Having some difficulty finding a new battery for my 1973 Sprint.
Local Motorworld have been very helpful but the Exide battery listed for a 1973 Elan was far too wide. They then found a Banner battery which was the correct size but this leaked - as did the replacement. Batteries Unlimited on the internet gave me dimensions for their replacement but it is too wide.
Alternatively I see from previous posts that I could fit a motorbike battery instead.
Can anyone give me any info other makes that would fit as a direct replacement?
I suggest an 015 instead of the original 038. The 015 is exactly the same externally but is ‘heavy duty’ i.e. thicker plates giving higher capacity & better starting power.
If you want one quickly then Halfords usually have them in stock for about ?40-?45. They list them for the old Mini.
You can probably save a few ?s if you have time to search around…
The Mini battery is the same size but the terminals are reversed and are the round type, so you may need to do some wiring. You can find the original type (037) on the internet, performancebatteries.co.uk offer free delivery although I have never used them myself.
When I went looking for a new battery a couple of years got I got disappointed at the lack of good quality batteries in the standard form factor for the Elan.
After reading some advice in this and other classic car forums I got a drycell Oddysey battery. More expensive than ordinary ones, but worth every penny. They provide enormous cranking power and can withstand long periods without charging. They are also very small and fit no problem in the hole, but you will have to make your own bracket.
I like the looks of that red battery and the way the terminals are moved to the side. Even in the Elan’s little cubby hole there seems to be room left. Very neat indeed.
My local motor factor provided me with an ‘old fashioned looking’ (black, little screw caps over each cell) battery for my Sprint for around ?17… It’s got round terminals (as I changed the connectors on my leads) and has lasted 3 years so far…and always starts the car…
I have also fitted the Oddysey battery to my S4. However I used a slightly smaller one than in the picture. A little more expensive but worth every penny. See odysseyfactory.com/
I have a Group No. 45 battery in my 72 Sprint. It has the lugs at the bottom that accomodate the Elan hold-down brackets.
In the US, at least, battery sizes are standardized by BCI (Battery Council International) Group Numbers.
There is also a Group No. 51R which is slightly smaller than the 45, but it does not have the lugs at the bottom so requires a bracket to be configured to the installation.
Both the 45 and the 51R have the correct terminals in the proper location for the Sprint.
I got a type 037 from Tanya Electrical supplies on the web (www.tanya.co.uk) for ?38.99. It is Numax brand - seems OK so far.
It’s the correct battery so fits perfectly
They send it out by carrier - no problems.
Regards
Bruce