Sal, It's the 34/78 which will fit. I installed it two years ago and have been very pleased. The lip on the battery base is a bit small, but the hold-down bracket still holds it securely. Barry Image Unavailable, Please Login
Tens of threads have come up on this in the past--do a search on "Optima" in the subject line and you'll get a flavor of what folks think. I personally run an Optima Yellow Top in my 328.
Just watch the orientation of the battery posts. It takes a 34R which means the terminals are reversed from normal. If you hook the cables up backwards, you will likely fry the alternator.
I have no clue what 'sizes' people are talking about....I just went to Pep Boys, bought a Red Top, and dropped it in. Guess that's why the battery hold-down plate doesn't fit anymore (that and the threaded part was so badly rusted that it broke apart attempting to remove the nut). My battery just 'floats' in the battery tray for now, sliding around just alittle. Perhaps a bungee cord is in order....
Secure it immediately! Having a battery bounce around could cause the top terminals to touch the aluminum battery cover above it and short out. Get it secured, and install the plastic covers over the terminals too.
Dave, You're right. The 34R wasn't available when I bought mine which fits well with the GM side posts. Barry
I have one down in there too. So far so good. Right now I cannot remember if it is a red or yellow. It is the one with the longest warranty, which ever one that is.
And to throw a wrench in it... Installing this into the 308GTS QV next week. Saves 15+ lbs of weight versus the Optima http://www.portablepower.com/items/.../1/all/37L105S5
LOL, darn Fchat server editing. Basically, it is a Enersys PC680 12 Volt Dry Cell SLA Battery. Specs: Pure lead AGM technology gives very high discharge rate and is suitable for long duration standby. With low self discharge rate, high venting pressure, and greater than 99.7% recombination efficiency, Genesis batteries deliver long reliable service. - Maintenance free technology - no water to add - High rate charge and discharge capable - Pure lead-tin construction - low internal resistance - Rapid charge capable - under 1 hour recharges possible - Outstanding deep discharge recovery Chemistry: SLA Voltage: 12 Volts Capacity: 16 Amp Hours Dimensions: 7.15" L x 3" W x 6.61" H Weight: 13.5 Pound(s) Spec. Sheet*: PC680
Curious for you 308/328 owners....aren't you a bit concerned about removing too much weight (like lighter bumpers, lighter battery, ditch the spare) up front? I have always noticed in my 308 and later 328 that it was pretty easy to lock up the fronts in a panic stop. Making it lighter up front would seem to only make this worse.
With the custom suspension (Nick Forza Fchat sponsor) i adjusted the ride height/corner weight her. As she sits now she is actually a touch FRONT heavy(!) according to the scales. In Sept we are removing the 30 lbs radiator for the 15 lbs alu model and i am doing the lighter battery next week. What i DO find is that with the STOCK suspension the front of the car (minus the spare tire) sits WAY too high and the steering got very light at anything over 90 mph. Funny thing is, i could put up the lights and this seemed to help a bit(!) but obviously not the proper solution. The car here has the front about 0.75-inchs lower than the rear and i want to raise the front a touch to get the aero back in line as it seems the car hits the aero 'brick wall' at 115mph Will have her corner weighted after the battery/radiator mod and see where we stand. Tag me at the end of September if you are curious as to the outcome. And of note... Maybe many 308 owners have a brake bias issue? If their fronts are locking up TOO quickly then perhaps, maybe, they could use higher grip rear pads to get brake bias back in line. Natural weight transfer means during hard braking the weight goes forward so the front gets heavier. There are other factors but will not get into full vehicle dynamics and variances depending on tires, surface temp, etc etc etc... etc. Then again the car here is so far from stock pertaining to brakes and suspension that, well... guess what works for me will not work for a guy still Saturday afternoon cruising along with those old Koni's and wallowingly weak springs... but the stock brakes aint THAT bad really once you get better pads on 'em and steel braided lines.
Steven, Great stuff, and yes, please start a new thread when you have the numbers, that would be very useful stuff to know. Yeah, I changed to ss lines on my 328, but went with a more "pedestrian" stock oem type pad for front and rear (Axxis Deluxe Plus). They worked excellently, were quiet, and no dust...but the bias issue was still there. My solution was to upgrade to a 355 with ABS.
