ALFAGTV6.COM

[kevin]

Hi , as topic suggests I am looking for advice on batteries in the colder climates here UK compared to where I lived in Sunny South Africa . Yeah I know its not the North Pole but its somewhat chillier than Joburg .
I see battery recommendations on websites here differ mainly in the cold cranking amps department from 590 to 610 cca And most sites stick with the 70 amp /h . Since my GTV has never being subjected to these colder climates in its poor life so hoping you guys could advise what's best . Also I'm interested if any of you have measured the voltage across the terminals when cold cranking .
Note this is my standard GTV 6 3.0 carbureted with factory alternator and all original electrical components including the large starter motor . edited after z post - it does have a relay on starter
I might upgrade to a heated from windscreen at a later stage

[75evo]

Kev,

Have you thought about a solar charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter? I think the problem you will have with your race car is the cold weather and the very occasional use. But a solar charger should keep the battery topped up as long as there is the sun.

Now about the sun and Britain, there is an old saying that goes something like "The British Empire, upon which the sun never sets"...the saying actually continues with "because God doesn't trust the Brits in the dark". .

[kevin]

Ha ha
I bought a very small low amp trickle charger due the reason as you mentioned above .( little use in winter) . But I think my battery is on its last legs . Wish my multimeter cables were long enough . Wanted to check voltage drop from positive battery to starter motor on cranking and then check across terminals as well . I know both are not linked but it will also help me check for bad connections as well as weak battery . ( dead cell etc) Just want to start with the correct battery as mentioned in first post . Unfortunately you can't compare to a 75 as that battery is in engine bay .
The carbi GTV is stored indoors but its still freezing in there . Ok cold in there

[75evo]

You could look into a 164 battery, but it may be too big. You may want to check the BMW E30 325i battery has a battery in the rear section of the car too. So that battery size with the proper cold cranking amps may work in the GTV6

Now you also need to make sure there is a relay to the starter solenoid. The current needed to activate the solenoid is simply too big for the ignition switch to handle. I was, once upon a time, almost always unpleasantly surprised with the clicking sound of the solenoid.

BTW, Kev my 75's battery is in the boot. I used an Mazda MX5 battery due to the weight, availability and price. Then switched to a slightly bigger battery which was even easier to get.
It's more than adequate. But it only gets down to about 0C here in CA, even in winter during the coldest of days.

[kevin]

Ok , totally forgot but I did install a relay in that car about ten years ago when I replaced the ignition , due to problems you mentioned . As you start I understand there is a split second 20 amp draw then settles to a 10-12 amp draw from the ignition or relay HoWEVEver you have about 250amp draw on the starter once cranking continues . That's the large power cable .
Problem is on these old cars every connection and cable has deteriorated slightly and having six carbs it needs a little more cranking than on the injected V6 . Just like cranking an old Nord motor on a cold winters day .
I did some cross references as you suggested using the old E30 and that battery suggested is a 700CCA 70Ah which is a lot more capacity than the one suggested for the GTV 6 . Ironically its the same battery suggested for the 164 which is also at the back .
You can argue the 164 has far more electrical items than GTV which it does as you could climb in and try start it while your electric seat warmers, heated screen, demister , headlights are all on but it has a much much smaller gear reduction starter . Their are probably a lot mor items in the 164 that take a drain off the battery while the car is parked and they also take into consideration the modern cars would probably having tracking devices etc installed .
I did notice some of the battery websites here also varied for the E30 325 and for the GTV6 .
Looks like I would like to aim for a battery in the 16kg region ( as this is still a reasonable size ) with the highest CCA on 70ah .
Hmm I must make mental note to keep searching for a Alfa 75 small starter for this car

Edit : battery I ended up getting in pic below . Would have like a higher CCA though - only 570