Battery Side post or top question

[69pace]

Hey guys, I've been trying to find the part number for an AC Delco side post battery for my Z and can't seem to find anything except top post and the dual top and side post. Is there a side post only battery or am I going to be stuck with the dual or a top only?

Gary - You looking for a new Delco, a reproduction R79 or after market with side post?
Duralast by AutoZone makes a side post, and a reproduction is available http://www.restorationbattery.com/r79s.html
http://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/catalog/catalog_search.php lists several side post - note to get the only side options use year 1970 otherwise 1969 is coded to give you dual posts due to the change over.

[69Z28]

Hey pace, Initially I wanted to get a Delco side post, but I can use a Duralast if I can't find a Delco. I just need to find the numbers for each one so I can go look at them to make sure before I buy. I don't need a reproduction. My problem also is what side post cables to purchase and where to get them. If my car came with the Y77 I kind of would like to get back to that look of the side post. Looks cleaner then the top most.

Hey guys, I've been trying to find the part number for an AC Delco side post battery for my Z and can't seem to find anything except top post and the dual top and side post. Is there a side post only battery or am I going to be stuck with the dual or a top only?

Gary - You looking for a new Delco, a reproduction R79 or after market with side post?
Duralast by AutoZone makes a side post, and a reproduction is available http://www.restorationbattery.com/r79s.html
http://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/catalog/catalog_search.php lists several side post - note to get the only side options use year 1970 otherwise 1969 is coded to give you dual posts due to the change over.

[69Z28-RS]

I saw two different sizes of AC Delco side post ONLY batteries last week in a local shop on a battery rack, so they should be available wherever AC Delco is sold..  like your Chevy dealer and many more places..

[69Z28]

Just to clear up any confusion, at least for me anyway, the 69 AIM has 6297683 positive and 6297650 negative for the cables, and what is noted on the OEM cables in the ebay auction link I posted is 6297684 AS positive and 6297651 AV negative. Which of these are the correct printed numbers to look for on the reproductions? Been looking at all available reproductions online and the only seller that show printed numbers on the cables is HBC and those are the 69 AIM numbers. Not that this really makes a lot difference but I might go with Ricks. Anybody bought Ricks? Are the attaching bolts the same size? I don't really care as long as I can screw them on a modern Delco or Duralast battery. The different sizes screws are that important.

[69Z28]

Not much in the local area for anything AC Delco unless I hit the dealer up.

I saw two different sizes of AC Delco side post ONLY batteries last week in a local shop on a battery rack, so they should be available wherever AC Delco is sold..  like your Chevy dealer and many more places..

[69pace]

Gary - Right now there is only one size of side cables in use for new and reproduction batteries.
ONLY the original factory and short run service batteries used the two different sizes. Sometime in the mid to late seventies the standard was changed to the current same bolt size both terminals.
There are guys here who are still running the original two sized bolts and they have to tap and Die the odd terminal to accept the larger bolt on the original cable. Too much work and I'm not drilling into the side of an acid filled battery.

As a side note - My Z-11 came to me with side post gm cables dated Feb 1980 and a side post Delco battery. The cables are both the same size bolt. I just assume somewhere down the line the Chevrolet dealership swapped over to side - My build date is 03B which I think is too soon for the change over at Norwood but maybe not? But I assumed it came out of Norwood with top post battery option.

I bought a Delco Freedom in 1984 for her. Last year I replaced that same "Maintenance Free" Delco Freedom - Yeah it lasted that long but then again I pried off the caps as back then they weren't glued shut and kept it topped off with distilled water.

I searched high and low and got caught in the selector trap and could only find expensive dual post offerings. I got smart and shopped by physical size and cold cranking amps - then I discovered the trap. "The Selector Trap" for 1969 Camaro owners:  All the majors (Sears, AutoZone, Delco, National etc) have set their product finders for the 1969 Camaro to select dual post because of the switch over from top to side just to limit the returns for wrong terminals - one would think they would list #xxxxx for top and #zzzzzz for side post but no.  So either X out of any "help me find the right battery" or "enter your vehicle information" scripts or pop ups, or lie and say 1968 if you want top post, 1970 if you want side post

I purchased a DuraLast Gold 78-DLG - It's specs are 800 Cold Cranking Amps, 1000 Cold Cranking Amps at 32 degrees with a reserve of 110 amps.  Wasn't too expensive either well under 100 bucks with in store 20 buck coupon.
Here is the link to what I bought Gary:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=53436

[69Z28]

I'm not too worried about originality where the battery and cables are concerned. Kind of tough on the owners who have the oem cables trying to find a battery that matches their cables. Now I just have to find the right cables to buy now that I know what year battery. Thanks Pace.

[69Z28]

I'm satisfied now, the local Chevy dealer here has the 78-6YR for $124.00 with a $16.00 core charge in stock so I will go with it. I looked at Lectric Limited's cables and will probably go with those, $48.00 a piece. Any opinions?

Thanks guys. Good info if anyone wants to make that change from top post to side post battery and cables.  

[69pace]

You can go with current GM cables as well.

[69Z28]

Hey Pace. When I spoke to the dealer today about the battery I asked about cables for the 69 Camaro also, but no dice. Do you an idea what to get if I can get them local?

You can go with current GM cables as well.

[69pace]

Yeah you can pick up side post battery cables at any auto parts place such as AutoZone or Nappa.

[69Z28]

Hey guys, here is a link for the pics of the LL side post battery cables I bought. This will take you to my post on the Yenko site. Just scroll down a little and you'll see them.

 http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/530652#Post530652