Delco Battery Toppers

[X33RS]

It's not hard to find a black or white sided battery.  I usually go with all black and then put the topper on.  Napa has all black batteries but I usually end up at Costco for an Interstate battery, they are all black now too, and for about $75 and a 6 or 7 year battery, you can't beat it.  Throw a topper on it and it fools most people.

If you're looking to gut an original for a smaller battery, it's doable.  PSMC's did it all the time to save weight over the nose.  Looks stock but inside is a smaller battery wired to the original terminals.  The rules have cracked down on that in the last couple years so I don't know if you find many doing it now.  I almost did it on mine when I was competing and racing my firebird.  We got to the point of taking a bathroom scale with you to the battery store and start weighing batteries, you get funny looks from the counter people    You would be surprised at the differences in weight between brands of batteries that are the same series.  But this is another subject entirely.

[HawkX66]

After the first $300 battery dumped after 2 years I decided no more of that.
 

It's too bad you couldn't have made that one into a case for another battery. One that could open and close so you could change the battery.

edit: Posted after you did. Obviously you already thought of that....

[cook_dw]

  I may give that top a consideration. The Delco Eye is painted?
I have seen them at shows with varying degrees of side overlap as well as side wall color.
If I can find a new style battery that fits well but the side is of a different color, maybe something like Krylon Fusion  paint would work.
Another idea I have been tossing around is to use a new battery to get to a show then swap it out with an R59 (dead).
Then I'd worry about paint chipping from around the bolt heads of the support bar. ARGH! 

Mike

I don't see much difference in the battery casing black vs the topper black..  Wait until I do the Delco Eye fix. It might change your mind..  Again I'm not the first but I have 2 original eyes to go by so I think I can make it look legit.

[69Z28-RS]

Darrell nice work, taking a repro poor fitting junk part, and turning it into a piece that would pass as original on first glance.
....

A minor point, but aren't ALL (99% anyway) repros 'poor fitting junk parts'   

PS.  I didn't know there was more than one manufacturer of these toppers..  are there?
(I know there are many resellers, but all the ones I've looked at looked to be from the same mfg'er)..  and Yes, there is a significant price variance.

[X33RS]

Well, Mr. Cook seems to be having fitment problems so apparently something has changed over the years.  The last top post topper I bought was about 4-5 years ago and it fits fine.  The other toppers I've bought a little more recently are for side post batteries, there is nothing to obstruct the fitment of those.

Maybe manufactures have changed within the last few years, I don't know if there is more than one manufacture either.

[X33RS]

After the first $300 battery dumped after 2 years I decided no more of that.
 

It's too bad you couldn't have made that one into a case for another battery. One that could open and close so you could change the battery.

edit: Posted after you did. Obviously you already thought of that....

I still have it, and still may do it.  I just couldn't bare to throw $300 in the trash even though it's nothing more than a door stop.
   They have been doing that trick at the pure stock drags for a dozen years.  I think they check for that now at the pure stock level.  The F.A.S.T. guys (the more serious ones) have more relaxed rules and still gut the stock batteries and hook cables to them to make it look like they work (has to be stock appearing), but in reality those guys are hiding a little battery inside the fake stock gas tank in the back.

I still may gut the battery and hide a small one inside, but at this point right now, I'm not racing the car anymore and haven't in quite a few years, so I'm not worried about the weight savings at the moment.  The appearance however I've somewhat satisfied myself with these toppers.....for the time being.

[68camaroz28]

  I may give that top a consideration. The Delco Eye is painted?
I have seen them at shows with varying degrees of side overlap as well as side wall color.
If I can find a new style battery that fits well but the side is of a different color, maybe something like Krylon Fusion  paint would work.
Another idea I have been tossing around is to use a new battery to get to a show then swap it out with an R59 (dead).
Then I'd worry about paint chipping from around the bolt heads of the support bar. ARGH! 

Mike

Mike, a good thread on team camaro where op used Interstate Battery, forget type but he showed what he did with black paint on case, etc..  Said it fit with like glove. Darrell had posted on op's thread so maybe he got some ideas there. It looked good!

[cook_dw]

Chick, I did post in that thread but I honestly can not remember where I read about the modifications because I had read so much about the issue..  It was more than likely on TC though..  Here is a pic of the battery from the side..

[68camaroz28]

Chick, I did post in that thread but I honestly can not remember where I read about the modifications because I had read so much about the issue..  It was more than likely on TC though..  Here is a pic of the battery from the side..

No issue Darrell as it got me thinking also and you come up with some good ones! Could an orig deco eye be placed in that topper? And I'd love to add that "energizer" from the topper to our nos y55 battery!

[1968RSZ28]

Looks like you really transformed that topper, Darrell.  Hopefully, you didn't run into too much resistance while doing it! 

Paul

[cook_dw]

I already tried that idea as I have a couple original eyes..  I was gonna cut off the yellowish clear portion that goes into the battery off but the oem eye is too loose in the topper..  Ok here is what I did and what I read about someone used an old yellow screwdriver but since I had a couple I cut one down and used the original style material.. 

Didnt take any pics for this but first find center of the red bot of the topper eye and drill a pilot hole.  Then use a 3/8" drill bit and open the hole up more.  I measured 0.4160" as the dia of the red dot so I took my trusty dremel and worked the hole open a little at a time test fitting the original eyes center piece.  Then a 1/4" socket with sandpaper to smooth it out.  Then I cut the lower portion of the original style eye, sanded and then polished it on both ends and you get with what you see here.  I had another one but didnt have a firm grip on it and the polishing wheel sent it somewhere into the abyss of the garage..
 

Paul, gauging by your response you think Im a conductor of making repop parts flash..  Ok Im done you win because you are lightning!!!

[68L30]

Here's a pic of my topper. I "improved" mine a few years ago after I tired of dealing with the repro R-59's.  They all lasted fairly well, just kept getting more expensive to replace.  This topper has the real Delco eye and drilled vent caps. I also added the date codes and plant code in the correct spots. The post holes fit nice, I have a Delco under it. I did color match the red and it was a personal choice to look like a service replacement. I have two other NOS units to use as referance.

Steve

[BULLITT65]

thats quite the display you have there Steve. Its great to have originals to use as an example.

I have seen some guys go through the labor of emptying out a original side post to put a battery inside. Has anybody re-created a original side post any other way?

[68L30]

I have gutted an old R-59....pain in the butt. Still had to deal with another cell inside and for what? Just not worth it to me. Very few notice the cover when done right and those who do, really understand why it's there.

Thanks for the compliment. That's an ol Delco Battery rack, art deco style.

Steve

[BULLITT65]

What about a Y-77?