Battery.

Remember I told you a voltmeter could give you a "false positive" reading when the car was running?

The reason I said that was because if you have a good alternator and a bad battery, the alternator will not show full voltage. When it comes to electric current flow you can have high amps OR high voltage. If the alternator is throwing out 20 amps it will be at a reduced voltage. A bad or internally shorted battery (which is what you have) draws excess amps and doesn't allow the voltage to increase.

Think of a river for a comparison.

A shallow river flows fast but moves little volume. That's voltage.

A deep river flows slowly but moves much more water. That's amperage.

Your battery is a lake those rivers are trying to keep full.

Yup! Time to change the lake, then. I heared of modern battery (possibly dry cell) with ancient look for vintage cars. Would anyone know where I can get one of those, if they are good, and how much they are?

Thanks!

Gael

I use AGM (asorbed glass mat) because they do not off gas or leak. I get mine from Westco and use their charger/maintainer. They do not look vintage though.

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1971 Porsche 911 Targa RSR rep.
1968 BMW R60/2
1981 BMW R80GS-PD, dual plugs, 1000cc jugs, 10 gal "Gaston" tank.
1982 BMW R80GS-PD, duplicate of above.
1988 Neoplan/Mercedes 40' Bus
2002 SLK32 AMG
2013 Smart Electric

I just got a new battery from Autozone. I put in in the car and now everything is back to normal.

As I still have the battery charger I borrowed from my neighbor I was wondering if I should charge that battery to the maximum (who knows how long it stayed on the shelf!) or if I should just leave it alone.

On another note, I saw this "tartopper" on internet which gives modern batteries the look of older ones: http://www.tartopper.com/
This would fit on the battery I just bought as it is a group 24 flat top. Did anyone use one of those? Is it looking good or just like an hideous cheap plastic cover?

should be fine off the shelf

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Ron
2015 Porsche Cayman - Elizabeth
2011 Porsche Cayman - Bond,James Bond
Sadly MERCEDESLESS - ALways LOOKING !
99 E320 THE Queen Mary - SOLD
62 220b - Dolly - Finally my Finny! Sadly SOLD
72 450SL, Pearl-SOLD
16 F350 6.7 Diesel -THOR
19 BMW X5 - Heaven on Wheels
14 38HP John Deere 3038E Tractor -Mean Green
84 300SD, Benjamin -SOLD
71 220 - W115-Libby ( my first love) -SOLD
73 280 - W114 "Organspende" Rest in Peace
81 380 SL - Rest in Peace

Sure would make a modern battery look old from a cursory look, which is what you are after.

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1971 Porsche 911 Targa RSR rep.
1968 BMW R60/2
1981 BMW R80GS-PD, dual plugs, 1000cc jugs, 10 gal "Gaston" tank.
1982 BMW R80GS-PD, duplicate of above.
1988 Neoplan/Mercedes 40' Bus
2002 SLK32 AMG
2013 Smart Electric

If you are running a 220 coupe with a 3.5 V8 in it, I would not worry so much about the look of the battery. Most of us are not even close to enter in a Concourse d'Elegance. We have too much fun driving

Just my personal opinion.

Bert (who for a while diligently used original spec 6V Lucas batteries in his '63 MGB until subsiding to convenience of single 12V battery)

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'70 111 280SE/c 3.5 (4 spd manual) - sold
'63 MGB
'73 MGBGT V8

Ha Ha ! Yes, you are right. But we all have our thing... Mine is to have my car look like what it is not. I'm trying to have everything look period, even if of course it is not stock. In this regard I got a pair of early valve covers with the big oil filler cap that look like the 6.3 ones, and the engine now looks of the era of the car. I also got these W123 diesel alloy rims on which I have center hubcaps and beauty rings... And an Ipod connected to the original small face Becker.