Original Battery Size (Group 24 &27) and cap color Green, Yellow or Red?

[HWYCRZR]

I did some searching and am only finding tidbits of information on battery size and cap color.
I am specifically interested in 1968, but would be nice to understand mid 60's through mid 70's.
The one think I know for sure is that group 27 batteries had red caps between 65 - 68, and group 24 batteries had yellow or green caps between 65 & 68. Two questions I want to answer are:
1: What was the difference between the Yellow and Green Cap group 24 battery
2: What battery would have came with my car ('68 Polara, 383 2bbl) battery code on my broadcast sheet under Battery is 62.

I will follow up in the next post with some basic info I have found.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I found this to maybe help, but am not finding what caps go with which battery.
from the '68 data book. For my car with the 383 would have been the 59 Amp hour battery, but what caps? And the 27 was still optional.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I also found this, if you can believe everything find on the internet. This also seems to correlate to what Dante's says on their battery topper page.

Based on this '66-67 383, Yellow cap, 59 Amp

 

[Davea Lux]

For starters, a group 24 battery is a group 24 battery so I suspect the main difference is the cap color. Chrysler bought batteries from multiple suppliers and it is likely that different suppliers used different colored caps. As a rule of thumb, big block cars and cars with A/C had the larger batteries. Police and high performance equipped cars generally had the group 27 batteries standard.

Dave

 

[Davea Lux]

Broadcast sheet code for battery '68:

622=48amp
626=70amp
627=59amp

Dave

 

[HWYCRZR]

For starters, a group 24 battery is a group 24 battery so I suspect the main difference is the cap color. Chrysler bought batteries from multiple suppliers and it is likely that different suppliers used different colored caps. As a rule of thumb, big block cars and cars with A/C had the larger batteries. Police and high performance equipped cars generally had the group 27 batteries standard.

Dave

You probably posted this just as I was above. I am finding the cap color had to do with the amp rating. As you said the group 24 is a group 24, but the manufactures probably saved a couple of dollars between the 48 amp and 59 amp (Probably a similar difference between a 550CCA and 650CCA). The different cap colors most likely helped them visually see they were putting in the right battery. No reading the small tag necessary.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Broadcast sheet code for battery '68:

622=48amp
626=70amp
627=59amp

Dave

My sheet only has two digits under the battery. (62) fourth in from bottom left. Unless there is another battery section that I am not seeing.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

C bodies 65-68 ALL got Group 27 red cap batteries, at least in Canada, regardless of engine size or options.

 

[cbarge]

68 Newport...red caps
I prefer a group 27 battery,but my topper with red caps was only available in a group 24..
I removed the Delco tag after I seen it in this pic,LOL!!

 

[Davea Lux]

My sheet only has two digits under the battery. (62) fourth in from bottom left. Unless there is another battery section that I am not seeing.
View attachment 331134

www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=58
www.mopardealer.com/decoding.htm#001-999

These are both internet sites, but at least my mopar usually gets it right. Can not see from the broadcast sheet you provided if there is another box. It would probably6 have 62 in the top of the box and a single digit on the bottom. You are quite correct about the group 24 batteries, I had forgotten that they came in more than one amperage rating.

Dave

 

[HWYCRZR]

I did find a box in the middle right of the sheet that had heavy duty battery (kind of under the spring mark) in a box. Nothing is checked under it though. Pretty sure the correct battery is the group 24 Yellow for my car.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Nope. 27, red cap.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Nope. 27, red cap.

Why do you say that? All evidence leads me to group 24 yellow. Is it something you saw on my build sheet?

 

[Newport 66]

According to the build sheet my '66 Newport (non factory A/C) came with a group 27 battery.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I cannot find any reference to the battery number 62 on my sheet. The 3 digits everyone referenced do not correlate with my sheet. Maybe
Doug @69CoronetRT would be kind enough to shed some light on what I am missing.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Somebody will have to prove me wrong before I take it back out. So far my evidence for ‘68 Polara says 383 engine group 24 battery, 59 amp standard. Other documentation says 59 amp has yellow caps. This makes sense in a manufacturing world to prevent the wrong battery installed. Think of a stop light. Green (48 amps),on the bottom or good to go, yellow, middle (59 amps), caution, this costs more than the green battery, check the option, red (group 27, 70 amp),on the top, stop, check the build card this battery is expensive. Visual cues for the line workers.
Anyway, my dressed up group 24 Fleet Farm Battery. 650CCA $94. 2 year full replacement 6 year warranty. It’s a good 6 footer.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Looks great! Ultimately, who cares? It can be a challenge to ascertain that sort of thing, and who knows who's correct?

In my (limited) experience all I've ever seen in C bodies 65-68 is a group 27 red cap. However, while I'm 99% sure I am correct, I could well be wrong. And again, what you have in the car now looks great, so enjoy it!

 

[HWYCRZR]

I did not look at any Chrysler or Plymouth data books. Maybe they are different than the Dodge. The Chrysler’s probably had more frills, so could have used the larger battery in more applications. Dammit, now I need to look through those to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[HWYCRZR]

@Ross Wooldridge
I think we are both right. The standard battery for the Newport’s and Wagons were the 59amp group 24 Yellow. They could upgrade to the larger one. The 440 option dictated the group 27 red. The NewYorker and 300 came standard with the Group 27 red. Per the ‘68 Chrysler data book.
The known is that all with 440 engines used group 27 red. The other engines are a little more variable as they could be optioned up to the larger battery from the yellow 24.

 

[69CoronetRT]

I cannot find any reference to the battery number 62 on my sheet. The 3 digits everyone referenced do not correlate with my sheet. Maybe
Doug @69CoronetRT would be kind enough to shed some light on what I am missing.
View attachment 331419 View attachment 331420

View attachment 331421

A couple of related, and unrelated, thoughts that may, or may not, help.....

the last two digits in that position refer to the last two digits of the part number. I can't find BATTERY in the 68 parts book to find the part number. I'll check the 67 and 69 books to see if they make sense...

The ACCESSORIES BOOK shows the various batteries available within the different groups http://www.hamtramck-historical.com...cessories/1968/68_Accessories_Catalog0036.jpg

I looked through all of my '68 Broadcast sheets.
Under BATTERY and regardless of make or model

/6 and 318 cars code 59
383-2 and 383-4 cars code 62
Hemi and 440 cars code 69

I have one RK41 318 car that codes BATTERY 64

I don't have any sheets from a 340.