i need to get a proper battery for my 83 512 bbi. does anyone have info on the proper size or cross ref. part numbers? thank you. pcb
frank, what size is it ? do you have a part number? where did you get it? thanks for your response frank. pcb
Peter, Call you local dealer...but I believe 80% of the Ferraris made in the past 25 years take a Group 34R size. If yours does, then you can use either the Group 34R or the universal size Group 34/78. Optima red top or the Interstate seem to be the preferred brands.
thank you dave, and frank. yes it is a 34r type, and i think i will go frank's way and install the optima. thanks again. pcb
Anyone consider one of the new high tech lithium batt like the Anti-gravity? The charging management has gotten much better with these. I was concerned about losing ~50 pounds between the front wheels at the lowest point in the frame. It's ~1.5% of the cars weight. Will that impact handling? Over-steer? Tail happy etc..
I'm not a fan of the Optima Red Top (since the one I had only lasted ~1.5 years), nor any AGM battery -- just an opinion from the other side.
I have had good luck with AGM....but NOT with Optima red top....last two have leaked...and am crossing fingers on the third...but my Scuderia has a special bracket that only fits the Optima. I have to buy a new battery tray from a 430 to fit a standard AGM battery.
Its the same as loosing the spare tire and tools only more. The danger in a boxer is oversteer, theres no danger to loosing weight up front,. It can lighten up the steering which is great. at worst youll get some understeer which is good in this context Shorai has 36 Ah lithiums
I had a Optima red top that lasted 7 years. Replaced it a few years ago. Never had any issues with them and it fits well in the Boxer.
There is a thread where I showed one of the leaks on mine, and several others chimed in with bad experiences...someone else posted photos of theirs that leaked. Too bad, cause when the do work, they work well. If you had a good one, count yourself lucky. I risked another, as I didn't want to buy a new battery tray. Red Top Optima is oem factory for the Scuderia and 16M. To use anything else requires buying an F430 battery tray
I also purchased an Optima Red Top for my 83 Boxer, which is extremely powerful. The size of the battery is 34R.
Optima was OEM for a very short period. Cars suffered too may gremlins and Ferrari got smart and quit using them. I was a retained expert in a case with 16m and incurable electronic gremlins. All evidence was pointing to battery when suddenly case settled, a truck came with check in hand and took car back to FNA. Never got to finish investigation.
Follow up to this post...the third Optima red top started leaking. Still worked and load tested fine. I gave up, bought an F430 battery tray to fit an Interstate Group 48 AGM and all has be fine for a couple years now.
This is the second Optima red top battery that I’ve changed throughout my 15 year scuderia ownership. Never had any issues.
I got an Interstate MTZ-34R. It's a powerful AGM battery, and the fit is good but not perfect. I trimmed the top holder plate in the center section approximately 1.5mm for ~4 inches to make it fit like a glove. I went into the Interstate store with the measurements and the top hold-down plate and the agent, and I spent a chunk of time looking for the "Cinderella slipper" fit, but just couldn't find it. Anyway, it works great and has never cranked better. If I recall correctly, there was an F24(?) we were discussing which was bigger and looks like (had it been another brand perhaps), might have been what was originally intended, but I wanted to stick with Interstate. The top plate was maybe 1/16" too snug along the length to fit the top hold-down plate.
In that period I worked in the dealer that received an award for selling more 512BBi than any other world wide. The cars came equipped with a non USA standard battery size. As the OE batteries died we made modifications to fit a standard battery. I personally welded together dozens of battery hold down brackets for them. I have to believe others did the same and not in every case for the same batteries we chose.
