TurboStart batteries

[X66 714]

Originally Posted by Washburn-Z28

May I suggest calling Wayne Cunningham at 804-861-0165. Wayne is very knowledgeable about the Turbostart manufacturing process and seems to be always willing to help answer any questions. Especially when investing in a battery.

That's who I just tried to call. I'll have to wait till Monday. I did call Summit & they told me the posts were the same size which won't work for spring ring cables....Joe

[njsteve]

Good batteries if you can get one actually delivered in one piece. I ordered 4 during the pandemic (when none were being produced and they were rarer than plutonium).

The first one arrived from Summit Racing with just a single layer of thin display cardboard containing the 50 lb. Group 27 battery. It was shattered like a carton of eggs dropped out a second story window. The case was completely spiderwebbed and the gel was leaking everywhere. The UPS store that I get my deliveries at had to close down to clean up the toxic mess.

I called Summit and they said "never had a problem shipping those before...yada yada" BS. They happened to have another one. They shipped it the exact same way! That one was dropped on it's edge and broke off an entire corner. Got that refunded as well. They refused to let me ship it back. I had to find a place to recycle it.

I then contacted Turbostart directly and guess what...they shipped what they thought was the last one in existence the EXACT SAME WAY. It arrived with a chip off a top edge but not leaking. They refunded my money and told me I could keep it (since it was pretty much illegal to ship a leaking container of acid through the mail/UPS). I was able to use JB weld and fix the chip and then dust it with a little SEM Landau Black which matched the black rubber finish perfectly.

After several weeks of me bugging them at Turbo Start they found the last, last display model of that Group 27 battery and made sure they boxed it in four nesting cardboard boxes. It arrived safely and I installed it in the 70 Cuda.

I eventually sold the chipped/repaired one for a decent price.

Basically my caveat is the DEMAND they triple pack the battery and tell them you will pay extra for extra packaging. Otherwise you are wasting your time ordering one from any of the mail order outfits. Try and get it, in-person, at a swap meet or car show instead. That was the one depressing statement I got from the boss at Turbostart. He said their business suffers from a nearly 50% breakage in shipping ratio and there's nothing he can do about it. Hell yeah there is: package it inside styrofoam and extra boxes like a television! DUH!