Battery advice

[Robert Deutman]

I am planning to buy a new 6V battery (the current one is still OK-ish but requires increasingly frequent charging, especially in the winter). Here in the Netherlands I can get the right size battery at 77, 84 or 100 Ah. The car (1960 S90) originally had 84 but I am considering to buy 100 Ah for a bit of extra capacity. Are there any experiences with 100 Ah, or any unintended consequences (such as the alternator having more trouble charging the battery?). Or is 84 Ah plenty? My current battery does not show any information on its Ah (and neither does the sales receipt). It is from July 2012 so probably time to replace soon anyway.

Thanks, Robert.

[David Jones]

The 84 ah was correct originally and should be ample for most circumstances. I would guess most of us do not drive the car much when the temp is around freezing so cold starts should not be much of an issue. 7 years is a good life for a stock lead acid battery and prorated may be one of the cheapest consumables on a 356 probably because it is not Porsche specific. If it was designated for a speedster it would be 10 times the price. No matter if you have a generator or an alternator it is not a good idea to try and charge a flat battery from the car as it can overload the charging circuit. Better to keep it on a maintainer and keep high loads to a minimum. Battery capacity is not a factor that determines charge rate. Condition of battery is.

[Randy Mittelstet]

Robert,
A great option to consider is the Optima battery (no acid). I keep the BatteryMinder product plugged into it. This is an auto charger, conditioner/maintainer. I can't remember now
how many years I have had this same battery but it is always ready to go. This was recommended to me years ago so paying it forward.