I hate stupid people that try to talk about cars.

[talisman]

Here is where it gets good. He proceeded to explain that Optima uses different quality lead and acid depending on what retailer purchases them. So the Optima that is bought at Sam's is not of the same quality of the one bought at Autozone. BTW, that was the parts manager.

LOL. Optimas kind of went to shit over the last few years. Much higher failure rate than all the previous years I'd worked in the industry combined.

[Trip McNeely]

I like when the convo steers towards NAWS.

[redrocket5.0]

A real parts guy that gets into stuff like that himself would not have much problem finding parts for you. Unfortunately, most real parts guys don't stick around for shitty pay, or end up as commercial managers and don't deal with walk in customers.

Well said, This is exactly what happened to me. lol. Except now I work at a dealership parts Dept. and make more money now than I've ever made. And a big ol Yes to the shitty pay. Most I ever got them to pay me was 13 an hour plus OT.

[cool cat]

LOL. Optimas kind of went to shit over the last few years. Much higher failure rate than all the previous years I'd worked in the industry combined.

I'm on the receiving end of shitty Optima's, the quality has gotten worse. I can show you overflowing pallets we have ready to go to recycling.

[kingjason]

I'm on the receiving end of shitty Optima's, the quality has gotten worse. I can show you overflowing pallets we have ready to go to recycling.

IIRC they were bought out several years ago and moved the operation also. I run Diehard Platinum's now, (rebadged odyssey's), in everything I own. They are hands down the best batteries on the market. Optima's were fantastic some years back but they suck ass now. I melted the post off of one cranking on a Diesel project I had.

[LaserSVT]

Yeah Optima went to crap several years ago and then got good for like a year and then crappy again. Not sure whats going on there, doesn't Interstate own them?

The battery I like best is Motorcraft. Don't know who makes them but my Chevy has a Motorcraft in it and three of my old Marks had them and 5 years latter they are still running strong. We get cars in often that are on 8 year old Motorcraft batteries just starting to fail.

[talisman]

Factory Motorcrafts are beasts. By far the best batteries I would see out there. The aftermarkets seem about average for the most part, maybe slightly better than a run of the mill store brand. Not sure if there is a different manufacturer from the factory to the aftermarket.

[351Coupe]

Yeah Optima went to crap several years ago and then got good for like a year and then crappy again. Not sure whats going on there, doesn't Interstate own them?

The battery I like best is Motorcraft. Don't know who makes them but my Chevy has a Motorcraft in it and three of my old Marks had them and 5 years latter they are still running strong. We get cars in often that are on 8 year old Motorcraft batteries just starting to fail.

I agree about the Motorcrafts! The OE Motorcraft battery in my 04 GT finally died in 2011!

[cool cat]

Johnson controls owns Optima now.

[black50]

yellow tops have been good for me..i have had one now for over 2 years and have deeply discharged that thing into the 5-7volt range probably 100 times and its still going strong

[Sleeper]

Johnson controls owns Optima now.

They owned them 14 years ago as well. I unloaded them off the truck.

[FATHERFORD]

Sears platinum batteries > just about anything.

[IHaveAMustang]

I don't mind the Autozone Duralast batteries. Just had to replace the one in my 66' after 5 years.

Nothing beats Panasonic though. My 'Yota's battery was a Factory Panasonic and went for 7 years before it started having low CCA. I could have squeezed another 6 months out, but didn't feel like getting stranded.

[Sleeper]

The factory motorcraft from my 92 died in 2000. Best battery ive ever had.

[BLAKE]

I've had 2 optimas in 13 years. Maybe they suck now, but the 66 sits for weeks at a time, depending on season and it always fires right up.