
Spiral
cell batteries use a pure lead sheet, wound in spiral with a fiberglass mat
that absorbs the liquid acid. This allows a much greater resistance to
sulphation, and an ability to sit idle for long periods without losing
charge. Just what is needed for vintage cars.
It's
a long explanation, but it's helpful to know why the spiral cells are
worth the extra money
NOTE: You
can buy battery cases that the Optima Batteries will fit into and will allow
it to look like original size and style batteries. These are available from
Antique Battery in