Battery Tender on Vintage 60's Ferraris

You can buy a tender that clips to the battery terminals. Looks just like a small battery charger.

 

I attach a $10 shutoff switch. I gave up on Veglia clocks a long time ago, and I couldn't find another reason to keep the car juiced. I may opt for AAA battery operated quartz conversion one day, but for now the non-functional clock is just a mirror of the car itself - it's "timeless".


(Picture courtesy Eastwood Company)
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Cute,

Speaking of electrics, I just got word that my clock works again - sort of. I had it overhauled a couple of years ago. It work for three days then died. My mechanic had his electrical expert try to stir the varous electrical gremlins. He has succeeded. Now apparently the clock will sort of run if the car is running. By the way, I overhauled the original radio and power antenna but for some reason the power signal wasn't getting to the antenna, I've recieved word that my antenna is now fixed but that the radio is broken!

Lucas is starting to sound pretty good...

Art S.

 

I use a battery cut-off to protect my car when not being used. The old cars can develop shorts that can do considerable damage. As far as a "tender" ... I drive my 365GT2+2 once every 2-3 weeks (about 40-60 miles each time), and never have a battery problem. It is easily recharged with each drive, and starts properly again in 2-3 wks. I have a charger just in case, but have never used it!

 

My '72 Dino has a battery tender.

Doesn't cost a lot, keeps the battery at 100%, and (according to the brochure) leads to longer battery life.

Sinoc my Dino ate its first battery in about 18 months, (went dead 3 or 4 times, then wouldn't take a good charge) I think having a tender is a good idea.

As for the concours stuff, I just slip my tender plug under the spare. I don't think it's gonna cost me anything if a judge sees it.

DM

 

I use a smart tender, one that doesn’t overcharge the battery. The original battery in a 250 was huge, so I have a marine battery occupying the full tray. This gives a ton of cranking power as well as two extra terminals, and they are the ones the charger wires are bolted to. The charger wire then runs through a cooling vent in the fender and emerges in the front left wheel well where it then ends in a coupling with a tight cap. When charging the car I just clip the couplings together without raising the hood, when driving I just unplug the charger from the coupling in the wheel well, press on the cap and drive away. The cap is tight enough and high enough up so that if the car is running in the rain there won’t be a short.
Everything I drive or ride has a trickle charger - why? Well, the electric draw is maximized when it is raining, you have the lights on, are indicating left and are waiting with your foot on the break for a gap in the traffic. Suddenly the high tension system doesn’t get enough juice, and then as the engine dies there’s that awful silence. It is then you realize you have gone from being a driver and have just become a Sherpa. I’m done with pushing bikes or cars through intersections while everyone honks and yells. The rain gushes down one’s neck, the danger of cars flying by on either side is huge, and the grunting and straining while a good suit is ruined is no fun at all. I’ve been there and don’t want to go back. I’ll take Amps to Ohms any day.

 

I have an FIA-approved battery shut off switch and a Battery Manager (like Griot's Garage sells--but also Pep Boys), both inside the radiator opening of my 246 GT.

There's a lot on the internet about battery maintenance and why they fail. My conclusion is that you will get shorter battery life unless you keep a battery fully charged.

Jim

 

A few more comments:

Any time a battery is not fully charged the plates begin to build up sulfate.

After a certain amount of buildup the battery is ruined. It is my experience that even one deep discharge, unless only for a few hours, markedly affects the amps the battery can store forever after that.

If it sits discharged for a week or so it is ruined. It may charge up and work for a while after that, but you can never really depend on it.

After many years of fooling around with hygrometers to check the electrolyte SG and chargers to bring it back up, I put Battery Manager connectors on both my collector cars and have had excellent results. The connector can be hidden behind something to make it invisible.

Jim