'41 Special battery

[First Buick]

It appears as though I need a new battery.  Don't know how old the one in the car is as when it was installed, they did not remove the Mo/Yr tabs on the label.  I have only had the car 6 months.  Anyone have any druthers, favorites, etc., with regards as to where to buy a battery for this car?  Thanks.

Edited September 20, 2021 by First Buick (see edit history)

[1939_Buick]

Your location?

Farm supply business are often recommended, as commonly still used on tractors

[37Special]

I love the optima 6 volt.  Most auto parts stores can order them in if they don't have them in stock.  

[Morgan Wright]

If you're not built like Arnold Schwarzenegger you might like the Opima even more.

[BuickBob49]

Group 2E is probably OEM. They are available, but expensive. Instead, a Group 3EH is slightly larger, but should fit your tray and holddown frame. It costs less than the 2E and offers more cranking amps. Both are long, heavy six-volt batteries.  My local rural/urban tire store carries them and offers free installation!

I use the 3EH in my 39 Roadmaster and 49 Super.  Make sure that you have a large 00 gauge positive cable running from the battery to the starter and a good mesh ground cable running from the neg terminal to the engine.

 

[Kenneth Carr]

Ditto what BuickBob49 said. I get mine at NAPA. It is only slightly larger than the standard size and it fits the tray in my '41 Roadmaster. I put in new 00 cables and the engine never hesitates to turn over. And as a bonus this battery looks like a battery (big, fil holes, etc.).

[First Buick]

Thanks for all the tips and info on batteries.  I will start my search locally for a suitable battery.  Having only lived around here for a couple of years, I am not too familiar with what is available as during the first year, I had both knees replaced at the same time and then came the virus.  I just haven't been out and about all that much.   As for the 00 cable, will I have to get that at a welding supply place and then add the ends or is there some place I can buy a ready made one?

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I bought the parts at O'Reilly I believe, and made my own.

 

  Ben

[JFranklin]

There are companies online that can make proper battery cables for 6 volt applications very reasonably priced I had cables made for a model T and was pleased. Do a bit of searching.

[neil morse]

I bought this cable from Bob's Automobilia.  I don't know if it's 00, but it works fine.  Bob's also sells the correct mesh ground cables.

 

https://bobsautomobilia.com/shop/electrical/positive-battery-cable-1940-53-straight-8-bc-17/

[Century Eight]

Napa should be able to supply the cables and the batteries and Bobs, CARS or Kanter should have most anything else you ever need.

[Kenneth Carr]

This is the place I get my cables from: Quality Copper Battery Cables Made in the USA! - BatteryCablesUSA

Battery Cables USA makes them up exactly as you want ... choose the connector, the length, etc. and they are

made to order.

 

They are not soldered but are well crimped. I've had two 00 cables on for about 2 years now. My car (1941 Buick Roadmaster)

starts right up every time. The price is right too.

 

I also have a knife switch  shutoff. It works well and is very positive ... you don't have to guess if it is engaged or not.

My main reason for the shutoff is because there is still some old wiring in my car (I did replace almost all dash & engine wire harness).

If a short ever causes a fire, it won't be while the car is in the garage and my wife and I are sleeping.

 

Positive cable in bright red going to starter solenoid. the black wire and connector are for my maintenance battery charger which

I rarely need to use if I drive the car at least every few weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the ground cable. The knife switch is for safety. You can see immediately that there is no electricity in any

car circuits... especially useful when I am working on the electrical system. The switch is pretty solid. I did add 

a piece of bakelite to part of the undersurface to make it touch the battery top and thus be more stable.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Roadmaster71
Added captions to photos (see edit history)

[Joseph P. Indusi]

Tractor Supply sells a 3EH battery with 875 CCA at very reasonable price.  Best I ever had in my Buick.   Stay away from Delco repos that just don’t match up to the Tractor Supply battery.  
Always use a heavy duty cutoff switch for reason stated above but also to stop the clock from running down the battery. 
Joe

[Fireball8man]

Dave Tacheny and many others like myself only use 6-Volt Optima Batteries with 800 Cold Cranking Amps.  Over the years, I got tried of all the other 6 volt agricultural/farm tractor batteries which do not even compare with Optima 6-Volt Batteries.  All my 6-Volt Buicks have them.  I installed the battery, with tray mount, along with the cables.   I live in Wisconsin.  We have Blain's Farm & Fleet, Fleet Farm, Tractor Supply Company, etc. within 15 miles of our property - I got tired of the lack of dependabiltiy, starting, and life of these batteries before I went on using the Optima brand.

[Gary W]

I use the optima 6V Red Top in all four of my antiques.  No lead acid spilling, no fumes peeling paint.  Nice and neat.  Highly recommend.

 

The '37 Battery sits in a battery box under the front seat.

 

 

[Morgan Wright]

True. And who wants to check the battery all the time to add distilled water? 

[RiKi5156B]

• I've used optimas in every car since 1991. Here's my best story. Bought a new 90 dodge cummins in Sept 89.In late 91 the original group 31 gave up so I bought an optima 1000CCA from a guy at work that was selling seconds,which meant marks on the case but fully functional. $60 Put that in and went 17 years before it gave up. Since the battery had also just gone dead on my 55 Century I charged  the 'dead' optima put it in the 55 and cranked it right up. Ran several years in the 55 with stock generator,did fine. Finally wouldn't crank that so I made a bracket to mount to the back of my riding lawnmower where it went another few years mowing the lawn,wouldn't crank it anymore so it still had 12v but no amps and I used it as a test battery while rewiring my 40. Never had I had a battery perform so well. Wish they were still $60

 

[Robert Engle]

Optimas are readily available on line at better prices than most local stores.  I like that they don't outgass and cause corrosion to terminals and battery trays.

 

Bob 

Engle

[Victor W]

Whatever battery you choose I'll second what everyone has said about proper sized custom cables. I know they don't look 100% period correct but dang does my '40 roll over nicely with the set of new 000 cables I had custom made. Several online sources. Made to your request and ironically cheaper than if I had bought OEM looking cables.

--Victor