Since you asked, I just don't like the look of the toppers. To each his own. And, by the time I buy a good battery and a topper I would have spent the same as I did gutting and converting this one. And, this kind of work is my hobby, a type of stress relief, so the labor isn't even a factor to me.

No, it isn't an "original" battery; but neither is a 302 with Wiseco pistons, a repro camshaft, stainless valves, bronze guides, hardened seats, modern bearings, gapless rings, etc. But, to the guy driving it, it is still fun.

I would never disparage anyone choosing to use a topper. His or her car, his or her choice. I wanted a battery that could not be distinguished from the original just by looking at it. As long as it is mounted in the vehicle, no one can tell it has been gutted.... just like no one can tell that the 302 has been rebuilt with updated parts.

No two of us will likely make identical choices on what we do with our cars over a few decades. That's one of the things that makes this hobby great. We can build different cars to our own tastes, and simply agree to disagree.

Adding a bit to this old thread, I just purchased a dead R89 repop battery and had great success in just popping the top off of it to replace the AGM Odyssey PC925 battery. The tops are glued on but glue really does not stick too well to the polypropylene plastic. I used a 3 inch putty knife and worked around the overlap edge flexing the top cover outward slightly. I could hear the glues fracture here and there. Bits and pieces of the glue would flake out once in awhile. After working all the way around a few times it was still stuck. I then through caution to the wind a bit and inserted the putty knife at the corner and with a firm upward hit the corner popped loose. I then moved to the other corners and did the same. More success. Then I worked from there along the long sides and it quickly popped the top off all the way. Then i tried to pull the battery out and discovered the battery was glued into the bottom of the case. There is about a 1/2 inch gap from the top of the internal battery to the top edge of the battery case. I then flipped the battery upside down and dropped it from about a foot up onto the garage floor. 3 or 4 times of this with pushing it down faster and the battery broke free of the outer case.
Also, I am leaning towards this battery as a replacement:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095T18XKP...v_ov_lig_dp_it
Always had pretty good luck with Interstate batteries.
Hope this adds a bit to this helpful thread.

Well done.

Lynn, I believe the battery is a repop. Maybe the R89 is different than an R59 but on those, there is not a lip on the top of the battery case on OEM batteries where the repops have a lip. Hope this helps.