One or two batteries for Stock Elim.

[Danny Ashley]

In the planning stage for a new car and was wondering about battery choices. Since we have to run an alternator, would like pros and cons of the following systems.Which one do you have and why?Thank you for your input.

1. Conventional one 12 volt up front w/ working alternator. Most popular.
2. One 16 volt up front w/ appropiate alternator. Don't know anyone using this personally.
3.Two 12 volts wired in series. Alternator hooked to both. Very popular.
4. Two 12 volts. One for starting and ignition hooked to alternator and the other to power everything else.
5.Another that I might not have considered. But not the one with a fake battery up front and one in trunk hooked to alternator. Don't want to go that route . Although a good way to shed 32+ front end pounds

[Kenny Wigington]

Danny, I use option #2, but 2 or 3 will do just fine. What kind of car are you getting ready ?
Good Luck !

[Todd Bailey]

I hope this subject gets many responses as I am REALLY curious as to which route to take. I do, though, understand that car type/combo will dictate the number of batteries and the 12 volt versus 16 volt issue.

[Danny Ashley]

Kenny:
I'm leaving tomorrow for Charlotte,N.C. to pick up a 1976 Firebird purchased off E-Bay. Won't be out this season because I'm starting with a street car. I know it's a lot cheaper to buy a completed car but I enjoy building them . This may be my last racecar so I really want to do it right. Thanks for asking. I am leaning towards the 16 volt system right now. One of my Super Stock customers, who is really fast, said he would never go back to a 12 volt system and he only runs one 16 volt battery and no alternator. But I'm open to suggestions. Nothing is set in stone at this stage of the game except the color on the car which doesn't need re-painting. Danny

[Dick Butler]

It is my understanding that the Voltage of the battery(12 VS 16) wasnt the real issue it was the Amperage available to run it all. I had been told the Voltage of a 12 volt battery drops below the best voltage to run strong ignition systems if you power a water pump, fuel pump and Fan from the battery.
Alternator takes power to turn.
Two 16 volts in series will run it all with strength to Start, Run and cool without dropping below the voltage to power the ignition and fire the wide gap plugs.
If you Must run the Alternator use the 2 12volts as if they are well charged it will reduce the power draw on the alternator and therefore the HP loss turning it.

Run Parallel not series

[FED 387]

if you run a MSD box and the voltage gets below 10.5 volts YOU MIGHT GET high speed misses---- the more the battery is charged the better off you are--Comp 387

[Alan Warman]

What about the black boxes that keep the voltage at a constant 16V even if the battery
voltage drops below 10V. We have one in our bracket car and it seems to work good, I can't remember who made it though. But here is one like on this web site.

techwest@techwestracing.com,

[magnumv8]

I just want to clarifly some info in your discussion....there is two posts for putting two batteries in series...do not do this as it will DOUBLE your total battery output that the vehicle "sees"...series is when you wire two batteries positive to negative with each other...in this scenario 2-12 volt batteries become one 24 volt battery, 2-16 volt becomes one 32 volt battery etc.....I am sure it was meant to wire them in PARALLEL, which is positive to positve, negative to negative, in this manner your voltage remains either 12 volt or 16 volt but it also gives you the advantage that you now have the current available to start and run high compression and high powered ignition system with no problems because you get the current as a total of BOTH batteries at once...also in stock if they decide to test your "dual" batteries, they both better be able to start the car seperately or they will be considered illegal ballast.....

D L RAMBO

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

Originally Posted by magnumv8

also in stock if they decide to test your "dual" batteries, they both better be able to start the car seperately or they will be considered illegal ballast.....

D L RAMBO

On that, if the car came with a trunk mounted battery I have to from what I understand run that in the "Stock Location" ....where can I put the other one ? (yes I know it says in the trunk) is there any limit to where in the trunk I can mount it without them (tech) twitching.

Any problem say with mouting it right over my axle line offset for the best r/l weight dist ?

[GTX JOHN]

Over the Axle is as good as any in my opinion.... left or right depends on what your 4 wheel scales tell you... See you in Feb. PS Both Bats supposed to be same type and weight