Well, time got the better of me. When I retrieved my car a couple of weeks ago from its winter storage, I followed normal protocol: put the battery on charge overnight. That morning I was to leave, while the car started and all, the starter turned WAY too slow. That told me a new battery was in my future.
Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I was going to take the car out for a lunch meeting. When I turned the key, the fuel pump sound was missing. Sure, lights were on, but no sounds. I turned the key to start and nothing.
On the way home from lunch, stopped at Sears and bought the 34R DieHard Gold AGM. Put it in last night. Wow--my starter has NEVER turned so fast. Cleaning up the mess left behind from battery acid was the biggest problem. Last time I had the battery out, I had removed the tray and had it powder coated. Thankful that it held up from the acid spills.
Not 100% pleased with the fit of the factory battery hold down--I need to add a bit of rigid plastic strips to the edges of the battery to increase its size to allow the hold down to work a bit better. But, that's simple. I have not measured yet but I think I need to bulk up the battery by about .25" in dimensions. This model came with a tray to increase the height by 1" or so; it came on top but snaps on to the bottom.
My lunch meeting was with a friend with a Snap-On dealership; he sold me his most popular one-man brake bleeding kit. That's a project for later this summer.
While I wished I could have waited for a sale, time was not on my side...
